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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Panicking about my Christmas present piles

230 replies

Paddingtonjuice · 17/12/2020 23:37

Having last minute panic attack about my children’s presents after wrapping tonight. I have got almost everything from my children’s lists. 13 year old has a huge pile because they haven’t asked for any wow present just things like collectible figures he likes and computer games. I may have overcompensated actually because of the lack of wow present.

10 year old has asked for a gaming laptop. I have spent twice as much on them than the 13 year old but their pile looks shit. How can I give 13 year old a huge pile when 10 year old comes downstairs to a small pile? I’ve got a remote control car, a few Nintendo figures and some chocolate to add to the laptop. Could you do this? My mum says no. My Dh says yes as he has a great present.

OP posts:
Sarahplane · 17/12/2020 23:41

Can you get a couple of very cheap but bulky items?

Kbr22 · 17/12/2020 23:43

Just wrap your 13 year olds together. If there are 3 games put them together and wrap them as one present. It will look better and when they are opening them they will not notice xx

scrivette · 17/12/2020 23:44

Add the chocolates and a few cheap items such as umm, more chocolate, stationery, book and wrap the main gift in a really big box.

Nottherealslimshady · 17/12/2020 23:44

Course you can. They've had far more spent on them and are old enough to know a laptop is expensive so results in less presents.

13yo would feel shit if they got all the same stuff but 10yo got a laptop ontop of a large pile of presents.

liverpool1981 · 17/12/2020 23:44

Omg are you serious?????there are people losing their homes not being able to pay rent or a mortgage and you are worried about a pile of stuff that will be fit for a charity shop this time next year

ExplodingCarrots · 17/12/2020 23:45

Surely they're old enough to understand the value of these presents and understand why one pile is bigger than the other.

MenoHiccup · 17/12/2020 23:45

Of course you can do this. The 10yo has to learn about quality V quantity. From about 10, at the latest 11, our dc learn that if they want a very expensive gift for birthday or Christmas, then they will have fewer gifts overall. It is something that we discuss from the first time they request an expensive item.

myhobbyisouting · 17/12/2020 23:47

Well, I'd either prep the 10 year old or add a couple of things they'd be getting soon anyway

Books
Coat
Underwear
Calendar

Brighterthansunflowers · 17/12/2020 23:50

10 is more than old enough to realise that one big present means fewer presents

If they haven’t learned this yet then they need to! Don’t pad out their gifts, you’ve already spent more on them than their sibling.

Original poster
Paddingtonjuice · 17/12/2020 23:53

Liverpool1981 I am well aware being working class myself. I see it all around me. My partner has lost work through it all. I have done a load of overtime to try to make our children’s Christmas nice. I’ve donated presents and food to food banks. I’m just having a wobble that one of my children might be upset when they come downstairs on Christmas morning and asking Aibu

OP posts:
PinGwyn · 17/12/2020 23:57

YABU.

Kids that age don't tend to care as long as they get that thing that they want. The rest is for our be edit not there's and it's usually not appreciated as much as we expect so goes to waste

liverpool1981 · 17/12/2020 23:59

Well I don't think it's something to have a panic attack over especially the state the nation is in

viques · 18/12/2020 00:04

Just as long as you don’t make them open one present at a time alternately it won’t matter a scooby. The new laptop owner will just want to get going on it so won’t notice , or care, what the other one is opening.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 18/12/2020 00:06

My grandson(18) got a book, an action figure, a sweatshirt, a package of socks and a Ford truck.
My granddaughter(14) got two books, two bottles of cologne, a box of candy, three shirts, a gift box of snacks, two cds and an Amazon card.
Should I rush out and get more junk from the Dollar Store to fill up the cab of the truck?
If kids are so greedy that they think the number of presents is more important than the content, then they should get the number zero.
(And yes, rude pedantic person, I know zero is not a number so don't bother showing off your knowledge. You know who you are!)

myhobbyisouting · 18/12/2020 00:10

What on earth has this thread turned into?

Who is the pedant?

OP, just prep the 10 year old and have a baileys. Merry Christmas 🎄

isawthatt · 18/12/2020 00:14

Maybe wrap a few of the 13 year olds things together, or bulk up 10 year olds pile with some books/stationary etc

Redyoyo · 18/12/2020 00:15

Liverpool 1981 you are being unreasonable the OP is just trying to give her kids a nice Christmas, we don't need the state of the country rammed in our faces, we all know what's going on.
OP wrapping them together sounds a good idea or boosting youngests with sweets or wee blind bags like Lego or Pokemon.

Glitteryone · 18/12/2020 00:22

My eldests pile will be smaller than the others. She’s getting an iPhone 11 and a few other bits.... The others are probably getting double what she is but her pile still cost more 🤷‍♀️

As others have said don’t stress, they should be happy with what they get and as they get older the presents get more expensive / piles get smaller.

It’s easier to fill a sofa when they’re younger.

MasterOfCaffeine · 18/12/2020 00:28

OP we had a similar wobble, except our 'big present' ds is only 6 and doesn't understand money vs amount of gifts yet so we did bulk his up. At 10 I would expect your ds to know better, but you could always bulk out his pile with a few board games, they're nice and bulky and wrap well Smile

ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords · 18/12/2020 00:29

A 10 year old is perfectly capable of understanding that as they are getting a very expensive main present, they will not get many other things.

Snugglepumpkin · 18/12/2020 00:29

The year I got one child a small but very expensive present rather than cheaper but more bulky things, I made it look as 'big' a pile by wrapping it pass the parcel style.
A box, inside a box, inside a box until it was in a massive box.

Really, doing that was more for me than them but they actually did love it (I had wrapped each box inside each box) & still remember it 25 years later.

ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords · 18/12/2020 00:33

Don't wrap several of the other child's together, unless they actually go together. Why should they have less presents to open just because their sibling asked for something expensive?

BlueTit4xmas · 18/12/2020 00:33

You're being ridiculous, they presumably have a grasp of money by now? I'm just reminded of this...

Leannethom85 · 18/12/2020 00:35

I used to think piles was better, I learned the hard way- only get them things they ask for otherwise the toys you buy end up unopened and left in back of a cupboard... Chances are the gaming laptop is all your child wants, as for older kid- give him money to make up the difference--then he can buy what he wants..

Henio · 18/12/2020 00:35

@myhobbyisouting

What on earth has this thread turned into?

Who is the pedant?

OP, just prep the 10 year old and have a baileys. Merry Christmas 🎄

Ooo I want baileys now 😫