Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Toys, have I bought enough?

39 replies

Smellybears · 31/10/2018 11:16

Morning!
My little one will be 11 months at Christmas. I’m having a panic as I haven’t bought many toys for him to play with. He’s got a ride on car and an electric trike, Hey Duggee and all the squirrels, a wooden train with stacking blocks, books, bath toys, stocking with things like crayons, coloring book, new cup, socks, cutlery, he’s getting some duplo too. Family are all giving him money. He’s getting a push along walker off nan and his other nan has a few wooden cars, stacking hoops and a pull along car.
I feel I haven’t got him enough things to actually play with. What do you think? Birthday in January.

OP posts:
Santaisgettingbusy · 31/10/2018 11:16

Way too much.
All they will want is the paper anyway!!

Original poster
Smellybears · 31/10/2018 11:17

Oh I also bought him a wooden knock block thing and one of those boards that’s like a jigsaw where you take out the pieces and put them back on.

OP posts:
MrsChristianTrevelyanGrey · 31/10/2018 11:22

Definitely enough, I would say more than enough but I was guilty of buying lots of my sons and then daughters first Christmas

I wouldn't buy anything else especially with his birthday being in January

Monr0e · 31/10/2018 11:35

Definitely more than enough. I overdid it when DS was a similar age. He lost interest in opening things very quickly and opened half of them on boxing day.

Original poster
Smellybears · 31/10/2018 11:39

Im more concerned that he hasn’t got things to ‘do’ and play with? To be honest I’ll probably put a few of the bits away for his birthday.
It’s his first Christmas, I know we probably have bought him too much but he’s been through so much (various health problems) that we want to spoil him. We won’t be having anymore children, he’s our only child.

OP posts:
Original poster
Smellybears · 31/10/2018 11:40

That’s a good idea about opening presents on Boxing Day!

OP posts:
DonaldDucksTowel · 31/10/2018 11:46

We have a DD who will be 1 in January too and all she has so far to split between both is:

  • Tiny baby doll (she always goes for the one in playgroup and snogs it's face off)
  • 3 board books
  • stacking rings
  • fisher price PlayStation remote type toy (loves her dads real one!)
  • ball ramp
...I think that's it

Honestly they won't even be interested
One of my other children still had unopened presents by new year the xmas he was 13 months, I let the older dc open them in the end
I think you've got plenty

EssentialHummus · 31/10/2018 11:48

That's a large amount imo. DD had her first birthday a few months back and wasn't at all interested in opening presents. She got overwhelmed very very quickly. Hand on heart, her favourite thing was the balloons we put up!

hereandnowtoday · 31/10/2018 11:49

He'll be overwhelmed by all of that! I would put half of it away for his birthday and save your money for when he's older.

adviceonthepox · 31/10/2018 11:55

I would buy a toy box put all the bits in it already open and set up ready to play and just wrap that. It's what I have done for my younger children as my first was so overwhelmed Christmas Day he didn't want to play with anything and only opened a few presents.

paddlingwhenIshouldbeworking · 31/10/2018 12:00

But he won't care about presents. At all. He may bang on the boxes and throw the parcels around because they're there and he'll tear some paper but the concepts of Christmas and presents don't exist for him yet. He'll only be overwhelmed if you spend the day trying to make him open them all!

Do you mean he won't have enough toys in general, rather than at Christmas ?

Original poster
Smellybears · 31/10/2018 12:42

Yes sorry I meant enough toys for over the year. Maybe I should keep some aside then and give them to him over the year?

OP posts:
Tobebythesea · 31/10/2018 13:21

Definitely enough. My DD was 11 months last Xmas and got overwhelmed after 3 gifts.

4point2fleet · 31/10/2018 13:55

I think you'll find that rather than enjoying lots of presents he'll just be really overwhelmed by it. My DS was first baby in a large family and got LOADS the first Christmas. We pretty much had to force him to keep opening things after the first two and he was tearful and overwrought all day.

I'd split the stuff you already have over birthday and Christmas and just give him a couple of things you know he'll love on Christmas day. I'm pretty confident he would enjoy that more than a mountain.

4point2fleet · 31/10/2018 13:57

You really can't buy a baby all the toys they'll need for the year in one go, unless you plan ahead very carefully.

What he needs to 'play' with for his development will change month by month and you need to be responsive to that and get specific items as they meet his needs.

goose1964 · 31/10/2018 16:03

I'll be surprised if he plays with anything, DGS is coming up to 2 and still doesn't really play with toys, he's far more interested in shoes , hiding stuff and lookin in handbags

ARosebyAnyOtherNameChange · 31/10/2018 16:08

DD aged 13 months had a Fisher Price farm for first Christmas (we still have it in the loft somewhere). DS aged 9 months had a set of stacking cups and a bear. To be honest, that was plenty, when combined with things bought by relatives. I'd do as you suggest and save things up for later when they'll be more interested.

Lovemusic33 · 31/10/2018 18:00

I would give them to him over the year. I made the mistake of buying dd1 far too much for her first Christmas (she was the same age, 11 months) and she was just overwhelmed, she only really played with one thing and the rest were chucked in the toy box and hardly touched. I would just give a couple gifts, when he gets fed up with them then give him a new toy (days or even months after Christmas).

Jackshouse · 31/10/2018 18:07

It will take him days to open it all.

nordicwannabe · 01/11/2018 06:24

Definitely better to buy and give things through the year as his needs change. He has no understanding of posessions and gifts yet, so don't worry that you're creating expectations or bad habits - you have at least a couple of years before you need to make a choice about how you'll 'do' gift-giving.

Original poster
Smellybears · 01/11/2018 08:02

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and advice! Smile

OP posts:
slappinthebass · 01/11/2018 10:17

My son was 1 last Christmas, didn't get him much at all, but did give him a half birthday celebration in June with more age appropriate toys for him to play with balloons and party food for tea, with just us and his siblings... we didn't expect anyone else to get him half birthday presents.

daisypond · 01/11/2018 11:00

That is way, way too much.

BrutusMcDogface · 01/11/2018 11:04

More than enough. He will struggle to take it all in. Having a January baby for my first, I suggest you save up to get him some garden toys/summery things instead of yet more stuff in January.

Original poster
Smellybears · 01/11/2018 11:07

Ok I don’t need people telling me that I’ve bought him too much thank you.
Positive people have helped me by saying to spread out over Christmas and birthday which is what I’m now going to do and I thank the people that have given me helpful advice, it’s very much appreciated.

OP posts: