Does anyine else not get in to buying necessity items fro christmas (such as toothbrushes!)

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I'm looking through lists other posters have made on another forum! for both dc and dh, I keep thinking that I don't have much for mine.
I have 1 for dh and 3 each for dc. But then I realised that most of the presents on other people's lists are things like toothbrushes, boxer shorts, shower gel etc. Mainly as stocking fillers.
I actaully don't see the point! If they need a new toothbrush then surely just buy them one and let them use it now? It's the equivalent to dh buying me and wrapping up a box of tampons

Am I alone on this?

I've got my dp some socks, marvel ones I saw in a shop and bought them on a whim. He's also asked for boxers in the past. We've also bought 3yo dd1 an electric toothbrush, we both have one and we thought it would be nice for her to have one too. It's a Disney princess one so I'm sure she'll like it.

My mum has bought electric toothbrushes for my auntie and her dh. She bought one recently after a trip to the dentist and hasn't stopped raving about them. Sometimes it's nice to get practical things as gifts, especially if they're things you wouldn't buy for yourself usually.

I get quite a few nice stocking fillers for dd, she has books,cd's, a nightlight, selfie stick and pad it out with new pyjamas, shower Gel (Zoella) new knickers (bit fancier than usual) fluffy socks and also things like a pack of face wipes (make-up wipes) cotton wool, emery boards, she is 12 and this makes her feel grown up to have her own products instead of borrowing mine. Lots of chocolates and in the past, yes she has had a fancier(hello kitty) toothbrush and paste. Everything in her stocking is pretty useful but she will love it all.

It was character pants and vests that kept Santa going! Mum would never pay that much for underwear lol

My dad is certainly not short of money and he has put socks, boxers and gloves on his Christmas list. All things he can afford to buy himself. I've never really thought about why, I just buy them! I guess he likes having presents on Christmas Day and also likes to give us inexpensive options of things to buy him.
I don't get the angst over it, it's nice to have things to open on Christmas Day.

Now mine are teens and it's hard to get useful small presents that aren't going to be wasted, I tend to go for nicer versions of things they already use. E.g instead of Lynx spray and shower gel they get ted baker, instead of shockwaves gel Toni and guy.

Then along with a nice pair of pants and socks again instead of primark or sainsburys they will get a hollister or Superdry pair. To fill it it's a mixture of chocolate and jelly beans and maybe a £5 Starbucks gift card.

Mine have shower gel, soft socks, chocolate coins, chocolate teddy bear, tube of sweets and a dvd. I don't spend much on stockings but they love opening them and even the teen still gets excited.

They get new pjs on Xmas eve.

I'm getting three new sets of pjs and a pair of slippers as I'm going into hospital for nearly a week in the new year. I'm also getting new books. All things I want even though some might think the pjs are essentials and not meant for Xmas.

But my birthday is right after Xmas and my poor family run out of ideas!

New clothes, toothbrushes, bottles etc are just bought as and when needed. I buy what I know they will like when they need it.

I hate stocking filer tat at christmas though and try and avoid as much as possible.

I don't put fruit, nuts etc in the stockings for this reason. I know it's a tradition for some people but there are tangerines in the fruit bowl if the dc want one at any point. They just wouldn't be excited by it.

I do the character pants, socks, shower gel etc but if they were needed before Christmas I wouldn't hold them back especially if you know what I mean. They are just novelty stocking filler stuff.

I agree op, I don't put 'necessities' into stockings or under the tree for my kids. (Dh I do though, its all he wants!) If anyone gives my ds1 clothes he just doesn't care, will open excitedly but then pushes to the side. He doesn't care what he wears and views it as boring. I like people giving him clothes though! But I don't see the point of giving them things to unwrap a Christmas that they will just be disappointed by. I buy them toothbrushes and clothes etc. anyway. If I want more stocking fillers I go for things like books, craft stuff (he loves glitter and shiny stuff) and little fun bits like lego sets or glow in the dark planets for his room.

I always used to get things like notebooks, lip balm, shower gel, body spray, hand cream, fluffy socks, etc in mine. I always got excited about them, they were either a bit nicer than I'd normally get, or in some way Christmas-themed.

Plus, yes, logically, you might well buy them these things anyway, but the stocking comes from Father Christmas, not you, and he may well not know that. ;)

I'd much rather my kids had some useful things instead of all tat in the stockings. They have electric character toothbrushes, Daley shower gel, character sucks and pants instead of plain, they always love those bits! Gel pens and nice new pencils, too.

Oh my, autocorrect! Daleks and socks!

