DS's pile looks tiny compared to DD's

[Plopsicle]

DS is 9 DD is 4.

He has had more money spent on him but nothing is in a big box, DD's pile look huge because she has a massive dolls house and a bike coming from grandparents.

Should I buy a few bulky but cheap things (any ideas would be much appreciated!) to make his pile look more impressive or do you think he's old enough to understand?

I have the same problem with mine.
I think yours might be old enough to understand that value is more important than size. I wouldn't buy anymore.
My 6 yr old will probably have a strop.

Only you can know but I would think he will not be comparing quantity (maybe total numbers of pressies though).

Do you hand presents out in 'piles'? We put our all together in a big jumble under the tree so it's not so obvious that on the whole DH gets very little...

That's a good idea Anya. If i mix it all up they won't be able to tell. Thanks!

They have a similar number of presents DD's are just a lot bigger in size.

I think he will probably be fine, its just me having a wobble, I'd hate for him to be disappointed.

Jumbling all the prezzies up is a good idea.

re-wrap a couple of his little presents in big boxes (with lots of newspaper stuffing)

we often did that just to disguise what they might be

My mum still makes sure my sister (18) and I (25) have the same number of presents to unwrap
To be honest, we'd never have noticed. As kids, you're far to interested in ripping paper of exciting parcels than paying attention to what your sibling has

Too off

I wouldn't start going down the road of an equal number of presents tbh, at some point he's going to have to realise cost vs quantity etc.
You might end up in a right pickle down the line if he gets a laptop or something while your still little dd has huge piles of trinkets and dolly things etc. (Excuse the gender stereotyping but you know what I mean)

I have the same problem, but have said to ds (6) that the things dd has asked for are bigger than the things he has asked for, so if you're lucky enough to get what you asked for it might look like dds got more, he seemed to understand - fingers crossed!!

We put all presents together under the tree as well. I play fc and give the gifts out. Not one by one, but so everybody has something to open. This has a few benefits. It slows down the opening and gives you time to get the camera ready for the wow presents. Also I like to have control over the order in which the presents get opened. I like to leave the main presents or special surprises to near the end, so things like books or stocking fillers get appreciated.

That sounds a bit controlling, but my dcs are older now and prefare it this way. When they were younger, they used to have individual piles, and I'd often miss their reaction to the special presents.

When I read your thread title I thought you were talking of haemorrhoids! Poor children, I thought. And: Why would someone want to compare piles .

After reading the reactions I've noticed it's in the Christmas section. Duh! I'm obviously not in the Christmas spirit yet. Must try harder!

buy him an inflatable armchair or a crocodile or summat

I do this regularly

We do our presents one at a time, youngest to oldest, round in a circle. They are all jumbled under the tree and I try to match number and rough cost but not size. My DS (12) has an office chair which he wants - huge box - and my DD (10) a watch - tiny box.

Get some bigger boxes, similar sizes to DD's, put small presents in and some packing stuff, wrap, problem solved!!

Oh ponders said that first!

i always find a sledge for around a tenner looks big, fills out the pile and gets a wow!

I've got the same thing happened here.

I'm not worried about it tbh. Ds1 is 8 and I think will understand that his main present is a biggie (in value to him if not in size!)

If he mentions it, ask him which he would prefer - a [name of his tiny but expensive present] or a dolls house (or maybe offer him the option of a castle if he's a boy!). he'll soon realise unless he has been longing for a castle in which case you need to have strict words with santa!

You can also have a discussion with him about how isn't it funny that dd is so little still that she thinks good present = big present, whereas he is old and clever enough to know that good things come in little packages and that some of the most expensive presents are the smallest ones etc.

Don't give him mostly empty boxes, think how disappointing it would be to open a big box and find something tiny inside. I like zipzap's idea of a chat with him.