...to buy ds2 some toys for Xmas.

[wb]

Yes I know it's only October (sorry, sorry) but we are having to spend our spending very thinly this year.

Anyway, money v. tight this year. Ds2 will be 11mo old at Xmas (ie too young to know or care if he gets any prezzies from me and his dad).

We have lots of age-appropriate stuff left from ds1 (will be 3 at Xmas).

Grandparents will undoubtedly buy him stuff.

Ds1 will not exactly be showered with largess but will have a few (mostly good secondhand from ebay) toys that we've chosen with love and care.

My head tells me to save our money wrt. ds2 and toys but it just feels sooo wrong to my heart.

Could you get him one nice toy that DS1 doesn't already have.

Or maybe wrap up some PJ's or other clothes that he will need anyway.

buy him 1 or 2 things as otherwise your older boy might ask why he didn't get any presents. Maybe replace some very worn ones?

No yanbu, so long as you don't spend more than you can afford.

An 11mth old doesn't need much but on the other hand it isn't long until his birthday and whatever you get at Christmas and his birthday will have to be good for a year when he will be almost 2 yrs old. There is a huge difference between what an 11mth old will play with and what a 2 yr old will play with.

I would wrap up some of the old toys that DS1 doesn't play with any more and has hopefully forgotten about and let him unwrap/play with the paper on those.

I am stringing it out for as long as possible DS is showered with presents from the family he was 2 in Sept and as yet we have not spent more than a few ££ as a token something from us, and I have the same plan this Christmas. In time he will cost us a fortune as best keep it reasonable whilst we can.

someone suggested to me on another thread to wrap up some old toys that I had put away from ds and give them to dd for this christmas.... would that work? If not go to poundstretcher or wilkinsons. they have great things for a few quid.

Do bear in mind the Boots 3for2 offer on toys/gifts if you really want to get something new for both of them. Don't feel bad about secondhand,etc. I can't even remember what we bought our toddler last year but I do remember we spent a fortune. And if we don't remember, THEY won't remember!

My DD3 will be 5 months at Christmas, we are getting her a stocking and putting a few new little things in it as it wouldn't feel right to have the other 2 with stockings and her with nothing. Also thought of wrapping up a few new clothes in the next size up I will buy before then.

It's more for the other 2 to see that Santa has brought her something as well.

Yes, it's a good point that he should have something to unwrap to signal to ds1 that he is of equal importance, if for no other reason. Think I'll go down the route of 1 nice but inexpensive present plus a couple of small, small things- it's not long til his birthday and can get him a couple more toys then.

Sorted. Thanks all.

I think you need to get him something otherwise ds1 will wonder why Father Xmas didnt get ds2 anything. Even if its a book and a small toy, like you say he will only be 11mths and wont know any different.

We are in the same boat with DD.
We have decided we will just get her a few little bits but are determined not to spend a fortune on either of them TBH
The time will come soon enough when they are demanding the latest craze stuff so im gonna try save my money while they are too little to care!

Our DS is 15 months old and we have never bought anything new for him. We go to charity shops and car boot sales and get great stuff for pennies literally.

I would wrap the old toys from dc1 up... That's what i did last time. When ds kept saying, those are all my old toys i just told him that F.C had sent for them to wrap up as she wasn't on his list cos she was a baby.

Save your money.

my dd 1 was 10 mths last christmas...we bought her a jellycat rabbit and nothing else and she loves it carried it with her everywhere and loves it still
please don't waste your money as what you buy doesn't count for anything

If yours are anything like mine, DS2 will probably be happy just ripping off the wrapping paper of anyone else's presents and playing with the boxes! They don't have any clue what things cost, so what might seem small to you will be fantastic to them - don't feel guilty. My DS2 is nearly 5 and by far the best thing I have bought him recently was a little hand-held battery operated bubble blower that was about £2 - he adores it!

ds will be 1 on 4th Jan. He won't care if he doens't get any presents, but his big sisters will! I'm planning to wrap up some baby wipes, bubble bath, a new (to him) Christmas bib, a box of baby biscuits, some nappies and a packet of choccie buttons if he's been a really good boy!

don't feel bad for not buying your ds2 anything new, as long as there's something for him to unwrap he won't care I bet a big box with some shiny twisty ribbons would be fab!

Could he have a treasure box? That's what Father Christmas brought for ds last year (he was 6 months). A shiny box with lots of exciting things to pick up and shove in his mouth - wooden spoon, pom pom, bit of vinyl floor tile, a rubber ball etc. Lots of it was stuff we Father Christmas had lying around and the rest was picked up for next to nothing in the local pound shop. Lasted for ages.

What about joining a local freecycle - you could ask for some toys there. Also cheap and cheerful can be fab - I bought DS who is 11 months a ball for a pound the other day and he is beyond delighted with it.