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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To spend less than £10 on Christmas presents for each of my 3yo twin boys?

117 replies

speedymama · 03/09/2007 14:32

DH thinks I am.

I bought their Christmas presents in a sale from a discount shop months ago. One cost £1.99 and the other £3.99. I don't intend to buy them anything else, especially as relatives will buy them a lot anyway.

DH says we can do better than that but I don't see why we should. They would appreciate a box of balloons if we gave it to them - they are not materialistic and I am determined to keep it that way.

The £1.99 gift is a numbers and letters book that lights up when they press buttons. The £3.99 gift is a craft set with sponges and paint. They have one each.

OP posts:
fawkeoff · 03/09/2007 14:35

it's your call at the end of the day, you are the parent.

EscapeFrom · 03/09/2007 14:35

YOU HAVE TWIN 3 YEAR OLD BOYS, YOU ARE NOT BEING UNREASONABLE IF YOU DECIDE TO GO TO WAR AGAINST THE REPUBLIC OF BAVARIA.

expatinscotland · 03/09/2007 14:36

YANBU

madamez · 03/09/2007 14:38

They are 3. They don't know or care what things cost. Enjoy the fct you can restrict your spending now because when they are in their teens it will be a nightmare.

kitsandbits · 03/09/2007 14:39

YANBU

my kids will get £10 each at the most this xmas.

And I am going to tell my family not to buy me and DP - as we cant afford to buy back, we are getting married 22nd Dec.

They will get lots of pressies from other people,they aronly 1 & 2 - so wont understand theyre not from us

flightattendant · 03/09/2007 14:40

Sounds lovely. My parents are always worrying they haven't bought enough for Ds and get him loads throughout the year, so I end up getting him a few little things at Christmas...too much just overwhelms them anyway, they won't understand what it's all about.
Go you!!

harleyd · 03/09/2007 14:41

its up to you what you buy your kids. and the cost is irrelevant, esp when theyre only 3 and dont know any different

Gudgeon · 03/09/2007 14:42

Sounds very sensible, I admire you for being so clear-sighted about it.

TellusMater · 03/09/2007 14:43

God no. We didn't give ds presents at all when he was very small - he got so much from other people and after giving everyone else ideas we just ran out of them for ourselves.

Original poster
speedymama · 03/09/2007 14:43

My DB is unemployed with 4 children of his own and last year he spent money on the twins even though I told him not to because he is broke. Why do people do it?

Arrrgggghhhh!

OP posts:
snig · 03/09/2007 14:45

good for you, we always end up buying far to much and then having to endlessly justify it to ourselves over and over again. oh yeah and then worry about money all the way thro Jan. its just not worth it.

snig · 03/09/2007 14:47

in fact a box of balloons is a brilliant idea and think i'm gonna add it to my ds birthday presents next week.He'd love it.

morningpaper · 03/09/2007 14:49

You are being unreasonable to have bought it in the Spring

Othersideofthechannel · 03/09/2007 14:49

Speedymama, if your DH feels you 'could do better than that' can you persuade him to put the extra in an account for the boys for later on when they have more expensive tastes?

expatinscotland · 03/09/2007 14:50

My sister and I haven't bought each other gifts in years. Our rule is that we must make each other's gifts. We've cross-stitched things and put them in frames, made CDs or playlists, painted tshirts, made scrapbooks, rag rugs, quilts, etc.

One year she even did a budget for me!

Hurlyburly · 03/09/2007 14:50

YANBU. And congratulations for having nerves of steel.

Are you available to discuss your christmas-present-buying-policy with other people's children?

If so I would like to book you now before everyone else does.

Nbg · 03/09/2007 14:52

I think thats fab.
I mean children at that age love most things and I'm sure the craft stuff will go down a treat. They'll have months and months of fun with it.

Expat, your idea sounds good too. So much more thought and feeling goes into homemade gifts.

alicet · 03/09/2007 14:56

YANBU - they are fab pressies and like everyone else says your boys will not care or have a clue what everything costs.

Wish I had your nerve though - I LOVE buying things for ds even though he is only 18 months and doesn't know or care where they come from or how much they are!!!

Lazycow · 03/09/2007 14:57

I have friends with 4 childrten who never buy their children anything for Christmas from them. They got something small from FC
plus masses of presents from family members

My ds on the other hand has very limited presents from family members. Something from my parents, something from my sister, something from dh's sister and something from my BIL (husband of sister who died). That is pretty much it (IL's usually send money).

That means he gets 4 presents in total and a stocking from FC. I know he would be happy with that but because of it I tend to buy more than I really should for him. I don't think you are being mean at all.

Original poster
speedymama · 03/09/2007 14:58

If I had time, I would knit little gifts too using odd bits of wool. When I was little, my mother knitted me Sweep (from Sooty and Sweep show) and put it over an old milk bottle and gave me that as my Christmas present. I'm 42yo and I still have it because to me, that is priceless.

OP posts:
Original poster
speedymama · 03/09/2007 15:02

Othesideofthechannel, he already does that. He just thinks that unless you spend £20-30, you are not buying a proper gift.

OP posts:
GreebosWhiskers · 03/09/2007 15:02

YANBU

Every year I ask my family not to buy loads of stuff for my dcs & every year we can't move on xmas morning for piles of stuff. It takes weeks to get rid of all the packaging (loads of which isn't even recyclable) & it all gets lost/broken because there's so much stuff they just don't know what they'sve got & don't care about keeping it good

I'll be spending about £20-£30 on each of my 4 & that includes the 2 teenagers!

GreebosWhiskers · 03/09/2007 15:04

I remember a few years ago there was a youngish woman (girl?) on the bus home from work telling her friend that she was buying her 4yo ds an x-box for his xmas 'cos he already had a ps2, gamecube etc & wanted that one to complete the 'set'

Othersideofthechannel · 03/09/2007 15:10

Isn't the main thing to get them something they really want? But without going over your maximum budget if they want something expensive. I don't see a problem with going under budget.

Bouncingturtle · 03/09/2007 15:10

Good grief, whatever happened to it's the thought that counts?? At 3yo they have bo idea how much things cost and probably still excited about the wrapping paper!
YANBU!
My stepson is terribly materialistic for a 6yo, knows things by brand names etc., and it's a bit sad - but he has been thoroughly spoiled since the day he was born as he is the eldest grandchild and only grandson on both sides of the family, only child of dh and his ex, and we've only got ourselves to blame since the whole family has always gone mad on presents for him - his mum has tried to restrict things though the last couple of years as it was getting to the point when he ended up with pressies he didn't play with for months and months coz he got that many!
I think your attitude is to be commended!

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