Christmas present buying

[Liz876]

I probably know the answer to this but Aibu to keep letting other people, who constantly feel the need to tell me how much they've spent on their kids for Christmas make me doubt myself if I've bought enough for my own kids. My Dh thinks I am and that I should just smile and nod along when people do this.

Don't get me wrong I've had the odd conversation with friends about what our kids have asked for but I have a couple of friends in particular who are Christmas obsessed, who spend a fortune (which is fine it's their choice) but then go one step further and have sat and rhymed off to me every single present they have bought their children and told me to the penny how much they've spent.

At first I didn't really care because firstly it's their choice and secondly I was happy with what I'd bought for my own children. But now I'm doubting myself. I don't usually post on here about how much I spend on Christmas but to put it into perspective I have three children and have spent around £400 each on gifts for them, plus new clothes, shoes etc. My Dh feels this is enough and despite us being able to spend more we genuinely can't think of anything else they would like so we'd just be buying for buying's sake. My eldest has a mixture of designer clothes (not extortionate top end prices though) perfume, trainers, gift vouchers, etc. Middle child has got an Xbox plus games and the lots of smaller presents like smellies, make up, hair products and then my youngest has got a small tablet, hot wheels garage, imaginext toys, lego, etc etc. They also get plenty of presents from their grandparents, aunts, uncles etc so the house is full come Christmas Day. Rationally i know they have enough and like I said we could spend more but I don't want to spoil them too much, and have instead put money aside for trips out over Christmas i.e. a pantomime, meal out, trampoline park etc. I know my kids will get so much more out of these sort of things so why am I stressing? Ahh!!!!

Blimey, our DC didn't have anything specific they wanted or needed this year and I had enough trouble thinking of what to get and probably have got to an average of around £100 per child. I can't imagine the steam which would be coming out of my ears if I had to come up with even more ideas.

Obviously it comes to more when someone actually wants or needs a piece of tech or a new bike or something but otherwise the mind boggles!

I have spent 400 this year but this is only as dss laptop broke last year and he needs a new one. So that was 250. And then he asked for a watch which was 50. The rest is just on bits/chocolate. He appreciates money and will know we have spent quite a bit this time. But usually at the most I would spend 200. He doesn't get huge expensive gifts every year.

Well my eldest is only getting three gifts. We spend maybe £100 per child apart from the kid Year when they get Tech. So for me £400 is too much but your children your choice and their children their choice.

There's a thread about you here op. How it's less stressful when men do Xmas. Perfect example, your dh is fine with what was spent and there you are creating a whole situation out of it.
You are vulgar and so are the people who have been discussing how much you've spent.

My ds is 18 months. We've got him 2 small gifts which will occupy him for a few hours. He doesn't need a mountain of presents. He does have the time and attention of his parents which is far more valuable. You need a reality check.

Its about the same as what we've spent. They normally have more I.e like a 'big gift' laptop, pc, games console, phone etc etc. But they've said this year they have all of that, so don't want anything. DS 13 did think about an Xbox One X, but he already as an X Box One, and we said it was pointless as he didn't have a 4K tv- and no he wasn't having one of those!
So ours Ds 18 and Ds13 just have some bits to open but as you say it still adds up. They are both very big boys for their age so are obviously in men's clothes. So ds2 for example has hype bottoms x2, a t-shirt and hoodie and that alone was over £200, then 2 Xbox games he wanted £100, and some bits- pj's, slippers, FIFA points, smellies, chocolate, 2 books and that's another £100. Plus his Xbox games he doesn't want hard copies he wants the downloadable versions and then FIFA points are online- so he just has 10 gifts to open- it looks nothing!
As for big one- so far he has pj's, chocolate, smellies and 2 x t-shirts- £100 and yet it seems nothing. On the weekend I'm getting him some jeans, a hoodie, cardigan, t-shirt and jumper and that will be another £300 gone.
I did say this year, I wasnt buying for the sake of buying which I'm really guilty of. So have warned them that they have very little in their 'santa pile' but they both said that they'd rather have money and buy something after Christmas. So that's what we will do.

Same here Rossigi our DDs' pile of pressies looks very small, but they have asked for money as their main present as they're going to London on the 29th shopping with friends.

He doesn't need a mountain of presents. He does have the time and attention of his parents which is far more valuable. You need a reality check.

This sort of comment really pisses me off. It's a kind of implication that children who receive lots of gifts don't receive as much of their parents attention as a child who only gets one or two.

It's not attention OR gifts. A child can receive both.