How many presents without inc lists have your dc got.

[MincedMuffPies]

Mine have about 35 each 10 of those are stocking fillers of things around a pound nothing more then a fiver.

I haven't spent loads but as they're older and its things like dvds and ps3 games it really doesn't look like much compared to previous years of bikes and large similar presents.

My 2 totally aren't even. The eldest 4.5 has a lot more and the baby just has an activity gym and a couple of small toys. I guess it will even out as they get older

35 you say? 35?

DD (2) has maybe 10 things to open from us/Santa. DS1 & DS2 are teenagers and have maybe 15 presents each.

And there was I, wondering if I'd bought too much!

MincedMuffPies - yes they also get stocking with the usual socks, stationery, toiletries and chocs.

I always find these threads fascinating as you get a core of people who do 1 or 2 gifts, another core who do massive piles and then a few people who sit somewhere inbetween. I wonder if its regional and if so whether the inbetweeners is when couples come from 2 different backgrounds so aim for a middle ground?

Hmm ponders starting another thread of where do you live (north/south) and do you do big pile of gifts or just a couple.

I am amazed at how many presents some are giving children. When you add in presents from relatives, and a few for the adults, and perhaps if you have 2 or more children - where do you store them all before Xmas day? And how do you get into your living rooms or anywhere near your tree if the presents are all underneath it on Xmas day?

Main present to DD(7) from me/DH will be a fullsize dolls pram (to be hidden in the kitchen and wheeled out for the grand finale)

Under the tree, mixed gifts from family & Santa -

Baby doll
4 Monster High Dolls
Monster high dress-up
3 books
4 Sylvanian Family sets (smallish, all under £10each)
Pastels and watercolour paints
2 board games
1 dvd
Smelly pencils & gel pens
Pencil case
A watch
A cuddly toy

Stocking -

Orange, sweet tube, small playmobil figures, novelty pen, plush keyring, hand-warmers and chocolate coins. These will all go in the stocking from Santa.

This list seems like a lot to me and it includes the gifts that DGP, DBr & DSil (on my side) have bought. DH's family don't give anything as they live abroad.
I have other presents that we I have decided to keep aside for her birthday.
Phew!

Us:
Ds1 (4) Magnatiles (£94!!! Yikes) and a powerdrill pegboard thingy.
Ds2 (18 months) Blocks (Haba, beautiful, mainly because I love them ) and a baby pegboard.

Santa:
Ds1: Octonauts play set (17 quid), some smaller stupidly expensive Octonauts toys, crayons, stamps, hot wheels cars, yo yo and a pencil case. The all important Kinder Surprise.
Ds2: soft toy, fire engine and baby cars, sound blocks, chubby crayons and baby stamps.
FOR BOTH: Trix track and Haba ball tracks.

You see, it doesn't look lots and lots but it's about 350 quid [shame]. I literally wanted the Magnatiles and Trix Tracks so much I used Christmas money from my mother to buy them. This is the restricted social life of a pregnant woman who still throws up several times a day.

lolalooloo do you mind if I ask if you are a high income family? That's an awful lot of money, it must be over £2000 for all that? I would love to spoil my family like that but no matter how much I budgeted I could never afford all that! Our limit is £300 for DTC aged 14. I'm sure your DS will be delighted xmas morning!

DS (6 years old) is getting:
*a sled
*a marshmallow gun
*some books
*a build your own rocket
*a special binder for Pokemon cards
Stocking: chocolate, a few mini Lego figures, Pokemon cards.

DD (6 months) is getting:
*a stuffed monster toy
*play keys
*a rattly ball
*a few board books
Stocking: Leg warmers, stuffed bunny, stuffed/jingly seahorse toy

Those are from us/Santa Claus. They got some clothes, pjs, Legos, from the ILs last week when we did our Christmas celebration with them, and this weekend when we go visit my parents they will get some other stuff. But those ^^ are the Christmas morning presents.

I don't think there's anything wrong with loads of gifts (it's fun to see them open them) but we don't have a lot of money and I like the experiences of Christmas more...going on drives with cocoa to look at the lights, watching our favorite Christmas movies, candles and singing in church, baking cookies, etc.

Oh dear. Every time I try and think what the children have got, and whether or not it's fair, I come up against a brick wall.

Can I list stuff and you lot tell me if it's fair?

ds1 (10) Furby (yes he wanted it!) Punchbag (also a request) Board game, various small things.

ds2 (6) Furby, Knex big fairground thingy, (to put his moshlings in when built - which I will end up doing!) Oh I can't even remember the other things. Just little stuff - you know, bakugan, transformers bits etc.

Ds1 keeps asking for an ipod shuffle as well, and I keep thinking should I?

