So do you think I have spent an obscene amount on ds

[selphy]

My family have always thought that I spoil ds who will be 10 christmas day he is my only one.
I have spent £400 that is christmas and birthday combined.
So do you think this is way over the top as all my family seem to think so.

If you can afford to spend it, and want to, then spend it but MOST importantly is the present you are buying what HE wants or what you think will sound good when he goes back to school???
I buy what my DD asks for within reason, big presents she has to earn (doing her homework and music practice - we have a rewards chart so we know where we are at!). It may seem a bit drastic but I want to her to realise that Father Christmas/The Birthday Fairy actually has to go out and earn the money to buy the gifts and not take things for too much for granted.
Reading some of the other posts it makes me laugh when they say their DC's pile looks small, if you have given them what they want then it doesn't matter if the pile is small. Its better that they get what they really want and will use/play with rather than a lot of stuff that will gather dust in a corner of their bedroom.
The present my DD wants more than anything is a £20 sleepy pal and I know that everything else will pale into comparison once she opens that - mind you she is only 7 and that said my house still looks like a franchise of a toy shop!!!

I adore my netbook. Would never use a laptop again.

Like I said, I've spent £11 on dd (2nd hand dominoes, couple of books and a game). But I've also knitted, crocheted, made a name plaque for her door out of salt dough, fashioned a treasure trail and made her some little candle holders.

She'll love it. If I remember anything about Christmas it was the joy of the day and how happy I was to be spending time with my family. I don't think a 'tiny' pile means anything. Good job because it's all dd gets.

I'm dreading what will happen once peer pressure sets in but hopefully we'll manage. I never got much for Christmas, requisite socks and smellies only and I bloody loved it.

Money is irrelevant. If I won the lottery tomorrow I wouldn't do things differently. Money doesn't buy memories.

See this thread that I contributed to a couple of weeks ago about making Christmas special.

My netbook is a Dell Inspiron Mini 10. It's probably quite cheap and cheerful. I use it for the Internet and for writing. I don't need a computer for anything else.

I don't think it's an obscene amount really. Things do tend to cost a lot these days. I'm dreading the kids getting older and wanting laptops/designer clothes etc.

Not unreasonable as you can afford it. And the xbox is a decent investment as it should get several years use (and it'll be easy to think of gift ideas in the future)

Wish I could afford that much!

Does he act spoilt? If yes then stop spoiling if not and you can afford it, it's ok.

I agree that an expensive present one year doesn't mean it has to be repeated - DD had a bike one year, cost £150, I certainly didn't then feel she needed an equally big present the following year.

This year we are suffering size rather than price issues - how to wrap a desk, anyone

Besides, presumably you/your dp get to play with the x-box too . . . .

I spend too much on the dc's but i don't tell the rest of the family what i spend (its none of their buisness), by the time my mum gets here on x-mas day most of the opened presents will be put out of the way anyway. I tend to buy things throughout the year and by x-mas i have spent way too much, most is bought in sales (so half price or less), they don't get much from family (grandparents only spend £5-£10) and we don't buy much for them during the year (only 2nd hand).

I think if you can afford it then there is not a problem, i would not get anything on tick/plastic.

I kind of think that if the DC aren't ready to figure out that small pile = expensive presents, then they probably aren't ready for small expensive presents, anyway.

DD wanted iPod touch. I said I'd contribute 50 quid towards it in cash, and she earn the rest of purchase price doing jobs, or ask other relatives for cash gifts. Strangely enough, she didn't want it so bad after that .