I put essentials in as stocking fillers but as others said, nicer versions or character socks etc for the kids, DD1 has some nice horse print Hatley socks for her stocking, whereas if she needs socks throughout the year they'd just be plain ones from gap, M&S etc.

DH gets boxers and socks for Christmas too, but Armani boxers and Hilfiger socks, I wouldn't buy those just because he was running out etc, he wears cheapo Nike socks from sports direct for work.

I find buying useful items (gluesticks, toothbrushes, socks) a good way to fill up a stocking without wasting money on lots of useless bits. I mix it up with some fun stuff too. And the children always enjoy discovering it all.

I think it's easy to forget that what sounds boring to us isn't necessarily to DC. My DS had double sided sticky tape on his christmas list last year, and he was genuinely excited to get "grown up" boxer shorts rather than his usual briefs. The way I see it, stocking fillers fall mainly into 4 camps: fun but cheap tat, "naice" but pricier stuff (cds, books, quality toys), edibles, and useful stuff. Not everyone can afford to do a whole stocking of expensive things so they dip into the other piles. Whether my child gets minion pants or a pound shop car or a packet of marshmallows as the makeweight is neither here nor there really, it's not going to make or break his christmas.

That said, father christmas bought me way too much clearasil over the years.

mackerel this....
"notebooks, lip balm, shower gel, body spray, hand cream, fluffy socks, etc.... " is still exciting to me now . I remember the year I had some foamy shower gel (like hair mousse). God I loved that stuff, pink can from M&S.

Fun versions of essentials and useful stuff here too. And the choc coins in the bottom buy me a bit longer in bed.

Shame, i don't give tooth brushes etc but I would buy slightly more pricey items like underwear for xmas, character stuff is usually more pricey than bog standard plain stuff. so I get that .

My stockings growing up (and to be fair now) always had practical stuff in them. Last year I gave my then 2.5yo practical stuff and there was more parcels than he was interested in opening, plus he was pretty underwhelmed. This year I'm not giving him any essentials.

When me and my siblings were growing there was one main present approx £15-20 and a stocking that contained a toothbrush, orange and one small other thing that was needed. There was no money for anything else. As we got older finances meant that we might get some new stationery or bath stuff always devishly disguised in the wrapping process so that we couldn't guess what it was. It was about the unwrapping, the trying to guess from the shape and feel of a parcel that was exciting. The year that finances were ok and we got some treaty stuff in the stockings we all complained about the lack of toothbrush and orange as it was tradition. We have all carried on this tradition although this year ds will complain as he doesn't have a toothbrush in his stocking as main is an electric toothbrush.

Part of it is circumstances, part of it is tradition.

I include essentials. Some folks' stockings cost more than I spend on main gifts. It depends on budget and tolerance for tat. I would rather spend a bit extra on nice pants, socks and toiletries (i.e. not Value ones) than plastic crap that breaks after 10 minutes. I would love to be able to class a CD as a stocking gift, but cannot afford to.

I put 'essentials' in stockings, and even under the tree, because the children really like opening things, and I don't want lots and lots of 'things' that aren't useful in the house! They always get toothbrushes, knickers and socks in their stockings and haven't complained yet - they're still relatively little at 7, 4 & 2 so I suppose there's still time!

The older 2 also have a thermal top and jumper each which they will need for the snow and I would have bought anyway, but they might as well have it wrapped up under the tree to open. They probably won't be as thrilled with them as their fun presents, but at those ages the opening is almost as important I think, and spacing out the exciting presents with the more mundane slows them down a bit and makes it last a bit longer!

I get fun/novelty versions of things they need.

e.g.
Socks - but some ones that look like Converse shoes for DS and some character ones for DD
Bath stuff - but 'dinosaur egg' bath bombs for DS, Frozen glittery bubble bath for DD

• things like stationary and pens and colourful post-it notes that they use a lot

That sort of thing.

Cheap, fills up the stocking, and they seem to like it!

I like essentials in my stocking. My mum would put things like
Deodorant
Nail varnish remover
Face wipes
Emery boards
Hair ties
Hand mirror
Eye make up remover
Notebook
Small stationery items like post it's
Chewing gum
Toothbrush

There was always loads to open.

When my niece was at uni my mum always bought her a pack of good quality toilet roll as a Christmas present - and she was always thrilled with it. She couldn't afford nice toilet paper and loved her 4 rolls of luxurious bum wipe!

I do 'days of the week' pants and colourful patterned tights but that's about it. My mum used to give me contact lens solution, insoles and stuff. I hated it, I'd rather get nothing than be so disappointed.