How old are your dc's and what have they asked for for christmas??

[Marne]

Just thought if we all say what our dc's have asked for we can make a list for people who are struggling to know what to buy?

DD1 7 - Not sure what to get her yet but has asked for a fish tank and lego Ninja's.

DD2 5- wants Moshling zoo ds game and leappad.

Insanityscratching - quick question - what are you putting in your 16 ds stocking? Ds is nearly 16 and I havent a clue. I was hoping he'd decide not to have a stocking this year but he wants one.

I put in a mix of practical stuff that he needs, stuff he likes, odd gadgets and silly novelties as well as chocolate, a lottery ticket.
So smellies, character boxers,socks,battery toothbrush, stationery (he likes to draw and write), magazine (Top Gear),book (mock the week),cheap dvd (up to £5 off amazon) a film he has liked usually, wind up torch from ikea, other nonsense from here and then silly stuff from Hawkins bazaar.
On years when he hasn't had an expensive main present (so not this year) I have put in itunes voucher, cinema gift card, bowling voucher, paintball voucher.
I've also padded it out with stuff like chocolate spread, marmite, peanut butter, dips etc if the contents have been expensive but not much volume to them.

11 & 12 and they want cold hard cash.

My eldest says he will get more in the january sales and my youngest does what my eldest does!

Dd1 (6) is getting a DS lite

Dd2 (4) mini Laloopsy playtree house thing (thank you Smyths for knocking a £8 off it)

Dd3 (will be 10 months) a rocking moose from IKEA (husband insisted, Precious Third Born )

They get about 3-4 Santa presents including a selection box, and a stocking which has pens, pencils, sweets, face cloth etc in it. Nothing from us - and then presents from grandparents, aunts and uncles.

THanks for the replies herbietea and stratching. Very helpful!

Ds1 (7) keeps asking for an iPad touch and has also asked for a stereo for his bedroom, got him a secondhand one off eBay for £65 and a docking station to go with it, thought it would save on scratching the CDs

Ds2 (4) got him Lego police station and he's asked for a flying fish

Dd1 (4months) got her a vteck walker and some flashy toys from boots 3 for 2 offers

Dh (37) a 'grumpy old man' t-shirt, saw it and just had to buy it lol

DD1 (5) wanted only kisses last year. This year she wants everything that she sees.

I have got her 'serious' list down to Unicorn Huggle Buddy and Barbie stuff.

From parents she is getting:

2 disney princess dolls (in Asda sale - £3.87!, hence 2)
Vintage Sindy furniture off ebay (chairs, bath and toilet)
3 pairs pjs (asda sale £3 each)

From Grandparents (both sets)

Huggle Buddy Unicorn
Barbie Camper Van (Boot Sale find)
Slippers
Dress
Book

DD2 (20 months)

From Parents

Happyland stuff that was her sisters

Grandparents:

Dress
Tights
Mrs Santa outfit
Happyland London Bus

Father Christmas does not give any gifts in this house - I do not think a fat stranger should get any credit for our hard earned money!

POOR herbietea with two children with December birthdays. My daughter is 16 on 14th December, every year it is a mad expense (and such a crap time of year to have a birthday anyway).

DD is getting a moped. It is costing the best part of bloody £1500 (what with moped, insurance for the year, helmet, jacket, gloves, CBT test etc). However I am hoping that I will reap the benefit as Mum's Taxi can go into early retirement.

I totally agree with bellavita and ormirian that as they get older they get less, but it is far more expensive. I don't think this is extravagance at all, as usually presents this age have a practical application. Of course it would be nonsense to spend a grand on Harry Potter crap for a youngster, but to spend the same amount on a macbook makes sense, as they use it for school, and it will last for years anyway.

splutter tea at ashaboo and fat man comment. I must confess to always having to let it slip to dc that it was acually me who had bought the gift they most love as I cannot bear to think someone else getting the credid

DC get a main present from Father Christmas and well filled stockings :) But some things in stockings are very small things. I love finding and wrapping stocking presents :)

It is DS's 8th birthday soon which means his mind isn't too much on Christmas presents yet. With him and DD I tend to have general discussion about what things they might like rather than them getting fixated on one thing. But they don't tend to get too worried about what they will get tbh. DD is 6 and would love the world to be filled with even more Hello Kitty. Her wish will at least partly come true

Mine are 3 and 5 and both asked for a ds. I said no chance from me but they were welcome to ask their grandparents.

