Gosh I have spent so much on DS!

[YourHandInMyHand]

I am usually very sensible with money, budget for Christmas and stay within my budgets but this year I have spent 3 time what I normally spend!

His costs have been bumped up as he's had a massive growth spurt so I ordered a new bike.

Also last Christmas he asked for Skylanders 3 weeks before. I couldn't justify buying it at the last minute and he'd sent his letter to santa so I suggested he ask for it next time and he did!

I only have him and do enjoy treating him but don't want him expecting this much every year IYSWIM.

Some years they genuinely do NEED bigger bikes, scooters, computers for homework etc and I think it's a bonus when it falls under the 'christmas umbrella'.

How old is he? You could lay out so much from Santa and perhaps hide a big item as a surprise from you?

I think it's all realtive isn't it. I have spent a fair bit on my two for Christmas, but I don't spend a huge amount on them during the year. DS is 13 and he has £30 pocket money a month, 12 of that he saves, the rest is his spending money, if he wants something or he wants to go somewhere he pays for it out of his pocket money.

I still buy his clothes and toiletries and if we go out as a family I pay for him, but if he wants to go out with friends or buy a magazine etc - he pays. But in order to get that pocket money he has to help around the house, if he doesn't help enough he doesn't get money. (this never happens though, but he knows it would if he didn't do as asked.) I think that has tought him the value of things and how to manage his money and how important it is to earn it. So I feel I can spoil a bit at Christmas.

DD is 9 and she gets leass pocket money and helps a little around the house, she has the same deal, you earn pocket money. And I have spoilt her for Christmas as well.

But I am firm with them during the year - I remind them how much they have spent, how much they have left for rest of month, if they have to save any for anything etc. DS now has a current account and debit card so is begining to manage his own money. If they see something they want but haven't got any money left - tough you have to wait till next pocket money day.

I have told my two they both have one big present and the only reason they have it is becasue I got a bonus at work and they know this is unusual and not to expect it every year. They then have 8 stocking present's (from Santa of course), 8 under the tree from DH and I and 8 in their Christmas Eve hampers which is a new idea for this year and consistes of PJ's, robes, slippers and hot chocolate bits and pieces and popcorn for christmas Eve movie night.

All depends on age as well doesn't it, mine are old enough to understand.

My DS is 8 but a very young 8 due to his autism.

He won't notice/remember which presents are from santa and which are from mummy. If I had to put an age on his understanding of xmas/budgets/expectations I'd say at the moment he's maybe at about 4 yrs.

My sister said the same about them sometimes needing one off big things. Was just shocked when I added it all up I think. I've not got myself in debt or anything (refuse to do so over something like xmas) so it's not like I've been recklessly spending.

I have just started him with pocket money a few months ago (£3 a week) and it's working well. Sometimes he blows it on a Cbeebies comic and other times he's saved up for weeks to get a toy he's wanting.

Don't worry about it. You haven't been stupid and got into debt of anything so enjoy it :)

Thanks to everyone who replied. This is one of the downsides of being the only adult in the house, there's no one to chat to!

I will relax now and enjoy Christmas in the knowledge I'm not dooming my DS to a lifetime of high expectations.

Glad your feeling better about it this morning. Now you are all organised enjoy the build up to christmas with your DS

I have spent too much too

I think i get carried away as both of my dd's have Autism, i love seeing there faces when they open a present which they realy want and i often feel like spoiling them as life can be quite tough for them.

I think its ok as long as its things you know they will get lots of play out of, a bike will get used a lot as will the skylanders (when the weather is nice he can use the bike, when its wet he can play the skylanders).

If you can aford it then why not?

Marne I remember talking to you before on the SN threads (I namechange regularly).

It's so lovely to see their little faces light up, and to see them actually playing with something isn't it. DS loves lego so he's got some more bits of that. It adds up but it will last for years and he gets lots of play out of it.

I don't drive so a push bike each is a bit of a necessity. He enjoys riding it finally and it burns a bit of energy off him too!

They skylanders - he would never entertain any console games but having an innotab strengthened his confidence enough to try out a wii game - I'm relieved as most of his interests are still very young (Thomas, Octonauts) so this is something where he can fit in with his peers by having an interest in common.

