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?

I've never heard of this. We buy books for DD all the time, I generally wouldn't class books as a present for her. And clothes I don't really get, I don't think she'd find that much of a present really either.

I think I'd find it a better rule for DH, tbh. Though normally he wants such a bloody expensive book that I don't get anything else!

We donna stick rigidly to this, but I have always adopted a similar template for buying, so that they get a variety of toys without excess. I roughly do 1) something they want. 2) something they need 3) something they don't know they want 4) something to read 5) sonething to do 6) skenthing for craft.

So last year, DS1 (4) got 1) Wooden castle 2) scooter helmet, 3) Playmobil recycling truck, 4) Magformers & 5) Usbourne 'see inside' books. Although he still received a fair amount, he got fun things to open and things that have been used throughout the year.