TOOOO many christmas presents - any ideas how to manage it next time???!

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My kids (2.5 & 1) received SOOOO MANY toys from our very generous family and friends this Christmas. Our house is literally swamped. They have so much, and it literally just passes them by. The worst are toys like trikes and role play toys as they take up so much space in relation to the amount of time they are actually played with. We've started getting duplicates of some toys as well. I just wondered if anybody has any tips on how to manage Christmas and birthday present buying by others? The trouble is I think that people LOVE going and buying toys, and tend to buy the things they like.... does anybody have a good way of managing it without offending people or curbing their Christmas excitement? or should I just go with the flow and accept that my house is always going to be overrun with millions of toys?! Any tips welcome!

did anyone ask what to get? If they do this next time you can politely say that you would love a book and maybe any money left to go into a bank a/c (that's what we do with all cash given to DC).

Or if you do get a lot given (we don't really as a lot of people give vouchers and anyway we don't have tonnes of rellies) then don't give much y/self, just one thing you know they really want maybe?

Maybe keep some back to open later after NY? Regift duplicates or anything that loks like one too many of similar thing.

Awww, how lovely to have such a close and generous family. I think every house with small children is swamped with plastic crap toys- I think you may just have to grin and bear it for the time being. You could always lend the toys out to people you know who are struggling- retrievable should the relative in question come visiting, benefiting the other child, but not under your feet. Alternatively, sequester a large number of them in the attic/ garage and get them out on a rolling basis, putting others away. When you get them out again, they'll be like new toys and greeted as such each time.

My DS had quite a lot and his birthday is in a month. TBH I am just going to accept that during the day, the front room is basically a play room, come 7pm it all gets tidied away and I am gradually moving stuff up into his room. If he wants to play with it he can bring it down as and when he wants it.

Mu family do ask what he wants and sometimes I ask for clothes as I know he will have tons of toys. I tend to keep money back for when I see something later that I really would like for him or put it into his trust fund.

If they don't ask what the children want I don't think there is much you can do but say thank you very much.

If they do ask what the children want explain that they are over run with toys and might appreciate some books or clothes instead. Maybe they could give the children a iou for a trip to the park or a sleepover.

Just regift any duplicates or donate then to charity.

Make sure you don't hang on to toys once they have stopped playing with them or else they really start to pile up.

well I tend to make suggestions to relatives - and suggest they club together to buy one good thing rather than lots of not so good things.
They are absolutely happy with this as they a. don't know what to buy b. saves them having to buy it as I usually do instead.
So my dp's family bought dd a kiddizoom camera which she is delighted with but too expensive to request from one relative but with everyone together (grandmother, uncle, aunt) is reasonable. Plus my house is not clogged up with 3 Hannah Montana dolls she doesn't want. So a win win!

We have a few solutions!
Duplicates: keep them in boxes and ebay or pass on as birthday pressies through the year. No one will notice.

Don't get much yourselves!

If people ask, give them specifics which are not toys. My parents took great delight in buying new bedding and curtains that have a cartoon character on that my boys love! According to the children, Nanna and Grandad bought them a 'new bedroom'.

Ask for cash/vouchers towards a 'big present' if you feel that those giving would not be offended by you asking. We once got everyone to put towards a playhouse one year: we'd never have afforded it otherwise.

Make up a box of toys to be kept at grandmas/aunties/childminders if they're willing to have them. Your children will still have the pleasure of them but you won't!!

Finally, ask for things that aren't designed to be kept forever: paint, art and craft sets, colouring books etc all need replacing by next Christmas.

We do lists in our family.the lists get circulated around various relatives and this way people by what the girls want and thre is less chance of the presnnts bieng duplicated.

Good luck - any list I do gets roundly ignored, our 3DC's got a huge bag each stuffed full of presents from IL's.

Every year I have a mini breakdown over the excess (don't care what they spend their money on but it's just too, too much) plus this year they're paying for us to go to the panto (we paid last year).

Am grateful that kids are so lucky to get all this stuff.

But also feel that less stuff would be appreciated more (by DC's) and probably played with more.

Their best toys were Top Trumps and chess.

Says it all really - OP, I sympathise!!

I ask for the money towards swimming lessons and most people do this now. The boys love it as their Christmas presents last all year.

You could try using a wishlist type facility such as www.whattogive.com - it's possible to put generic things on and also to create lists of things you already have (and therefore don't need more of). We use it in our family to give ideas as it also means that people can add to it throughout the year and also avoid having to co-ordinate a list (if your family are into that sort of thing).

Years ago when DD was first born we asked people to buy pack-away-able toys that didn't require batteries. Our excuse was that we lived in a flat and didn't think the downstairs neighbours would appreciate it.

I have had this a bit. Even to the point where I asked a relative to change a gift beacause I knew it was too expensive and she would not play with it. DD1's birthday is in February so is also very soon.

For Christmas we are pretty much resigned to buying clothes and bits and bobs as relative plough in buying the big stuff. I am very grateful for these gifts and know we are very lucky to have family who want to treat the girls.

