Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

People that only spend about 25 pound per DC at Christmas ....

101 replies

nappyaddict · 06/12/2010 15:29

Do they have winter birthdays?

Do they get a lot of presents from other people?

Are they too young to care?

Do they get toys throughout the year or just at Christmas and birthdays?

Would you like to spend more but can't afford it?

I know I spend too much on DS and need to cut back but unless I really couldn't afford it I can't imagine only spending that much. I mean even if you buy second hand stuff (which I do) it still wouldn't buy very much.

OP posts:
mjinsparklystockings · 06/12/2010 15:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mjinsparklystockings · 06/12/2010 15:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

moomaa · 06/12/2010 15:41

I do tick a lot of the boxes you suggest, one winter birthday, lots from other people, too young to care, I will buy them some things through the year and I could easily spend more but decide not to.

Having said that I help at the NCT sale specifically so that I can buy DCs xmas presents. When they hit 5 or 6 this will get a lot harder as they will be too big for the toys then. By then they will also want specific things I suspect so I will probably spend more.

AlistairSim · 06/12/2010 15:43

No, they have spring/summer birthdays.

Yes, they are spoilt by beloved grandparents.

Yes, they are only 3 and 5, so don't care about what they get.

Not unless it's from a charity shop!

I don't think so, could afford to spend more but as they are only little, they don't want/need much.

BrokenBananaTantrum · 06/12/2010 15:47

But don't you think it is obscene (sp) what some children get on Christmas morning?

Its not about how much you spend but if you got them something that they really want / like.

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 06/12/2010 15:49

dd is 3. she has a march birthday
she doesn't get much else through the year. she is just easily pleased, and so i will be cheap while i can get away with it Grin. she has no idea what others get, and we don't let her watch commercial telly, so she's not exposed to ads.

to be fair though, she gets presents from about 10 relatives, so there is still too much for her to play with on the day.

meredithland · 06/12/2010 15:49

Mine have summer birthdays

We have a house full of all kinds of tat, they don't even know what they've got and always get lots from friends/family

They are two and four so thankfully not quite old enough to demand lots more expenisve tat

They get bits and bobs (small bits) through the year

We're skint. DH has taken a job that pays much less than he's on now and we're already struggling. But I dunno, I don't think you need to spend wodges of cash on small children. Even if I was a millionaire I don't think I'd go wild and give them everything they wanted, not sure how healthy or necessary it is.

conkertree · 06/12/2010 15:51

I think it's up to each family to decide but we err on the side of less is more. Have seen some families where you cant move in the house on Christmas day because of the number of presents, and they aren't any happier with them than my kids are with theirs - think it's nice to not over-do it.

solo · 06/12/2010 15:54

Me. Dd's birthday is the 26th and I can't find anything nice but cheap to buy her for it.

Both Dc's get very little spent on them because money is non-existant tight and no, they don't get lots from other people either. I had planned on spending around £15 in total on both of them, but I've spent a bit more than that (and gone over drawn) and bought some new books.

Actually, I'm a bit annoyed with Dd's father as he has apparently bought her two audio books for her birthday, but nothing for Christmas and he's got plenty of money.

Ds finds the 'poor' bit hard and he is taunted at school for it :( so yes, he cares.
Dd is coming up for 4 and not really aware of it yet.

And no, I don't generally give then presents throughout the rest of the year.

craftynclothy · 06/12/2010 16:04

Do they have winter birthdays?
No, April and August

Do they get a lot of presents from other people?
Yes, lots from my family.

Are they too young to care?
Yes, probably. They are 3 and 1 so they don't understand how much stuff costs or who buys most for them or anything. I think the 3yo does have a couple of things she wants for Xmas so she's probably notice if no-one bought her those iykwim but none of them are particularly expensive (it just adds up)

Do they get toys throughout the year or just at Christmas and birthdays?
Throughout the year but mainly from family. We get them the odd thing here and there that they really want and maybe a few small bits as a treat.

Would you like to spend more but can't afford it?
At the moment, no. I think they don't really understand at the moment. When they're a bit older (teenager) then maybe. I think it's perhaps that when they get older the things they're likely to want will be more expensive. I think it'll be a choice between one decent pricey present or a few cheaper items.

sethstarkaddersmum · 06/12/2010 16:09

Do they have winter birthdays?
dses do, dd doesn't

Do they get a lot of presents from other people?
yes

Are they too young to care?
I think so - 1,4 and 5.

Do they get toys throughout the year or just at Christmas and birthdays?
a few random ones from doting granny

Would you like to spend more but can't afford it?
no; there is too much stuff in our house and I wish they had less tbh.

