I've finished!! i'm sharing my lists, come share yours!!

[howardbear]

ok so we've normally got a 'what have you got' kind of a thread going on, and I haven't seen anything yet so I thought I'd start one as I find them really interesting (and in case I've missed anything obvious). DISCLAIMER...I am not bragging, or asking if ive got enough, I'm happy with my lists and wanted to share and see if anyone else would like to share theirs!

ok so here goes:-

DS 1 (4.11)
ker-plunk
operation
frustration
guess who
cluedo junior
monopoly junior
connect 4
blo pens
leapband thing
vetch pocket computer
vetch write letters tablet thing
2 usbourne see inside books
3 roald dahl colour edition books (the bigger ones to introduce chapter reading)
hex bugs set
pull apart olaf
rollerskates
remote control lightning mqueen and dusty
Disney dvds (tangled, Aladdin, lion king, beauty and the beast, aristocats, little mermaid, dumbo, cars, monsters inc, ratatouille, tarzan, fox and the hound, incredibles, robin hood, lilo and stitch)

in his santa sack is:-
elc happyland rocket
accordion
recorder
art case and usbourne doodle book
Stephen and spencer Thomas die-cast trains
small transformer toy

DS 2 (2.1)
keyboard and stool
playdoh table and playdoh
vetch my first tablet
vetch magnet letter spelling thing
peppa pig sound book
ben and holly sound book
Melissa and doug latch board
pirate cruncher books
my friend scout
puzzles
Disney cars die-cast
peppa pig books in carry bag
toot toot parking tower
elc cupcake stroller and dolly

in his santa sack:-
mr tumble teddy
mr tumble tablet
cookie monster counting toy
Crayola twistables case
Crayola marker pens case
colouring book

I cant wait to see they're faces on Christmas morning!

Cleaningqueen - I thought you'd got your dsd a mini bottle of baileys there!!!!

Yes I agree too.

I suppose it's quite easy to get judgy about people buying their dc loads (I have to admit I was on the brink of judginess myself!). But as long as you can buy without getting into debt then why not?

This has made me want to buy more for my girls! I've always been careful not to go too mad but with 2 older dds (13 and nearly 12) and a little one (7), I am very conscious that my toy-buying days are numbered And I love toys, makes me feel sad to imagine a house without them.

Here's what I've got so far:

Dd1 (13)
Jack Wills hoody
Ballerina duvet set
Touch screen gloves
New kindle case

Dd2 (nearly 12)
Kindle paperwhite
Nice kindle case
Lego friends boat (may be the last chance I get to buy her lego, sob!)

Dd3 (7)
Snow Glow Elsa
Bright eyes blanket
Frozen onesie
Frozen Top Trumps
Djeco art stuff
Lego Friends swimming pool

Think I need to get some more for dd1. In terms of cost, dd2's and dd3's presents are probably about the same but dd3 has more things to open. I also want to get dd3 a Girl for all time doll (Lydia) but I may wait for her birthday in February.

The thing is, everyone's got different levels of what's 'enough' or 'too much'. I don't get a lot by any means, but that might seem excessive to someone who only buys one, so the way I see it, I can't look at the level above me going tut tut, where does it end it is just not my business what informs other people's choices over stuff like this.

I like to get quite a bit for Christmas, mainly because I'm a SAHM to two under school age and I need a good rotation of things for them to do, to keep their interest and mine over the long winter months so I don't buy much throughout the year and give everything a refresh at Christmas. Plus I enjoy buying toys more than any other type of shopping

Anyway my list:

Ds 3.7

Octopod
Gup e and Peso
Playmobil camper van and tent set
John Deere Tractor set and carry case
Lego juniors construction site
Play dough double desserts
Transformer
Octonauts dinner set
Richard Scarry Busytown game
Soft toy Garfield
(These last two were amazon Black Friday impulses)

Oh so many books. So many, many books, I just couldn't stop. Alfie, Mog, Dr Suess, Octonauts, Iggy Peck architect, 3 or 4 Christmas books, Mr Men.

