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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

How many presents without inc lists have your dc got.

251 replies

MincedMuffPies · 16/12/2013 23:47

Mine have about 35 each Shock 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.

OP posts:
RhondaJean · 21/12/2013 00:02

I honestly have no idea but I will count when I put them out on Xmas eve and report back if anyone is interested. I don't do the equal parcels thing or the equal spend thing, I have two girls with five years betweent hem and I just buy what I think they will want/like/need.

Original poster
MincedMuffPies · 21/12/2013 00:22

I prioritise christmas because I love it moomins. I'm a single mum who works part time and I don't earn a lot. Even while I was on full benefits I made sure my dc had a good christmas even if that meant buying stuff from september and going without. If people don't chose to make christmas magical and special by giving gifts as they can't get organised to buy anything nice then yes if I did that I would find christmas morning flat and boring.

It doesn't need to cost a lot, its about the thought and wanting to give your dc a magical day. I don't spend vast amounts of money but they have loads of well thought out presents. Everyones christmas is different, I love the treat yourself and indulge aspect.

OP posts:
MoominsYonisAreScary · 21/12/2013 05:37

I don't think having a good christmas depends on how many presents you have to open

GreenShadowsOfTheChristmasTree · 21/12/2013 08:32

I assure George and Minced that Christmas is NOT over in seconds just because the family do not inundate the DC with 10s of presents each!

Since when has Christmas been just about presents? We have a lovely Christmas Day - it is about family and doing things together that you might not normally do. I find it incredibly sad that Christmas for so many people on here just seems to be about presents. (And this is without even bringing the religious aspect in to it at all).

Can people not see how consumer-driven this all is? The pressures you are all succumbing to are from big business out to get you to buy as much as possible.

Original poster
MincedMuffPies · 21/12/2013 09:20

I don't buy as much as possible, I could of afforded more and more. £200 per child I have spent and the look on their faces opening the living room door will be my favourite part of the day.

Christmas to me is about gifts and nice food, booze, family, parties and being spoilt. I'm not religious I celebrate it as a festival of all of the list above.

FYI over religious aspect, Christianity originally started the gift giving to make it more appealing then the solstice.

My dc don't get stuff in the year, I don't ever buy toys or gadgets I hardly buy them magazines. So Christmas we go all out and I love it. Couldn't imagine them having 2 presents each to open.

OP posts:
Coconutty · 21/12/2013 09:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cantheyseeme · 21/12/2013 09:34

Its each to their own and im sure we all make sure our own families have an ace day however many presents are under the tree!!

ShoeWhore · 21/12/2013 11:23

Flat and boring Hmm that's really quite rude.

I happen to think our Christmas is magical. I can't quite see how a bigger pile of presents that they don't need would add to it tbh. For us it's about family time and food and nice wine and yes presents but I guess we go for a smaller number of really carefully chosen gifts over quantity. My dcs get that wow feeling, believe me.

Each to their own.

GreenShadowsOfTheChristmasTree · 21/12/2013 11:40

Quite ShoeWhore. My sentiments exactly.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/12/2013 13:05

Ok so we finally come to the crux of it. 'I'm a better Mum because I buy a bigger pile of presents, your kids are going to have a boring day because you don't'.

Hmm
WoodBurnerBabe · 21/12/2013 13:29

Our Christmas Day is not flat and boring because we don't have lots of presents! It's just different to yours. We will have a lovely leisurely breakfast, which itself is a treat in our busy house, they can play with stocking bits. Then church is 9.15, should be home 11ish. They are then allowed to open their big present from us, we have lunch, and then they open the rest. 3pm by this point, so new pyjamas, DVD, hot chocolate and cuddles takes us to tea time then bed.

If that's flat and boring then I'm extremely proud to be a flat and boring person. Except I'm chubby rather than flat, but hey ho...

MoominsYonisAreScary · 21/12/2013 13:42

Are they young ? £200 wouldn't buy 30 presents in this house. Unless I ignored what they asked for, or bought £50 worth of cheap bits and bobs so they had more to open.

Lizzylou · 21/12/2013 14:24

Flat and boring Xmas Grin
Mince, yup, your materialistic post is the very embodiment of what Christmas is all about, it's true.

GoofyIsACow · 21/12/2013 14:28

Mine have a main present plus a dvd and a book each.

They will get gifts from GP's and other family etc.

That is more than enough here Smile

fishybits · 21/12/2013 14:37

A stocking with no present costing over £3, a present each from DH and I, DH's huge family have clubbed together to buy her an climbing frame, my parents have given her one present between them and finally a present from each of her Godparents. Her birthday is soon and apart from that she won't get anything else during the year.

I am Shock at some of present piles and attitudes on here.

cantheyseeme · 21/12/2013 14:38

I think its a bit shit teaching your kids that writing a list will get what you want, hardly a brilliant life lesson.

working9while5 · 21/12/2013 16:32

Oh come off it. Everything doesn't have to be a massive life lesson for every possible context. Many families always use lists for Christmas well after Santa has done a runner. It doesn't mean on a rainy Tuesday in March that anyone in that family expects to get everything they want just because they asked for something at Christmas.

Some buy toys all year long, others only on these occasions. Some prefer surprises, others
certainty. Some do days out, others not. Why does any of it have to have long term meaning and be so loaded with morality? I love a good old splurge at Christmas mainly because it's what I remember from my own childhood. It's really no skin off my nose what anyone else does or doesn't do and I've no real judgement about any of it.

working9while5 · 21/12/2013 16:35

And I might find it flat and boring to have less at Christmas but that implies absolutely no judgement another person would feel similarly. In the same way I don't like the strawberry cremes in the Roses and others go wild for them. So what if others want a different type of experience? ???

MoominsYonisAreScary · 21/12/2013 17:13

Yes obviously children who write christmas lists will grow up thinking writing a list will get you what you want Hmm

Luggage16 · 21/12/2013 17:21

a lot of judgmental people on her me thinks!

Christmas day is what you make it and can be fabulous with 1,5,15 or 50 presents. Buying a pile doesn't mean you are spoiling your children, buying one doesn't mean you are being stingy. I have no doubt everyone here is doing what feels right for their own families and I imagine all of the children will be very happy Christmas morning!

curiousgeorgie · 21/12/2013 18:42

Just to clarify... I didn't say that Christmas would be over in seconds, I meant the present part would be over in seconds... And surely that's the part that kids most look forward to??

Spending a solid hour and a half / 2 hours opening presents in the morning is 2 hours of pure joy. It's seriously amazing. I can't wait to sit on the floor with my DD's and just see how happy they are. ( well, the 3 year old! The 6 month old has no idea!)

It's not about life lessons, not about snobbery or spoiling them.. It's just Christmas and I want it to be magical. My DD gets loads throughout the year, and to be honest, pretty much anything she wants, but is a very lovely, generous child who will share her last smartie and any toy with anyone.

I want her to have everything she asks for... That's what Christmas is about to us.

zooweemumma · 21/12/2013 18:49

3 dcs, 8 or 9 presents each under the tree, 10 things in stocking (small things like nail varnish, hair clips, travel size shower gel, pens etc)

zooweemumma · 21/12/2013 18:51

I think 30 or 40 presents each is madness. Even I would start to get jaundiced after about 20!

zooweemumma · 21/12/2013 18:53

Stockings have: nail varnish, ruler, rubber, pens, mini craft set, nano blocks, jelly belly scented candle, worry dolls, make up (for older dd), bath gel, sweets, swimming hats and a book each.

Altinkum · 21/12/2013 18:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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