Does anybody follow the four present rule?

[Mallowmarshmallow]

Something they want
Something they need
Something to wear
Something to read....

My two (3 and 1) have got birthdays in August and January and my house is full of toys that don't get played with because they have a handful of real favourites that they play with all the time.

I'm thinking of a stocking with some small bits in then follow this rule and wondering if anyone else had made it work?

For birthdays ds(13) only gets one birthday gift from us and a party.

I'd never heard of it till your OP, OP!

I tend to buy things according to the person. One relative, for example, gets "experiences" they definitely don't need, but quite often didn't know they wanted either. So far (fingers crossed) I have been bang on the money. Another gets practical stuff. Another gets beautiful things, etc. One might get 1 big gift, another might get 5 small ones.

I buy what suits them, and would probably find it difficult to stick to the 4 present rule you outlined.

(That said, all my recipients are adults now, so its not like there will be little kids squabbling because one got one parcel more than another)

I think this sounds like a great idea, especially when the dc are little. DD is the only grandchild in our family so gets throughly spoilt by all her older relatives and still has stuff we haven't been able to open and use in the 10 months she's been here. Her birthday is in September and as it's her first I may not stick to the four presents rule quite so strictly but it would work perfectly for Christmas. Showed this to DP and he also thinks it's a good plan for the foreseeable future.

No
But...but we try to reduce the amount of stuff/toys which will be hanging around forever and buy stuff that will be used. They get their main toy present from us, then stocking are filled with those kind of things. Typical stocking for my 4DCs will include:
Pants/socks/t-shirt
Christmas novelty
Christmas themed edible item
Packet of their favourite sweets/chocolate
Something for the bath (shower gel, bubble bath,a sponge or flannel)
Book(s)
Somethings they need, but would never put on a list. (My 6 year old DD always gets massive packets of felt pens, because she goes through so many, one year my 11 year old DS got bike lights and a bike lock to go with the new bike he'd had in the summer)

When we come to tidy up after Christmas there are actually not many toys to put away.

My cousin had a great idea which you could try (as your DC's are little)

In the autumn they go through the house and find all the toys they no longer need/have grown out of and package them up to send to father Christmas. So father Christmas can give them, at Christmas, to other children who are the right age for them/will enjoy them.
This has an added advantage, because her kids don't question it if fr Christmas brings them second hand stuff!

Mine get 6 things each and have for years.

We do. It worked well for dd last year, as she's older and the things she'd like are expensive, she got:
Want - Nikon DSLR camera with an extra lens and special padded bag
Need - Black converse that she'd been hankering after
Wear - Karl Lagerfeld jumper and short denim skirt
Read - a big box set of an author that she had just discovered and now thoroughly loves

She had a cosmetics advent calendar and a big stocking with the obligatory new socks and knickers, a couple of mini puzzle books, some stupidly expensive lip balms that she adored, a lush Xmas bath bomb, a small bottle of perfume, some sugar mice, a chocolate orange, a nail kit, some Xmas false nails, cheap Xmas earrings, a scarf I knitted for her and a tangerine and some nuts.

She was thrilled with everything and we'll be following the same pattern this year.

I do similar - want, need, eat and read.

But a bit like EnglishRose, I don't stick to just 1 thing of each.

There's always at least 1 book, often 2 or 3 (a reading book I think she'd enjoy and a more factual book - soccer skills, sailing skills, some kind of fun history book, etc - something to match her interests at the time and be useful!).

There's always a decent box of sweets of some sort, and half a fruit bowl (a red apple, a green apple, a satsuma, an orange, a very green banana, and a kiwi or plum or something) - that goes back to my childhood!!

There's always something useful and consumable - so knickers, hair bobbins, pencils for school, nice colours, funny but wearable socks, or really decent sports or hiking socks, that sort of thing. Just a few bits that are useful at that time and usually a bit nicer than Mummy would usually get. Things like teething keys when DD was that young, and a sippy cup, I even had a tiny sudocreme for the nappy bag and a set of Christmas bibs in case she arrived just a bit early and needed a stocking at a few days old (she came at 6am on Boxing Day!) but for small babies (especially if they are siblings) that could be useful.

And then some fun stuff. We've had a "grow your own crystals" kit, bouncy balls, ducks for the bath, bubbles, pack of cards, slinky, lego mini figures and other types of things like that (Despicable me figures, Moshi Monsters, those soccer cards.....), those horrible "aliens" in goo in an egg that I hate (and no way will I get those so Santa is really good to do that!)....

DD is turning 12 and still loves her stocking! Not all of those have been in the same year, just a few different things that we have had over the years.