Dd 1

Pull along Giraffe
Playmobil 123 Zoo
Happyland car and horse
Xylophone
Playmobil 123 bin lorry (from big bro to match his big one - more bin obsessives!)
Soft toy panda
Jungle dinner set
Board books for now and some older Shirley Hughes ones for future

That's sort of what I was thinking shedding My little dd loves dolls but I just wouldn't think to buy her 5 or more dolls at a time no matter how cheap they were. Where are they kept and would they all get played with.

I got dd Gotz Hannah last year. She's been a big hit, dd loves dressing and undressing her and would like some more clothes for her this year. I just wonder if she would be as much loved if she had 6 other dolls given at the same time.

I also think it's nice to build up a collection of things over time eg room sets for a dolls house rather than the whole house at once.

For me, my ds got a balance bike for his birthday and one toy. We didn't get much at all last christmas because dd was due and we were moving, so he has grown out of a lot of things we had over the last year. Tbh I wouldn't have bought him so much this year except that I saved points and vouchers and spread the cost so a lot is 'free'. We also have a small family so they won't get much else from others.

I definitely agree less is more, things get better played with and appreciated, and family time is the best of all.

Yy agree. ^

I'm also a bit curious about the big-pile-of-presents people.
If you do this- do your children also get presents from other relatives?
Also, will you be buying for relatives as well?

I've only bought a little bit because DS is very lucky to have doting and generous Grannys and Aunties. If I bought more- the pile would be genuinely ridiculous. I can imagine, if he was just relying on me, I'd feel obliged to spend a bit more.

I'm wading in here, my list is further to the start.

I buy for my kids what we can afford, don't get into debt over Christmas. BUT they don't get much through the year, hell they don't even get pocket money for doing chores. they're both well behaved and don't ask for stuff. I love them and as a well as giving them gifts, we love Christmas as a family spending time together, playing games and visiting relatives.

FWIW I come from a family where I was lucky if I got one present under the tree, with at least one Christmas having gone unmarked due to particular circumstances so yes I do like to buy my girls things they'll like. DH comes from a family where it was always marked and well, so we've had to reach a compromise that we are both happy with and I think we have finally found it.

We like many others up thread donate older toys to the hospital or charity. my kids aren't swimming in toys, they appreciate everything that they get. but everyone is different, I li e this thread and how it's the minority who are mumping and moaning about how others spend THEIR money - it'd be a hell of a boring life if everyone was the same.

Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas whether their kids get 10 things or 1000 things - it's all about family

I feel like such a failure this year! DD will be 3.6 this Christmas and I had so looked forward to her having actual interests and favourite things etc because every other year I've gone mad and put in so much thought but she is literally not bothered with toys at all! It's so disheartening, right now she's playing with Scrabble pieces and a bit of wood with her toy box overflowing with toys! She does love Frozen though so that's something!

Anyone else got a child who just isn't into toys? Any ideas for toys that EVERY child loves? She does love games like pop up pirate etc!

DD2 loved playdoh and aqua draw at that age maybe a train set? tesco do lovely wooden one

divergent I think my MIL had similar childhood experiances hence her increadable generosity with her kids and grandkids now.
The huge santa sack of stuff from her to DS (plus corraling of presents from various other relatives) is the reason I don't buy very much from me.
Plus, of course I feel the need to recipricate- so that cuts down the available money for Ds presents.

I hope you don't feel I was getting at you. I'm just genuinely curious about how things work in other peoples families. There have been previous threads where people have expressed surprise at posters buying presents for adult relatives, other peoples kids etc.
So i wondered whether that was a thing- everyone taking responsibility for their own kids "piles" but not much present giving going on outside of the nuclear family.

I come from a relatively hard up family. We usually had a decent pile- but made up of little things bought throughout the year. Birthdays were marked by one token present and no unnecessary extras the rest of the time. A standard christmas present would be a big stack of drawing paper- which was expected to last us untill next christmas.

I always think of myself as fairly frugal as a result (I feel anxious and out of control if I spend money on myself for example) but my Mum is regularly shocked at my wastefullness. She was doing the cats bum mouth as she watched my wrap Ds's presents last year.

Mind you this is the woman who sewed all my old terrys nappies together to form a bath towel and then 30 years later offered to unpick the stitches and pass the hand-me-down terrys on to DS.

I'm a SAHM to two under school age and I need a good rotation of things for them to do, to keep their interest and mine over the long winter months so I don't buy much throughout the year and give everything a refresh at Christmas.

very good point, I too have been buying with thoughts of long winter months ahead and trying to find stimulating things to do.

Also we buy very little through out year, and I prefer to give if I can at xmas ( big one) and bdays, ( smaller) so they do have something to look forward too...

If you do this- do your children also get presents from other relatives?

From our peers I wouldnt class myself as a big pile person, however from my personal POV I think we buy a lot.

HOwever my DC get very very little from other family members so I feel we have to carry the whole lot. I know many others who have very generous families and GP

I also think it's nice to build up a collection of things over time eg room sets for a dolls house rather than the whole house at once.

It depends what it is, all those dolls can be used interactive with each other, and the child may grow out of them over the next few years and be onto something else.

fanf

I wouldnt worry too much I find mine come round to things when they are ready, they will get presents they wont look at for months and then will come to them and play the life out of them....they cant play with everything at once...also rotate toys...so they only have a few on the go.

This is why I adore freecyle, I have tried so many toys then been able to pass them on all for free...also toy libraries are good, you pay a fee and take toys home....

saves £££

I really appreciate seeing that some people don't buy as much, so thanks for posting.

I wouldnt take much solace, I have many friends whose lists would be meagre but their families are split, ie grandparents all divorced and even greats, and all buy for the Dc so they get enourmous amounts, and some DC then get loads brought thoughout year..

its hard to judge on lists alone. one lady was posting and got the same pile remarks and it was so sad as she said her little boys brother was profoundly disabled and they had a really really hard childhood, both of them and she wanted to make it better....

I posted a small list a second hand x box and small box of lego and a tablet for dd but others posted longer list with lots on ,but money wise ,their whole list would cost less than my short one.
Mine get for Christmas and birthday thats it really, our choice and tbh they are non the wiser we cut our cloth to what we can afford and what we want to spend, I have a friend who spends loads it makes her happy to do that and that fine too.

Not at all dash we do Xmas eve gift too

DD1 gets new pj's, slippers and dressing gown with a thorntons chocolate santa and the copy of polar express we bought when she was about 3

DD2 gets new pj's, slippers and dressing gown with Thornton chocolate santas and the night before Christmas book.

The book and dvd only come out on Christmas eve then disappear again by Christmas morning we've done this for about the last 6 years and I just love it

Mine will be getting quite a lot I think (despite cutting back over previous years) but we aren't actually buying much of it ourselves - my parents and grandma hate choosing gifts so they give me some money in advance for me to choose. So I'd write the list of everything I'm choosing for them, but I'm not spending it all myself IYSWIM.

It's great for me though as I love choosing presents! And the DCs get nice things that I couldn't afford myself.

DD (7.5yrs old)

• Clarinet
• Toy Fi Teddy
• Famous Five book and CD
• Hat and gloves
• Santa nesting dolls
• Stocking stuff

DS (6yrs)

• Lego remote control train
• Skylanders game for Xbox
• Superman vest and pants
• Horrid Henry book and CD
• Stocking stuff

That's plenty I think.

My big problem is DH. He's bloody impossible to buy for. And I've drawn my 76yr old dad in the secret Santa. Aaarrgghh!

Have you really all bought those gifts?!! Where will you put them all? I take it you have large houses with playrooms.

I will not even bother posting my Christmas present list. I will just enjoy reading yours!

My favourite bit about reading these lists is reading the ones for children older than mine and not understanding what most of the gifts are! I suppose DS will explain them to me as he gets older.