There is another reason I have got carried away I think - it's only very recently that DS has started playing imaginatively. This is very exciting. Instead of turning a toy vehicle upside down and spinning the wheels around with it close to his eyeball, he is "driving" the vehicle around. I'm very excited about this. It's something most parents take for granted but is a huge thing for DS to start doing.

dd2 is the same (just started imaginary play) so i keep buying play sets, she loves the Octonauts too and alpha blocks (hard to find anything to do with alpha blocks other than books), have also bought her a years worth of playdough she gets through so much.

DS loves play dough too. I always think my DS sounds very similar to your DD2. The imaginative play is a lovely milestone isn't it. I used to get all teary seeing other kiddies playing so imaginatively with their toys.

He has some alphablocks he got with a CBeebies special comic that he likes to play with/arrange. Might be worth keeping an eye out on ebay if she doesn't already have them. You could even try emailing? I once emailed them when we got the Octonauts Cbeebies special comic, and DS kept getting soo worked up that the free little figures didn't stand up properly, they sent a pack full of different comics to say sorry! They might have back issues or spare pack of alphablocks lying about?

Hmm there's a couple here but they're going for loads!

www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=alphablocks+special+Cbeebies&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313&_nkw=alphablocks++letters&_sacat=0

We did have them but she lost a few (which caused a few meltdowns) i hae been looking for some on e-bay but they seem to go for loads, i managed to find some wooden letters on amazon which have little eyes on them. She does sound so similar to your ds yesterday she told me the story of jack and the beanstalk with some puppets which came with the cbeebies magazines and she let me join in (by saying 'and mother said...'), i was almost crying as she has never done this before. She's now asking for lego starwars and she wants a lemonaide stand like the one on the american express add , i could easily buy her lots more but must control myself.

I have e-mailed the company that makes the magazines in hope to find them (worth a go) .

And they have e-mailed me back saying they will post me a copy for free , dd2 will be very happy (and flappy) when she gets it, she might not want to play with anything else on christmas day.

Aw Marne that's FANTASTIC so glad I suggested it and they are sending you one out!

My DS doesn't usually let me say parts in his scripts either, and he also rather like's jack and the beanstalk! They'd either get on like a house on fire together or clash due to being too alike.

I have wrapped all my dses presents and their piles are massive. . In addition to a stuffed stocking sack

I feel a bit cross with them right now as they have managed to lose a DS case full of games and I have reprimanded them for not looking after their stuff.

But I haven't spent a fortune, it must looks like a lot I guess.

I'm hoping when it all gets unwrapped and taken out of it's packaging it will look like a smaller pile.

I don't have anything to add, but just wanted to say to the op that you have the nicest username I've seen on here, it brings a tear to my eye!

I wouldn't worry Yourhand, last year my dd was lusting after an ipod touch,which we got her, plus other presents, so it came to a tidy sum. She has smashed the screen played with it every day since, despite the cracked screen (it still works).

This year She is totally non-committal on the xmas present front, she still has her badly cracked ipod, which she loves and has only asked for a few things. Ds1 is the same, all he wants is skylanders, that is it.

Makes it hard to choose xmas presents tbh.

Refutes the ever expanding Santa list though, they have both mentioned a tablet or 3ds, but in passing. Neither is that keen that they nag me.

I haven't a clue tbh. I really haven't, I could get them a tablet or 3ds, but I reckon they would be a bit meh. I give up.

Marne- if for any reason the alphablocks do not arrive from the publisher, we have a full set here you can have, though magazine is falling to bits, the letter blocks are pristine.

Thank you CaptianNancy, will let you know if they dont turn up.

YourHand- thank yo so much for suggesting i contact them. I think our dc's would get on very well .

Nuzzleandscratch - thank you that's so nice. It's a line from a poem DS likes at bedtime. Makes me feel all fuzzy too I imagine myself squeezing his chubby warm little hand. Aaw! :-)

That sounds lovely, what's the poem called? Ooo, squeezing little hands, you'll start me off again! Dd1 is a bit more grown up now, at nearly 3, but dd2 is exceptionally squidgy at 4 months!

DS is 8 and still has squidgy baby hands!!

I will check name of poem later. It's a very short one in a treasury type book, I usually round off a couple of stories with the little poem - the name has fallen out of my head!