Is it unusual to buy close family members just one present?

[TheBiggestDinosaur]

I'm just interested, I've been reading lots of the Christmas threads.

I know lots of people buy several/multiple presents for their kids; ours just get one, and a stocking.
But it seems other people buy multiple presents for their parents, partners, siblings etc too.

It would honestly never occur to me to get more than one item for a person (unless it was 2 parts of one gift - a mug and hot chocolate powder, a scarf and gloves, two books). I struggle enough thinking of one thing to get each person, can't imagine having to be doubly thoughtful .

Which do you think is more unusual, giving multiple gifts or just one?

I buy multiple presents for DP but usually just one each for my DM, DF and DB. They never expect anything and are always so grateful for the one gift each. If I could afford to get them more I would.

I buy to a budget. I've just been wrapping and DH has three gifts already - but none of them are big, just thoughtful. I'll probably continue in that vein until I decide I've spent enough!

We always got just one thing each as children which was normal for us, so I would give just one gift to DD when she was a child. It wasn't a deliberate decision, it just never occurred to me to get more than one item. She'd get at least 4 other biggish gifts from close family as well, and that seemed enough. I'd sometimes get her clothes, books, PJs etc as well, but wouldn't wrap it as it wasn't really a gift, just stuff she needed. She's a teen now and I do give her more stuff as our income is higher and teens just seem to need new stuff all the time!

Kids - 1 pressies plus a Santa stocking. The adults who still insist on pressies get 1....otherwise nowt! DH and I often end up buying something which we both want for the house instead.

DH gets a few things to unwrap. The rest of the family gets one present from DH and I and one from our girls

I have only heard of people giving one gift to their children on MN. I do understand it if you have a big family but we don't. I buy around 20 gifts for my dd's plus a stocking, they have one big thing which they have asked for ( around £50 ish) and then lots of smaller things which range from £3 up to £15, this includes clothes, stationary and bath stuff, stocking gifts are things that cost around £1 each ( sweets, tooth brush etc..). We only have a small house but we find space to put everything, plus most of the items are things I would have to buy during the year anyway ( stationary, crafts items, bubble bath, clothes ).

I love getting them lots to open, I love seeing their faces on Christmas morning and I love finding things that will keep them busy for hours.

I don't think I spoil them as they don't get anything much from relatives and we don't go overboard for birthdays.

I think for kids it depends on what goes in the stocking. I always had small things in my stocking and then a fair few things under the tree but if you put DVDs, books, clothes in the stocking then 1 present under the tree makes sense

I would say it is VERY unusual just to get one present for your dc! One?!

I have always bought to a budget rather than a number of items. So my dm has received anything from 1 to 5 gifts off me depending on expense.
not sure I could give dc 1 gift though... a heap is definitely part of mine and now their xmas tradition- if they have an expensive item eg a bike that takes most of their budget then I will get them inexpensive or practical stuff to make a heap eg annual, selection box, pyjamas.
people need to stop being astounded at what other people do- save that for bad stuff! I know families who spend £1000s at xmas and ones with £5 budget per child. Doesn't really matter in the long run.

I always got a few things for Christmas, so did DH and now so do our DC.
I don't know any other children that only get one thing.

I set a budget for everyone else and have an idea of what I want to buy. Here comes the bone of contention between DH and I, if I have a budget of £20 but get the thing I want for £10 I buy something else to make it up to £20. DH thinks I should just give the original thing and not spend the extra.

I buy my kids 20 to 30 gifts each, plus a stocking. OH and mother get 5 or 6.

PLenty of time to open 30 gifts- that is what chrristmas is about!!
I do buy a mix of things that my kids need, so DS will be getting a new mouse and keyboard, clothes, DD a hairdryer, foot thongs, dance bag, juice cube etc.

I get dd and dh a few presents plus a stocking with little things. They get very little from anyone else (dh only gets them from me and dd) Those that do give gifts for dd seem to have resorted to money (which is very much appreciated but dd squirrels it away - she's not a spender) Other family members I will give them one or two presents.

For those that don't give much at xmas- do your children get a lot of things at other times of the year?

If my kids would like something over and above the necessities then I ask them to wait until xmas or birthday.

Also if you only spend £30 does that mean your DC don't have things like playstations, tablets, phones, consoles etc.

I can see spending only £30 will delight a toddler but much more difficult with older children or teenagers.

My parents are divorced and both on their own, so I tend to buy them a few things each otherwise they would only have one thing to open on Christmas morning (my sibling died, grandparents dead etc so just me to buy for them). DH and I used to buy each other lots of presents but now we have DD we have decided not to buy gifts for each other. DD will get a few things but not much as she will only be 13 months old at christmas.

I only give one gift and a stocking, but I do feel my children get a lot, actually.
But we have a big family. I buy for lots of other people, they buy for me and my family. So I am probably actually buying the same amount of presents as someone who buys their DC loads, it's just I am giving them all to other people, and receiving gifts from them in return.

My DD1's present from us this year will only cost £7.50! (Dd2's is about £25) But some of the things in her stocking will cost more than that - one thing (an audiobook) costs £18 - it is a good point about some people just putting party bag type toys in the stockings and some people putting more expensive things in - I am in the latter group; stocking things are small in size, but not necessarily in value. Not that my DC would have a clue, they still think big=expensive.

My DC are 7 and 3, so they don't have things like consoles, phones etc. I have no idea what the future holds .

I do buy the odd thing throughout the year - I'll buy books occasionally, and craft materials if we run out, colouring books or card games for long journeys, the odd DVD. I always buy a small present after a hospital visit too.

Everyone does things differently, and obviously what they do is not remotely unusual to them! It's interesting to read what other people do.

20 presents plus a stocking?

...I couldn't think of 20 things that my DS would want. Seriously. He's got a birthday coming up soon, as well as xmas, and he's mentioned five things he wants.

(He's not particularly spoilt and doesn't have endless amounts of stuff already, but does get books and the odd small treat from time to time during the course of the year.)

20 presents is quite easy to build up though and I've included things that dds haven't asked for but that I know would be good and liked.

I always section it out into

1-2 board games
Some sort of play make up or hair accessories
1-2 craft sets
6-7 toy play sets
Other stuff like disco balls, CDs, calandars, popcorn maker etc
Fancy underwear (as in matching and from next as opposed to primark etc)

I've spent £200 on bits alone for each of my dd and I still don't think it looks enough. I'm not saying this to show off but just to highlight that most people try to recreate the experiences they had as a child and for us, that involves a huge pile. Amongst everyone I know this is normal. I've never heard of anyone who does 5-6 presents never mind 1. I don't buy all year round for them (except birthdays) and we have a huge family who also buy so they do get lots.

However we can afford it so I'd find it stingy not to. Totally different if money is an issue but I don't get this mumsnet trend of hardly buying kids stuff.

bigbluestars I've never bought DD much unnecessary stuff throughout the year, but then some things on here seem to be things that I would consider essentials - stationery, books, clothes etc. So of course I'd buy those as and when she needed it. Christmas/birthday was a time for plastic tat that I wouldn't be prepared to buy otherwise! She tends to buy her own tat now out of her own pocket money.

I used to be able to spend £20-30 on a main gift. It is harder with older kids, although DD's consoles/tablets have always come from gps luckily. But £30 would barely cover the cost of a new console game now.

singlemalt- I guess it also depends on how big your extended family is- I dan't have any realtives except my mother that buys for the children and she is not well off, so she just buys very small gifts.

I usually set a sum and if the main gift doesn't quite make it then I'll buy something to make it up, but I don't buy lots of little things.

SIL does that and buys sticking fillers too, I'd get completely confused.