do you get the kids anything they want for xmas

[babyonbord]

i don't want to start a massive argument, i appreciate that everyone has different opinions but i am wondering if there are any likeminded people out there when it comes to buying your kids presents at christmas. My feeling is that as long as i can afford it (i understand some people cannot and that's different) the kids will get whatever they ask for regardless of how "overpriced" it is or whether they have 50 similar toys. i remember growing up how horrible it was being dissapointed on christmas day (which only happened when i didn't get the barbie mall i wanted but didn't actually exist) so i've got my ds1 everything he wanted and then some, as far as me and my dh are concerned the kids get what they want as long as it is physically doable regardless of how we feel about the toy.

I was going to say yes we get anything within budget but I have to admit I don't buy computer games at over inflated prices. DS1 wanted a PS3 game which cost nearly £50, as they often do when they are brand new. Knowing that at some point, relatively soon, it would be at least half that I refused to buy it. Quite apart from the feeling that I had been ripped off if I bought, if he did have it, it would eat up a significant part of the budget and he wouldn't get much else. He knows this although he did try the 'Father Christmas will get it for me' but I said FC had a budget too and wouldn't be getting it.

They both know that any Christmas list they make is a list of wishes and that you don't get everything on that list but if they want something really really badly and it isn't too expensive then they have to tell me and we will see what we can do. A Christmas list is a wish list not a shopping list.

Oh and no live animals. FC doesn't bring those because parents might object and DH and I don't want pets so we won't be getting them either! DS2 is gutted but then he is most of the year when he asks for a dog and I say no. He is getting used to it!

Hmm, no. DS's Christmas list, for example, included 5 Lego Star Wars sets. They are very expensive and anyway, I think it would be spoiling him rotten to get them all, so he is getting the one he wants the most (which is also the most expensive one, over 120 pounds) and lots of books. But he's almost 10 and doesn't believe in Santa anymore.

DD, well, we weren't sure about the whole Xmas tradition, whether Santa gets all the gifts or just the stocking, and so we didn't ask her to write a list, but she's only little, 2.10. She's getting a doll, clothes for it, doctor's kit, books, DVD etc, so lots of things, but still within the budget.

I think it's nice when kids don't know whether they'll get the stuff they want and then they do get some of them/the ones they wanted most, tbh, plus a few surprise gifts that they come to like even though they didn't think about them before, iyswim. It would be a bit boring if they knew they would get every single thing on their list, every year, imo.

Within reason, I do get them what they want.
Indeed their Christmas lists were emminently sensible this year.
The most expensive items were laptops each. But actually that will be very practical as they need them more and more for homework and we are always juggling who is using which PC at the moment.

The rest of the items were CDs, DVDs, books all of which I know they will use very regularly.

In the past though, I admit to buying things they desperately wanted but I just knew would be gathering dust in weeks.

I give you Baby Born, a make-your-own teddy set and a walky talky.

As they get older it changes too. I buy fewer but more expensive and useful stuff, and don't bother with the tat.

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It's a difficult one, my DCs don't get much throughout the year so I try to get them what they ask for at Christmas, fortunately this year they've both asked for a gift that cost between £15 and £20 so I've bought them and obviously added to it.

From an early age we explained by all means write your lists but to remember that the elves are very old and they don't make tut or electronic stuff, so that's got me pretty much covered for not buying over expensive stuff.

Maybe though if we weren't so careful with money it might be a different story. DS2 has asked for a tree house for the last three years and this year I managed to get him one (cheap) for his birthday in November - he was absolutely overjoyed. We were going to get it for Christmas but I was worried about the weather and whether he would be able to play with it.

No not everything they want. DD wants pretty much everything she sees on tv ads and most of it I think she would play with a couple of times. My two have so many toys they don't play with so this year I have been very selective as I am fed up of wasting my money. I got DD the chocolate lolly maker she wanted as I know she will use it a lot, also a board game she asked for and a Bullseye toy from Toy Story. I also got her two things she did not ask for as her main presents but I know she will like them and I know she will use them everyday (Leappad and set of Rainbow Magic books). I will most likely have a big clear out of old toys after xmas too as otherwise the place is overrun.

DS is 4 and asked for a stripy top and nothing else so I just got him what I thought he would play with - fingers crossed!

Up to a point. DD doesn't watch commercial TV, only CBeebies and films so she doesn't get bombarded with the adverts and therefore her requests are simple.

However, she has asked for lipstick and sparkly nails. I've bought a little pack of clear lipgloss and glitter nail varnish but I've not decided whether to give it to her yet. She's not quite 4.

Absolutely not ! But I am fortunate in that my DS (age 10) doesn't really ask for much, he knows we will never buy 'technological' stuff - he did say something like 'I know there is no point in wishing for an X box/mobile phone' etc . Also he has never done the thing about asking for what is advertised on TV so I guess we are very lucky.

After ten years on Mumsnet I never cease to be amazed at the vast sums of money some people spend on their children (some of which can clearly not be afforded) - I guess we could choose to spend a lot more than we do but we prefer to put fairly decent sums aside in a long term pension for DS - hopefully he will be more grateful for that when he is 50 than having the latest 'must-have' now.

Mostly. I will never spend money we haven't got though.

Last year DH & I both lost our jobs in early Dec! (Was horrible, but has a happy ending) and Christmas was seriously cut back. The only thing DS1 wanted was a hideously expensive Star Wars toy. We used savings to buy it, but it was explained to DS1 that if he were lucky enough to get it there would be nothing else.

The picture of his face as he opened it is making me cry as I type. The only other things he got were treats I could put in his lunch boxes (i.e. that I might have bought anyway) and things he needed, pants, PJs, Wellies and he was brilliant at being thrilled with everything. It was lovely.

This year they've both got some of what they want, but there is a line and DS2 cannot possible have anymore bloody Hot Wheels sets I also refuse to buy things they've seen on TV which can't possibly do what the ad suggests they do.

Come back to us, OP, when your DD asks for a pony & your 8yo asks for Call of Duty 4.

i guess to an extent it is relative to what people can afford i am starting to appreciate that i am very lucky to be in the position to comfortably afford everything my children want and to not have to worry about whether or not we can afford it, i know it will get more expenisve as they get older but my dh is hoping to get a job working in norway which will almost double our income for next year so when my ds1 asks for a real pony he may just get it lol (he is having to settle for toffee the pony this year). If we were in a different position they maybe wouldn't get everything they wanted but to be fair since my dh just blew over 150 quid on a gas gun for himself theres no way i can refuse to get the kids their expensive follies lol

we have call of duty 4 my dh bought it for himself when it came out im verging on wanting to throw it out its always on the blinking telly lol my kids love watching him on it

Mine get the cheap things they ask for DS1 wrote a long list which included an iPod touch, iPad and iPhone. Not a chance. But I'm quite happy to buy him the 5 sided die, 34 sided die, times table book (yes, really!) and other slightly geeky stuff he asked for. Expensive gadgets, no. We have a £50 budget for each child's presents in our house, so much better if it's spread out across several smaller items. I hate plastic tat anyway, but fortunately we don't have a TV so they're not influenced by the constant ads for Fireman Sam/ (insert name of any other character) related junk.

No. DS wanted a DSi for 2 years before we relented. He now wants a Wii or an Xbox and we said no so he has happily decided on a bike.

It depends how old they are and what they ask for, surely? And how insistent they are and how much they really want it or are asking for it as they think they'll try it on, their mates want it etc etc

DD (5) asked for make up. I told her its for adults and wouldn't she rather have some Sylvanians? "Yes! Great idea, Mummy!" etc

No, we don't. Mostly because DD2 has asked for an ensuite bathroom.

She's 7.

No. If they were to ask for something unreasonable, too
expensive or silly they wouldn't get it.

Luckily they never really ask for anything that unreasonable and as I never let them watch ads on Tv they don't keep asking for expensive toys.

No,

I try and get as much as i can from their lists but this year dd1 (7) has a huge list and most of its tat, she wanted 4 lego sets, i have got her 3 of them (1 expensive one and 2 smaller sets, the 4'th was too expensive), she also asked for a 'catch it cone' (one of those silly cones that you catch a ball with that cost about 99p), i had to search hi and low for one , she also wanted the large bakugan toy which costs £40 and i havn't got it for her as i know it wont get played with and its a lot of money.

Dd2 has asked for the Moshi monster ds game and Moshi mega bloks (which i am struggling to get) and thats it but i have also bought her lots of bits that i think she will like.

I'm sure they will be happy with whatever they get but i always try and get the one thing that they really want.

Depends - DD1 asked for a PS3 one year, I refused as she has already got PS2, Wii and Nintendo DS which I think is more than enough.

Both DD's have asked for Netbooks this year. We have agreed to get them as we think they will get the use out of them and we can afford them (although this is at the top end of our usual xmas budget for them). They both understand that it is an expensive present and as such the usual bag of extras like CD's/books etc will not be forthcoming.

DD2 once asked for, and got, a goldfish for xmas a couple of years back. Only cost us £15 for fish and bowl. Twas a cheap xmas that year.

They both have birthdays close to xmas so anything they desperately want can be bought with any money received.

Should add, that they are never bought anything, by us or GPs, outside birthdays and Christmas, so although they do get lots at Christmas, it is very special for them and anything else has to be saved for.

I do now that my 3 ds are older. When they were younger I would decide if I thought they would really play with an item and then only buy worthwhile stuff. Now they know what they would use. They have only asked for an xbox game and some books so not too bad. However they do get loads of stuff throughout the year so Christmas isn't such a big deal present wise.

I only buy toys for DS2 for his birthday and Christmas so I tend to choose things with a long play-life. Luckily, he doesn't watch much tv so has no idea what the 'latest craze' is which means we don't have much pressure to buy things. He does make a list but only in the most apathetic way (he just feels he ought to ) It never seems to get posted or even printed.

So this year he has a Lego set, some books and a DVD. Father Christmas will buy him something that I have said no to ( this year an XBox game) as I love to see his excited face when he gets an unsuitable present

My oldest children had all the piles of toys and it breaks my heart when I think how much it cost us as two very young parents to keep that going over the years. Once we had started it, there seemed to be no going back which is why our youngest has never had a 'pile 'em high' Christmas.

Mmm, not really. We could afford (just about) to get ds (5) a DS but dh & I agree he's too young for it, and doesn't really want it - it's just because a friend got one for his birthday.

He also asked for the chocolate coin maker and I said no, that I knew other boys who got it and that it wasn't good and didn't make chocolate coins properly and that the advert wasn't true (might as well learn that lesson early on).

But he is getting the Octonauts Octopod, even though he's probably verging on being too old for it. He really, really wants it, so that's fine.

I do agree with you Laura about the pile 'em high Christmases, last year when we were both out of work, we had to cut right back and TBH it was the best Christmas ever. The DCs both had something they really wanted and not much else, rather than piles of stuff they weren't really bothered about.

The only trouble is though that as they get older, no matter what you spend, the pile doesn't look very big!