I think if you have a lot of children close together they all play with the same toys so you need less per child.

Original poster
nappyaddict · 06/12/2010 16:10

solo How old is DS? I think they start to realise from about 6.

OP posts:
jamaisjedors · 06/12/2010 16:21

DS2 has a January birthday so I want to save stuff for then - DS1 is September so still recent enough I think.

There are 2 sets of grandparents plus uncles and aunties and sometimes friends too so I think they get WAY too much already - until now we didn't even bother buying them anything because there was nothing they NEEDED.

Not too young to care - 4 & 6, but old enough to understand (DS1) that ?150 is too much for one present - he vaguely wants a DS but we have said no.

Ditto sethsam - I feel a little sick at the thought of the presents and the stuff. We could in theory spend more but a) it doesn't occur to us b) we don't think it's "good" for them to have everything they want right away.

No presents from us the rest of the year apart from books.

solo · 06/12/2010 16:27

Ds is 12 na, he only started to notice once he was in school from around 6 or 7yo, as they all rush in to school after Christmas showing off talking about what they got.

DilysPrice · 06/12/2010 16:31

I used to spend very little on my DC at Xmas, through a combination of their ages (up to age 6) inveterate bargain hunting and a horde of generous relatives who can be relied upon to give them at least 100 quids worth of stuff each (they're the only children in their generation).
I could afford to give them more but tbh by the time I'd answered all the people asking me "what would DS/DD like for Xmas?" I was hardpushed to think of anything left for us to give them.
During my NCT volunteering days I'd also get quite a lot of toys from the sale - some of which they'd get straight away and some which would be stashed away for Xmas / birthday treats. I don't think it's mean, because it's all our family's money - anything that isn't spent on Moxygirl tat now will be available to take us all on holiday to Legoland in Denmark or subsidise their college bills / flat deposit in 15 years time.

Now they're older they have things they really want that cost real money (DS gets a big Lego set every year, DD wants an MP3 player or a camera) so I'll buy them, but their stocking fillers still come from the charity shop or Poundland.

Ragwort · 06/12/2010 16:36

No my DS (9) doesn't have a winter birthday.

Like others I am shocked at the amount some parents spend on their children and the 'sea' of gifts in people's houses.

We refuse to buy anything 'technological' prefer to buy sports equipment/clothes (useful stuff) etc.

He receives about 10 other gifts from family and friends but to be honest much prefers cash.

He doesn't seem to 'compare' his presents to what his school friends get.

Yes - we could afford to spend more but choose not to (we have started a pension savings plan for him Grin).

KangarooCaught · 06/12/2010 16:40

Your ds sounds lovely Solo. What's he asked for for Christmas or does he understand money's tight?

sethstarkaddersmum · 06/12/2010 16:40

'I don't think it's mean, because it's all our family's money - '

I agree absolutely Dilys. Why spend it now when they don't need us to, when they might be glad of it later? It's not about being less generous, it's about when the money will do the most good. I can imagine spending hundreds of pounds on a laptop for one of them when they are teenagers if they are going to make really good use of one but right now they are little, they don't need much.

Original poster
nappyaddict · 06/12/2010 16:40

Ragwort How much do you spend on him?

OP posts:
SummerRain · 06/12/2010 16:48

I spend loads even though I have 2/3 winter birthdays, they get stuff from grandparents and one of them is too young to care.

My attitude is that Christmas is the only time we buy them toys really, certainly for the older two as we have a birthday party or present but not both rule, so I like to spoil them a little. They don't get insane amounts.. one big and one small present from santa and a communal stocking, one big gift from us and a few smaller bits each.

I don't really undertstand the competitive underspending that's appearing all over MN recently (not saying all here fall in that bracket, just that there's an awful lot of very 'loud' posters feeling the need to point out on every thread they appear on that they only spent £5 per child)

solo · 06/12/2010 17:06

KC, Ds can be lovely, but he does definitely feel the squeeze :(

He asked for an iPod (ha!) MP3 or 4 player, but I'd have to do some serious going overoverdrawn for months belt tightening to do it, so he'll probably be disappointed.

solo · 06/12/2010 17:08

Meant to say that yes he does understand, but at the end of the day, he's a child and one that doesn't get much all told so it's very hard for him.

Georgimama · 06/12/2010 17:08

I am actually quite ashamed of how much stuff we have bought DS (nearly 4) this Christmas. His birthday present in March will be much more modest.

solo · 06/12/2010 17:11

SummerRain, I hope (but doubt) that all of those parents send their boys to my Ds's school.

sarah293 · 06/12/2010 17:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn