'That's more a Christmas present' aibu?

[Whosamawotsits]

Its one of my children's birthdays coming up (DS11) he never wants anything, hasn't asked for anything other than a couple of cheapy things he likes. I'm planning on getting him a games console, he loved playing on them at family and friends houses (when we could go over there!) and has nothing but a knackered old tablet at home.
When discussing this with family and friends I've had a few say a 'big' gift is more of a Christmas present! I've never heard of this and can't seem to wrap my head around why they'd think that.
I personally don't think it particularly matters when you'd gift a big gift, but surely if you're going to think any kind of way about spending a little more money on a gift for someone, it's that itd be nicer to give it to them on their birthday rather than Christmas and make their day special?

YABU- Big presents- Christmas
YANBU- Big presents- Birthdays

And no not a ps5, a nintendo switch. I know the ps5s are like gold dust, DH tells me all to often!

Birthdays are more special than Christmas. I spend more at birthdays for my children than I do for them at Christmas as I think the day is more important. At Christmas there are lots of exciting things going on, but you have to make a birthday special.

Totally weird.

If anything, there’s more money for big gift on a birthday than at Christmas when there is lots to go around. A games console is hardly an obscenely extortionate gift for a birthday is it? It would be a totally normal gift for a birthday amongst any of my friends and family and it’s odd that your family and friends are being so judgy about it!

Ah cool I was going to say good luck. But also that you might want to hold off if it was that because the ps5 controllers break after a while and need replaced. Sony are having massive issues over it right now.

The switch is awesome though, my partner wants one of them eventually.

I'm the opposite, I always do the big presents for birthdays and smaller ones for Christmas.

It helps spread the cost through the year, as I don't have to spend on big gifts for all the Dc in one go.

Christmas is special enough with stockings, food, family, all sorts of events, time off school etc.
So birthdays always have the bigger presents.

I would buy it, if that's what he wanted. As long as you can afford it, I dont see what the problem is. Lifes too short to worry about when to buy a present. Buy it and see the smile on his face.

We have a switch, best console ever! My kids enjoy playing on it!

Please don't think I'm not getting him it because of the opinions of others, he will be getting this gift regardless, it was more a general consensus I was after because id never heard of this before.

We don't really distinguish between Christmas and birthday presents re size. Never had done.

If we did I would have thought birthdays would be more a 'big' present event as you usually only have one to buy for feather than several.

Birthdays are more special because it's your "special day", so a big gift is just right. I've never heard of Christmas being "more special" since everyone gets presents then.

I think a big present makes more sense for a birthday. At Christmas you spend a fortune on stocking presents etc, whereas for a birthday you can choose to have a special big birthday party or a big present or lots of little presents if that would be preferred. And don't go down the route of thinking 'I've bought DS one big present this year so I need to do the same for DD'. Some years there's an obvious 'big' present (bikes are the classic example) and sometime there's not. It evens out over time.

We spend about the same for birthdays and Christmas.

I'm in the minority here but we grew up with bigger presents at Christmas rather than birthdays.

Christmas was always a bigger deal for us growing up than birthdays so the big gifts tend to have been for Christmas now I have children too. However they both have birthdays near Christmas anyway so it barely matters.

Birthdays don't warrant a smaller present than Christmas! It's the child's special day after all. Plus easier to budget for just one person!

Mine do tend to get more spent on them at Christmas in total but only because I have to factor in stocking presents as well. The main presents are similar in number and value.

Luckily my kids have late spring birthdays which means it's ideal for them to have big "outdoor" presents (bike, splash pad etc) for birthday and more "indoor" ones for Christmas. But as I said the size/value is about the same.

I would probably consider it a Xmas gift but we tend to do smaller stuff at birthdays and go all out at Xmas. Its just how we have always done it. My friend who has a larger family goes all out on birthdays so she can spread the cost. Its all relative OP

It's a lovely present for a birthday.
Mind you all of mine got bikes as random Spring presents as all have dark winter birthdays and it wasn't til the spring we realised they had outgrown their bikes! Doing that made me relax about it and I tend to get stuff when it seems needed.
But I reckon it would be lovely for him.

Weird. Never heard this before and why add so much pressure into the expense of Christmas too.

Sometimes they get "big" presents like a bike or tech, sometimes they get lots of smaller things. Depends what's needed/wanted really.

People and their made up rules are batshit

I’ve never heard of this either! Seems odd to me, as things can “get lost” at Christmas amid all the stockings and mass of stuff. If that’s something he wants, his birthday sounds a perfect time to get it.

I must admit we normally spend far more at Xmas, purely because we like loads of gifts at Xmas.

But for lockdown birthdays, I say all normal rules go out of the window. Anything to help them survive this pandemic. I'd even have maybe bought one, birthday or no birthday.

We always did the big present at Christmas (sometimes a joint present) and a more ‘special’ birthday present if you know what I mean, like tickets for a concert/football game. But it makes no difference how other people do it.

Either, they are being weird.

I'd think the opposite. Big present for birthday. Whereas Christmas is more about everyone getting something, food, routine etc.

Otherwise everyone would have to get a big thing at Christmas

We dont do christmas... but they get a largish/more expensive item if thats what they have been asking for. And then for eid we spend less but more presents to share. It works for us and they are happy. Its your money and your son. Spend what you want. Ignore others

The first line was meaning their birthday. Largish item for their birthday