But then it'll go out of balance, if it isn't already...etc etc...

there are some things to share as well, a Mario 3ds game, (was cheap) and another board game and so on. Does this all sound like it's Ok?

(the furbies are from my parents btw)

Leaving out the Skylanders ex has bought for ds1 which they know they have to share. And leaving out ds3 as he is still a baby so won't care what he gets!

Some of these lists are obscene.

There is nothing wrong with spending a lot on a child, but it is the amount that has be aghast. It seems like spending for the sake of it, rather than buying them something that they really really want.

dd1 5 has around 30 plus stocking from us

dd2 18 months has about 25 plus stocking

but have bought second hand and through the year so havent spent that much. their main gifts cost a total of £40 thats a sylvannian lodge with family furniture and a motorbike set for eldest and a storage box full of happyland for youngest

Hope that wasn't directed at me Alibaba...was it?

I have no idea, the baby seems to have the most but he's had the least spent on him. We have a budget for the older ones.

IHeard no, not at you - your list is very moderate

A lot of the presents my 2 have are stuff they need and will really last, my fave are thr doc martens

I dont think any of the lists are obscene - its so relative tbh. Someone with hardly any income spending hundreds is worse than a millionaire who spends a thousand. You also have to factor in cost of individual gifts, who else in the family buys, whether gifts are a substitute for spending time with the kids (mine have a fair bit this year but we also do loads as a family as i home ed so we are together all the time and have been to a santa breakfast, had a treasure hunt, will do winter walk, have been to look at lights, going to a show etc etc) and how big the house is that has to accommodate all of this stuff after christmas!

I think 35 well thought out and decent gifts is better than 35 gifts from poundland that may well be in landfill by the end of the week!

I think there are some very lucky children who are going to be very happy come christmas day! Thats not obscene, I think its really nice!

DD is 2.9, so this is the first Christmas she has taken notice of.

She has asked for a a guitar from Father Christmas so is getting a ukulele. In her stocking will be bubbles to blow, a book with magnets, buckets for the beach shaped as a pyramid and the coliseum (so more for DH and I!) a glue stick and Dr Seuss ABC book.

From DH and I a Peppa Pig backpack and about 3 more books. I am still undecided on whether to get her a paddling pool for Christmas or in the sales on Boxing Day.

(We are in New Zealand which should explain the buckets and paddling pool).

She is the only grandchild on both sides of the family, so will get spoilt.

There is also the possibility that I have bought her other things during the year and completely forgotten about them.

Yes last year I spent about 90 but easily 40 of it was on Poundland tat and it was a mistake. I'm about to have a
third boy and I expect the Magnatiles, ball tracks and blocks will get years of use across all three.

My general philosophy now on toy buying in these early years when they really aren't demanding is they need to easily fit in with the toys we have, have potential for long-term regular play, if possible be suitable for sharing and must be easily stored. Also a fan of things that are good for quiet semi-independent creative play.

Also am a speech therapist and after kids are grown expect good quality toys to end up in clinic... so 100 quid is a lot for a construction toy now but ultimately think better value than cheapo toys for landfill in terms of play over their lifetime.

Come on! One of the posts here quoted approx (if my quick calculations are correct) 80 presents for one child. Not including stocking.

I do think that's slightly OTT (note I didn't say obscene ). It would take hours to open them, not to mention the space needed to accommodate these plus the other children also with 80+ presents.

def better to buy good quality! i sold on a load of ourgrown bits and peices and got over £300. If we bought cheap that wouldnt happen but instead it has gone towards buying good quality bits again for xmas which in turn can be sold on again at a later date!

Am shocked at some of these lists.

I am now worried I am a meanie as Dd 4 yrs old has six presents under the tree.

Lego
Mobillo
Pirate ship
Happy land figures
Pillow pet
Slinky

Came to about 50 quid as some was secondhand and half price.

She also has a stocking with a large Happyland rocket, specifically asked for this, and little things like gold coins and bubbles.

Seriously, should she have more? First year she is expecting presents as last year it was still all a bit of a surprise!

I think some tat is alright, the finger lights my dc will love and I got my dd spy glasses that I know will get loads of play out of even if they only cost a couple of quid.

Last year I bought them mini gum ball machines out the pound shop and they still remember how cool they were and have put in requests for them this year to. which they can buy themselves since I have bought enough now

Luggage it is not the amount of money that I am about. That, as you say, is all relative to someone's income etc and people can spend their money however they like. Obviously going into debt and spending January thinking 'oh fuck how are we going to afford to eat' is another matter.

It is a sheer volume of items - surely no child is going to play with all the things that have been listed by some? It just seems a waste - volume for the sake of volume.