Is it numbers or cost?

[knittedbreast]

How many gifts do your children get under the tree?

I know it sounds pathetic but when i think back to when i was little there seemed to be piles under the tree and now when im looking at what i have bought my children it just looks meesley. I havent spent the earth and never get into debt at christamas (what an awful start to a new year). I buy a few bits at the end of the month.

im at a loss of what to get them really.

how many pressies do your children come down to xmas morning?

Hmmm... far too many, really.

It's gotten to the point where i've asked aunts and grandparents to only send them one thing each. Not that they listen.

I don't want my children to be materialistic, and so in recent year have cut back a lot on gifts, prefering them to remember having fun with people they love and that love them, and having nice food treats ect to the whole 'Look how much i got' thing, iyswim?

Lots, but I find the trick is to buy things that they would be getting anyway - so its not extra presents, just extra wrapping paper. So mine always get new vests, tights, socks, PJs, Dressing gown / slippers (if needed), pants, toothbrush, big tub of showergel, hair gel etc etc. None of which I can't not buy. Just I choose to save them until Christmas and wrap them up.

Then Santa does buy them little treats that they are not normally allowed - so chocolate cereal (huge tub), bubble gum etc etc.. (I like this one because it is what convinces DD1 (almost 8) that Santa must be real because she knows I hate bubble gum and would never allow her to have it ).

They also get some practical things, which whilst are not essential, are useful to have. So now they're getting glasses rather than melamine cups I tend to get a nice (£1) child friendly glass, cutlery, their own (funky) plates, name signs for bedroom, new crayons and colouring books etc...

Finally, they get a few toys. So it amounts to a huge big pile, but if you took out the things they would get anyway at other times of the year, then actually it would amount to no more than half a dozen presents. I just prefer not to throw items at my children all year round and instead they get a year's supply of pants at Christmas instead.

my childnre aren't goingto get many things at all!
can't afford it - in fact, they'll be lucky if they get anything that isn't books I can't sell in the shop.
after all, that's what nieces and nephews get!

far too many, no will actually give a figure on numbers. I really wish I had counted when I had the chance.

I blame the shloer. bloody shloer

I love books, and loooooved receiving them when I was younger, best thing you could buy.

I definately think I will look at everyday stuff to bulk it up. I suppose my xmas memories are rose tinted being that age though.

im such a knob, i did this once (as an adult, not a child)
I woke up and it was christmas, i felt that jolt of joy run through my body, couldnt believe it soooo excited i ran out of my bed flew at the stairs, slipped and fell all the way down to the bottom of the stairs at my fathers feet.

he just looked at me, in a heap on the floor, I badly hurt my leg but tried to carry on while limping, i just said "dad, its christmas!!"

he looke dat me, shook his head and said "no knitted breast, it isnt".

I felt so bad, the dissapointment was heart breaking, i so believed it was! i must have dreamt it!

probbely why i was on the xmas board, in June.

I think as they get older the piles just naturally get smaller as they want more expensive things. Plus teenagers don't appreciate tat sadly!

DD is not getting very much at all this year, but she is 2 so she won't care anyway (I don't think she knows what christmas is tbh)

classic!

what date was it?

To be fair though, everything seems much bigger when you're a child :)

My mother would always go crazy at xmas, think presents taking over half the room. But as I got older I realised that she'd then spend most of the next year paying off what she'd spent, leaving her short for day to day things. When I was buying presents last year for my DSs I kept having to push the memories of the childhood present mountain out of my head.

I totally agree about buying stuff they'd get anyway and wrapping it, e.g. bubble bath, pjs, sticker books, slippers, felt tips, chocs (that are then added to their treat tins to be eaten over the next few months). Makes the present pile look substantial without costing a fortune, and then one or two 'special presents' like a Lego set.

Neither numbers nor cost. DC get stocking things from Father Christmas and then just one or maybe two things from me and DH, everything else is from other people.

i dont know the date but i do remember that the sun was shineing once i did reach the living room and it seemed fairly warm.

Mine each get three from Santa, and their stockings. If one of the presents is expensive the other two will be cheap. Then we open family presents after dinner. It spreads out the treats and gives them a chance to appreciate the Santa gifts.