To feel so much pressure about Christmas and birthday for a 5 yo?!

[Northmumof2]

I am panicking.
Single mum of 10 month old DD and soon to be 5 year old DS.
They turn 5 and 1 within a few weeks of each other

I’m absolutely clueless what to get him?
For either occasion and I’ve done over time this month so I really want to try box it off on this wage.
Any ideas ?

He’s asked for either a tv in his room or a Nintendo switch. Neither of which are happening.
He likes to go on my iPad so I did consider an amazon kids tablet because I read I can limit screen time- but I’ve also heard mixed reviews ?

He loves Lego but it’s so expensive.
I just want him happy and I know at his age he will care more about the amount of things he has to open!

I just want to be able to give them everything they want and sadly I can’t !

Hi OP,
My son loved his kindle fire but it's my understanding that it includes the kids entertainment package (games/books/shows) for a year and then it is £7.99 each month. The games are a subscription model so you end up paying around £100 quid a year to keep them. We packed it in when my son was a little older and was only playing one game on it (that he really liked) but we we're paying the £7.99 a month or around £100 quid a year for it! Is this how it has worked for others?

If you have £50 odd quid to spend I think you might be better off with a second hand Wii or Xbox that is being sold with all you need and some games to get you started.

Asda have 900 piece lego set for £18 at minute. Also tesco have a large fire engine set at 12.50 in their sale. Amazon fire hold off to black friday. Usually come down to 25/30

He might not appreciate the bank account cash now @Shoppingwithmother but I am trying to instil less consumerist instincts in my children. Re the moneybox- absolutely; he loves money boxes.
I’ve posted about this previously. He’ll have plenty to open but I don’t want Christmas and his birthday to be the massive toy and plastic-fests that are becoming the norm. We’ve got to change our values if we want future generations to be able to enjoy the planet.

Cutting right down is a good thing, honestly. So many times when my kids were small, I felt awful because I bought too many things (but still only about 12 presents or so each) and they just ran out of steam and stopped being excited about the rest. So much money was wasted and I wish I'd learned my lesson sooner.
Allowing time to enjoy each thing is key, and also letting him have things that you usually restrict- a large selection box is heaven for a child whose mum is careful about his teeth, for example.

If you decide on a fire, thn wait until black friday to get a deal! Lego and playmobil are good, but remember to keep small bits away from your 1 yr old. Our 5 year old loves dress up (may be offers on around halloween), games (like pop up pirate or most of the orchard games). And we have often picked up bargain playmobil on local facebook selling groups. Sweetly, when my oldest was 5 he asked santa for a cuddly dinosaur when others were asking for tablets and games consoles.

I wouldn’t worry about a one year old - second hand cuddly toy from a charity shop for the photos? They won’t remember! I’m not sure I’d get a tablet for the 5 yo because all mine would do is watch rubbish on YouTube on it, Asda Lego sounds great, or secondhand duplo on eBay they can play with together? It’s indestructible.

Excessive present buying for children at Christmas or birthdays is vulgar and unnecessary.

Boots often have toys in their 3 for 2 so can usually get a bargain there - the 1 year old may like the happyland toys (they usually sell the bus or other bits).

that it includes the kids entertainment package (games/books/shows) for a year and then it is £7.99 each month. The games are a subscription model so you end up paying around £100 quid a year to keep them. We packed it in when my son was a little older and was only playing one game on it (that he really liked) but we we're paying the £7.99 a month or around £100 quid a year for it! Is this how it has worked for others?

Not for us. We bought a simple kindle fire not a kids version etc. No additional payments. We downloaded the Kids YouTube (free) and there are plenty of free kids apps to download from the appstore.

A dress up box would be a great joint Xmas gift. Find a second hand hamper or an old rigid box. Visit a few charity shops for scarves, hats, strings of beads, bags, capes etc.

Im only getting DC board games this year.

They look big and they will give us hours of arguing fun together

There will be a stocking with a hand knitted toy, bubble bath & a few chocs.

Thats it.

I work in a charity shop and we get toys all the time - lego, VTech, cuddly toys, board games, jigsaws, books etc. We also get loads of kids DVDs too.

The works has cheap toys and books. The 10 books for £10 would be good for both children.

Online there is a clearance section. Same with smyths where you could get a few little bits for both kids, depending g on what they like.

Some lego sets were in the sainsburys up to half price toy sale. We attention a budget but I always look out for lego in sale as it is expensive. I regularly google "cheap lego" and it usually rotates between argos, john Lewis, debenhams, very and the supermarkets. At 5 you can get away with the little sets of vehicles, star wars etc

Agree 1 year old would be happy with anything put in a big box then she will play with box...

Also, for the 1 year old, the present my friends kid loved most was a pack of bubbles and a pack of balloons she got from the pound shop.

We filled the room with the tree with balloons.
Cheap to do but all the children at school were so jealous.
Clothing, all ways brand new out and shoes, a winter coat, bedding and loads of bits.

Just because his friends (may) have tv/ computers and in his rooms doesn't mean you gave to do the same. My nearly 11 and nearly 9 year olds will never have that stuff in their rooms if I can help it and they only got xbox and tablets in the last year or two. Yes they moaned but my standard answer was "that's up to their parents, I dont agree with that until you're older". They have friends with an awful lot of expensive "stuff" that I dont want mine to have and I tell them that stuff isn't everything. They e survived so far!

I’m giving my son my old Lego this year, my mum saved a big box ‘as it was so bloody expensive she couldn’t part with it’. If you do get second hand, for washing, a washing machine net with it in the dishwasher on a eco cycle or put it in the net and submerge in warm soapy water shaking it about, then rinse. I’m also saving up small boxes to I can split it in to ´type’ or ‘colour’ to make it more fun.

Gumtree is your friend.

I've just had my first experience with wilko lego- horrible! Dss can put together genuine lego but couldn't manage wilko- the pieces don't match together perfectly and the mini figures come in tiiiiny pieces that fall apart... (separate hands to arms- nightmare!!) I'd always heard it was "just as good" but wasn't impressed - the mini figure doesn't fit/sit in his racing car either... Really disappointing.

YABU to post this on AIBU. There is a very active Christmas topic on here you can find out about deals and ask for gift ideas. Lego have a really good deal on basic bricks at the moment. Be very wary of imitation Lego, the reviews aren't great.

Sorry I didn't say the basic Lego deal is at Asda.

There are some great lego knock offs which are nearly as good as the real thing. Yes wilko's is fine, as is the Chinese brand leping, sold online at Ali express (and elsewhere, though beware knockoffs of leping!). Spending more than £15 might incur vat though (don't think toys are supposed to incur vat but just in case). Yes totally save your pennies for when your youngest can actually appreciate it!

I have a soon to be 5 year old. He's getting some games bought from market place on fb, a pile of 2nd hand lego from the same place a couple of books for his leap pad he got last year and I bought some bits for a pound from toysforapound website.

Don't start buying big items.

Your one year old will be happy with a box but again check market place for 2nd hand items and give them a wee clean

I would do kindle fire kids and a happyland or fisher price little people toy for your 1 year old (mine was one recently and loves these toys!)