DD also asked for a princess outfit, a fairy outfit and a mermaid outfit, luckily all of those were included in the big bundle of dressing up stuff I'd already won for her on ebay.

DS asked for another mario game for the wii.

I've spent more than I should have really (approx £40 each on main presents and £25 on stockings) but my friend thinks I am tight because their main presents are all second hand.

I helpfully (!) gave my 8 year old a copy of the Smythe's catalogue and asked him to look at what he wanted for xmas. Forward planning has backfired coz when he returned it to me he said: 'Mum, where I've marked it HP, that means whole page'. . Now, apart from the spelling issue, I think he might be a little optimistic ...

DS has asked for membership to a games website he likes. I Father Christmas is undecided about it

DD wants 'fairy things'

So far I have got them an indoor play tent each (thought about buying one big one but I know they'll squabble over it ).

DD (3)

Fairy costume and wand
Toy Story duplo lego set
Doll's tea set
4 books
2 DVDs
Charlie & Lola jigsaw

DS (7)
A magic set
Comic making kit
5 story books + a joke book
2 DVDs

Will probably add one or two things more each + stockings fillers & Christmas Eve stuff (PJs, DVD, book). Have done really well with getting stuff cheap/discounted/online this year. Well chuffed!

ashaboo - i got dd a unicorn hugglebuddy new on ebay for £15 inc free delivery - although home bargains now sells them (not sure which animal) for £5

DS1 (10) wants green Converse boots, this book, and 'The Wanted CD'

DS2 (4) doesnt want anything really, but we have got him some sensory toys and books from Amazon

DD (3) wants a monkey toy that she saw in John Lewis. I said that she would have to ask Santa for it so she stood in the middle of the shop saying 'please santa' really loudly.

I think the quantity thing is, as some people have already said, a bit of a tradition. If you were given loads as a child, and were used to coming downstairs on the day to a huge pile of presents, I bet it's pretty likely you do the same.

DS ages 5 wants a trekking pole.... weird kid.

In my case I do the exact opposite to my parents. We got far too much for Christmas, often when we could not afford it. As a consequence presents are not really a part of our Christmas celebrations. Dp and I get nothing, dd gets something small which she opens mid afternoon and we don't always remember.

Does she get presents from anyone else?

We get a family present from my Mum , usually a board game or theatre vouchers, Her Dad's family buy her stuff that she will open when she visits but it is not a big thing for her.

She has a stocking on Xmas eve with new pyjamas.

Other people might get her small gifts , but she certainly does not get the volume of stuff referred to on this thread.

It sounds like you've been influenced by what you experienced as a child, twinkly, if you were aware it put a strain on your parents to give you so much.

I was used to getting lots, and I now buy lots for my children. I do question my own values at times! I could not imagine giving one small present, but, at the same time - and I mean this genuinely - I think your approach is a far more sensible one.

I'm also grasping at frivolity after a really shitty year, and I do think (I've said this before on here somewhere) there's therapy in the fun of sitting and looking a plastic tat on the internet. It's nice to treat people.

DH's family were more restrained than mine, so he's getting a bit twitchy. But he knows we can afford to do it. I think it's more the fear he has of drowning in plastic. [hgrin] It's not that bad. Honest.

Well, me too re the volume of presents on they thread. I'n not ready to go down your route though. I like presents too!!

I don't doubt I am influenced by my family, all be it in the reverse. My first husband's family used to also spend obscene amounts of money at Christmas and I just found it all rather vulgar . Buying nice presents isn't vulgar but for them that was all that mattered and it was a chance to show off how much money you had and buy affection.

My Dp never got anything as a child for Christmas and therefore the presents used to be important to him.

Christmas is very important to us , I spend months getting ready for the big day. Presents just don't feature .

I am someone who likes stuff, I am much more materialistic than my Dp and I would like to change that. We have a lovely home, I have a bulging wardrobe and spend far too much on books. For me Christmas is just a chance to get away from all of that and spend time with people . I make gifts for people, hampers and cakes etc. .

I don't judge people for spending a lot at Christmas , it is just not something we choose to do.