To think my DD doesn’t need anything for Christmas?!

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DD is 12. Before anyone becomes alarmed, she will of course get something! There are a couple of “large” presents she will get from me and my parents. However, I have been racking my brains recently trying to think of some smaller items for under the cHristmas tree and her stocking. I even posted in the Christmas topic and got give some great suggestions! Except that... she really doesn’t need or want anything... when she needs something for one of her hobbies for example, i tend to buy it at the time she needs it.

It was so different when I was that age!

Natural History museum or science museum family membership so you can all skip queues & visit exhibitions for free as many times as you like.

Or premium bonds which you can add to each year to build up her university fund.

Im going to do stockings till dd is an adult.
Normally useful stuff; slippers, headphones, book, toiletries, gloves but some non useful stuff like chocolate too.

As for the worthy bit: we will donate to a foodbank.

I still do stockings for adult kids. They get a main present under the tree (normally an item of clothing they want ) then a stocking with choc coins and santas etc. And then lots of cheap but useful stuff. So socks, knickers, etc plus a few toiletries such as a pack of Xmas tissues , lipsalve etc. Then I add a couple of cheap jokey things ( last year it was one of those pens that have all the colours and you push down the colour needed. I loved those as a child ).
All told the stocking costs v little as I buy in the sales throughout the year so I don't go over the top and they love it.

I still do stockings for my adult DC. Staples are nice socks, nice knickers/undies, tube of smarties, chocolate coins, chocolate orange -even though they are rubbish these days and a selection box.

For a 12 year old I would add a bath bomb, maybe a cute umbrella, coloured stationery a book or a cheap kindle.

Sounds a bit virtue signalling but last year I took dd3 on a little shopping trip to buy 3 gifts for children who wouldn't get a gift and cut down what she got. She loved it. We moved that year and I spent a month shovelling plastic toot out of the loft and into landfill.

Lovely fluffy slippers, a couple of books to encourage reading, a couple of tops, a scarf, bath bombs. I always found stocking fillers easy when my DCs were younger.

These all sound super “fun”

I'm afraid most of the suggestions are landfill, especially if she already has an ereader...

I'd still do a stocking with small items but would not (and do not for my own teen girl) buy tat for the sake of volume.

Give her a nice box of chocolates with cash and a note promising to drive her to her shopping destination of choice to spend it if she wishes, no hurry to decide what she wants it could be in a few months time, inside if you feel you haven't spent as much on her as siblings. She'll be thrilled.

We are going down the route of

Something you want, something you need, someone to wear, something to read this year

This article has really made me think this year...
www.monbiot.com/2012/12/10/the-gift-of-death/

I can't think of a single 12 year old that would be happy with a donation to a charity on their behalf rather than receiving a gift.

we're struggling to think of things too. There is nothing I want and it's the same for the DCs. I'm surprised as we barely buy anything through the year - DS had new clothes when he needed them, other than that it's just been toiletries as and when. DD buys her own clothes and I'm not motivated by stuff.
The tree is going to look very bare this year.

This thread is such an eye opener. I can't believe no one else has said that they agree with you. A couple of large gifts is absolutely fine. You don't have to buy an extra bunch of shit just for the sake of it.

It's nice for anyone to have gifts to open. I would feel very sad for an 11 year old if they only had one big present to open even if they do have. A lot already. Most of the fun of Christmas is just the opening anyway. I always wrap up bits like slightly nicer shampoo/ shower gel, New toothbrush!? A book or magazine, Sweets or chocolate. Nail varnish/make up bits, New purse or bag. She might not need any of this but you could pick up enough fillers for £10/£20 and it would make Christmas a bit more special for her!x

Menstrual pants?? That's a bloody awful gift in anyone's book.

DD (12) likes face masks so I'll get her a few of those. All of mine have had things like a jar of Nutella or Biscoff spread before.

My DD is 14 and I've spent about 400 pounds on what seems like very little!

I want to give her more to open so I'm happy with all the comments about wrapping up shampoo and stuff...things she'll use. I don't want to buy crap.

I can't think of a single 12 year old that would be happy with a donation to a charity on their behalf rather than receiving a gift.

Depends on the charity and how it's done.

I was thrilled that one of my Christmas gifts when I was around that age was that a dolphin had been sponsored in my name. I would have been less impressed to be told that £20 had been donated to a charity I didn't really know/care about.

I'm going very different with stockings this year. Have bought range of gift cards for favourite shops ie lush, smiggle. I think will go down really well (fingers crossed lol)

I have always hated those tatty stocking filler type gifts. Socks, smellies, chocolate, mugs....what’s the point? I really don’t get this thing about ‘having something to open’. I would rather have something nice that I actually want, or nothing. Buying stuff just to pad it all out is just wasteful. If someone actually wrapped up some shampoo that I can buy any day of the week if I need it, I would be like wtf?!

Agreed SoupDragon- nothing says “happy Christmas” like a pair of menstrual pants

I do smellies baskets for my older girls now instead of stockings.

I do different colours for each of them, and add some nicer bits and more expensive body sprays than I’d usually get, so it’s more “gifty” but it still gets used.

I agree with the OP. I have the same in my house. Two teens who have no idea what they wouod like for Christmas (it’s the same b’days too).

They wouldn’t enjoy the unnecessary stuff, pens, funny mug etc...
A bit like me as an adult tbh.

@itsgoodtobehome I always had my stocking filled with face wash, conditioner, moisturiser etc when I was at college/uni because then I didn't have to buy my own and mum would pick nicer brands!

So your question is 'AIBU to only buy my daughter a couple of large presents' ? Of course not. That's pretty normal, I'd have thought.

I also agree with a previous poste.
Putt8ng wrapping paper around stuff that you would normally get (shampoo, smelliest etc...) doesn’t make it a gift. Just an ordinary item with some wrapping paper around it.

A REALLY different shampoo or soap etc... that you wouod never buy normally is different iyswim.

DD is 12. She is getting an experience as her main present and some money. I have also bought her a few books, art stuff, pens, toiletries, nail kit, socks, hair things, lip gloss. She probably doesn't need much of that, but I would hate her to think I'd just stopped caring about Christmas.