I should add, there's usually only 1 larger item from Santa along with the stocking, and the present from DH and I under the tree is usually something useful like a decent tracksuit or other clothes, so quite practical.

Yes I try to. I often find that the something to wear and something you need overlap eg winter jacket- winter boots.

Plus as my grandmother said if three presents was good enough for Jesus is hood enough for you.

That is hands down one of the best things I've ever read! You're Grandma sounds like she was a legend.

I will try to bear the rule in mind in the future, at present I have absolutely no control over myself with ds and Christmas. He'll be 13 months at Christmas, he'd be happy with an empty lucoazade bottle and some tinfoil.

No, not really.

One main present.

Variety of little things in stockings. Tend to be on the 'want' or 'I think you'd want if you'd ever heard of it' categories.

Things needed are bought when they are needed, and I really wouldn't give those as gifts. Just as I wouldn't really want to receive something very utilitarian.

Mine are all older (16-21) but it's something we've done for the past 4 or 5 years.

It's great and really takes the pressure off (and stops the mad panic buying during the week before Christmas!).

We do this for everyone we buy presents for and have fun finding creative ways to meet the criteria. We also made a rule that all presents we buy for each individual have to fit in one gift bag.

I'm not sure how it would work for youngsters but with the age groups we buy for it works really well.

Loosely. Very very loosely. Like I try and buy them only 2 toys, then clothes, books and chocolate but if I buy them 3 or even 4 toys well so be it. I hate the idea of being restricted to just buying one "want" because sometimes you need other bits like a game console would be no fun on its own. You need to buy a few games for it as well.
Stockings are for pants, socks, nibbles and pocket money toys.

I think it's a brilliant idea, don't let anyone put you off.

I don't do this for my children, although they'll have things from each category, but I always do this for my nieces & nephews.
It usually a book, pyjamas & clothing item, wanted toy and the obligatory chocolate treat 👍

I do this but they get a few pressies for each category

No I don't do it. If Dd needs something I buy it anyway & I don't think little kids see clothes as a gift. It works out that they just get 1 actual gift & the rest is stuff you would have to buy anyway

I think that by age 3 you can add

Something to watch (DVD)
Something to do (activity like cinema, zoo...)
Something to play as a family (board game. Orchard games do great ones thatva 3 year old could play)

I tried this a couple of years ago and was really pleased with how it went. Unfortunately Grandparents and other relatives bought loads of plastic shite so my pile looked pitiful.
I am hoping to try it again in a couple of years and give more direction to relatives.

I don't do this for my DC because I can't seem to stop myself from buying, but I scale down as much as I can because in reality they only play with the one or two things they asked for, not the educational science sets, interesting craft kits and beautiful Maleg mouse boxes I insist on buying. This year I will try to stick to just five (or six) presents.

I did this to the letter for a couple of years with my nephews, now I do a variation on it with them (there's another nephew and a niece now, as well as 3 nephews I've 'picked up' along the way!).

For the 'need' item, as the boys were 6, 5 and 2 the year I started it, I thought about development/education ideas. So, the 6 year old was struggling with adding/takeaway at school, so he got a maths game from Orchard Toys; the 2 year old wasn't speaking all that well at the time, so he got a monkey puppet (he loved monkeys) to help encourage communication. It was great to think of ideas actually!

Now they all get something to wear, all get book/s, and they all get a toy of some description. Then there's generally something creative or a game, as well as something handmade. They don't have to cost a lot, I just like thinking of them.

I'm all for giving presents that are alternates to an actual physical gift of plastic tat too. So for my nieces birthday (in August), I've bought her a hoody to unwrap, but I'm going to paint her bedroom (taking her to choose colours) and make her a cushion, my mum is going to buy her a chandelier-type light fitting. She's excited about these, plus it's less 'stuff' to find homes for.

I've always done it for DH, but given him something to drink instead of something he needs although he probably does need a drink after a Christmas at our house. I think that Christmas gifts shouldn't be about 'needs', rather about treats! Never done it for DD - although that said all those bases do end up being covered with the stuff she gets, intentionally or not.

No I don't follow that rule.

I find they come to stuff half way through the year and sometimes its been ignored to literally nearly new xmas day.

You will find development and tastes change v quickly at your dc ages op, when Mine were that young I sourced much for free, charity etc as they did not know what was new etc.
I bulk things out still with second hand but for older dd she wants more specific things eg smiggle diary which I cant get second hand. Last year her Best present was a second hand lap top dh got for £10.

I tend to buy to last until their bdays in autumn, rather than buy in the year, it works for us. We just couldn't survive on only 4 items.

no i dont, i don't spend a fortune though and i do save all year, i like buying them a good mixture of presents and id feel a bit mean.