DD is really into lego at the moment so we are going to buy more of that for her birthday. I will ask people to add ito that

I did think I would also ask for people to give what I am going to call 'sundries', paints, stuff for collages like pom poms and glitter, play dough etc.

As you children get older you could ask for the money to take them to a local panto or childrens show at christmas. Some relatives really like this as a gift idea.

Well it does get better as they get older (the cost stays the same, but the packages are much smaller). I think birthdays are worse than Xmas: you can sort of steer your rellies into one direction or other (my mate got her friends and relations just to do a playmobil theme one year, and that worked well) but with small children's parties there are loads of guests toting huge boxes of stuff which takes over the house. Just make sure you know who it came from and recycle sensitively (and don't let your DCs shout out - but X gave us that mum, why are you giving it to Y ).

Honestly, it does get easier as the children get older and their toys get smaller and more expensive. This stage really only does last a few short years - before you know it, your kids will be wanting DS games at £25 a go, and then you really will be thankful for the generous relatives!

In the meantime, encourage rellies to buy toys in the next stage up (particularly for your youngest), then after Xmas,put them away in boxes to get out over the course of the year... so if your three year old is into jigsaw puzzles say, get some people to buy 50 piece ones, other people to buy 100 piece ones and so on. Then put the harder ones away, and by the time you need to get out the harder stuff, the existing toys will be too easy and will need to be put away, thus you will only have half the toys out at any one time, and the other half safely stored away in the attic! I've been doing it for years - keeps the rellies happy so they get to spend, I don't get overrun with toys and as a bonus I do not have to go out and buy lots of harder pressies during the year!

Also, theatre tickets go down well, and next year both your children will be old enough to appreciate them. There are loads of preschool shows out there - show me, show me, Peppa Pig, Noddy, Charlie and Lola, Fifi... you name it!

Also agree that the replenishables is also a very good idea! I get stocked up at Christmas each year, saves me loads.

Also clothes are also very handy as presents.

We have same problem and as DD's birthday is at end of Nov also have all those presents too. Have asked every year that people give EITHER a single toy or an item of clothing for bday or xmas, eg myparetns gave her clothes at her birthday and toys at xmas. You could also try suggesting that a few realtives club together to get something - my 2 BILs clubbed together and bought her a camera - we felt this was an expensive gift for one but they were delighted to share her thank yous when she opened it.
Know its crap finding a place to pu it all/ getting doublers but its nice to know people obviously love you and your DCs - my gran has never even sent my DD a card!

my dcs are also 1 and 2.5, its unreal!!!

Ive never seen anything like it, last year dd was 4 weeks old so got clothes/teddys and baby kit, this year we have two VERY spoilt toddlers!

It took 3 trips to bring stuff home from my family, one with the carseats removed so the back seat was empty, and about the same from the in laws!

They have such lovely stuff, mil got ds a HUge very posh wooden easel and every bit of art kit you could imagine which is just fantastic!

BUT where on earth do i put it????

thank god we are moving to a far bigger house in feb!

It is hard, and I agree it gets slightly better as they get older!
we had a nightmare this year, first year me and XH officially apart!
So they had xmas day with me,DP and my mum, and pressies from us and various friends/family sent! Then they had Boxing day with XH and his GF, and more pressies! Then they had the sunday at XH's parents and even more pressies!

And just as a final day, its DD2's birthday on the 28th - I did say pleeeaaase no more pressies and clothes or money for her birthday or nothing as she's 2 and was totally overwhelmed by then!

But we are still swamped and I have out a HUGE bag in the hall cupboard which I will eke out over the next few months, and TBH will use some for presents for other children

my dads brothers and sisters used to send money but don't anymore. my mums sister still give to the boys so we tend to top up arts and craft box. for there birthdays with my mums sisters money we went to the zoo as to be honest the boys didn't really need anything

Haven't read all the posts, so sorry if I'm repeating.

We had a few xmases when DS was small where we had that problem.

We now write a list to avoid this. We've only got quite a small family and their budgets aren't limitless so we addressed it by saying that we didn't want them to spend their money on something that wouldn't be used (given that we know our children and the gaps we've spotted in their toy collections - IYSWIM).

They're not required to stick to the list rigidly, but they all find it useful to have a starting point.

we have a very big loving family. we had this. then we got some presents and some money. so that is cool. my sil's buy the nicest clothes for ds's.
My sil solved this by telling us that her ds and dd wanted something big and could we all contribute. they wanted a trampoline. so we did. that could work for you ?

sell duplicates on e-bay and give as presents to other children.

Tell me about it...I must have been too vocal on this subject; while writing a thank you card to Nanna this morning, DD wondered if we should write: 'I have been really spoilt this Christmas'

I really have to bite my tongue every year. Actually this year, I had to disappear upstairs for 5 minutes and cry.

I have to say that mine haven't opened all theirs yet. They open a couple a day and paly with them. Christmas is going to last well into the New Year in this house.

Awesome thank you everybody for your great suggestions!