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Christmas

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

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Original poster

Giving kids presents to share?

28 replies

tenthavenue · 18/12/2018 10:43

Hi guys, my 2 boys are 6 and 3 and fairly close, of course they fight like cats and dogs but play quite well together.
I’m thinking of giving lots of their gifts as presents to share.
They will each get maybe 6 individual presents and then maybe 5 presents to share.
They end up sharing toys anyway...
What do you think? Does anyone have experience with this? Will it end in tears??

OP posts:

EhlanaOfElenia · 18/12/2018 10:46

I give very large expensive presents to share (eg x box), but x box games are individual.

It depends on what they're like. I don't think it's nice to expect children to have to share everything, and not have anything special to themselves.

Also, you need to consider what will happen with the toy re friends coming over to play. Harder to share then.

I guess I would give more individual presents than shared presents, but the value of the shared present might be larger.

Probably of no help at all I'm afraid!

SleepingStandingUp · 18/12/2018 10:47

Well it depends on what they are really.

What are you thinking of getting?

I8toys · 18/12/2018 10:47

I've always done this with mine - now 15 and 13 and its not been a problem. We used to get big gift items from grandparents such as Nintendo ds and games consoles for them share or a train table when they were little. No issues as long as they have a few things that are solely for them.

Acunningruse · 18/12/2018 11:04

I always get our two a present to share. Last yearly was the Tomy ice cream toy for the bath and this year (thanks to a suggestion on here!) it's a duplo marble run. Mine are 6 and 2.

tinytreefrog · 18/12/2018 11:07

My DC are having an x box to share as their main gift, they also have about 8 smaller individual gifts and a stocking which are just for them.

TinselBee · 18/12/2018 11:07

Our parents often gave us joint presents, we had no issues sharing! Often the presents would be wrapped in half my xmas paper and half my DSis' wrapping paper so it was clearly a joint present

starlitsky · 18/12/2018 11:12

As a child we always had presents to share and I loved it, we always opened them last and altogether (I was one of five). However I have until now not follow on this tradition as I have twins and feel they are given shared things often so like to try and keep things separate. This year I'm really backwards and forwards about whether to give them a couple of shared gifts

Buddyelf · 18/12/2018 11:12

We do a couple of sharing presents but they tend to be 1 or 2 bigger gifts or things like board games. This year they just have the 2 things to share, one of them being the LOL bigger surprise. It was £85 and no way was I buying 2 so they can share!

MayFayner · 18/12/2018 11:15

My younger two are 4 and nearly 3.

One of the presents is a massive box of Lego so that’s to share.

Everything else is individual.

goldengummybear · 18/12/2018 11:46

That's fine but make sure there are the same number of gifts to open. So if there's 3 sharing gifts, wrap into 2 or 4. (Major sibling rivalry issues in the past here.

ems137 · 18/12/2018 12:25

I've got something for my 2 to share this year, a leap frog ice cream cart. They're only 1&3 years old and a girl and boy so there might not always be stuff they'd want to share.

Mummyilovejokes1 · 18/12/2018 12:57

Ive brought an Imaginext batcave which is large and both of my boys are into it so that will be shared.
Also brought lazer nerf guns in a 2 pack so they will be shared.
Ages 2 and 4.
I couldnt decide who would play most with the batcave so decided it was best as a shared gift. They have lots of single presents to though.
I think shared is fine if they also have things just for them

hereandnowtoday · 18/12/2018 15:45

I usually get mine a board game to share as they/we all would play it together, also big items like a trampoline.

TheBigBangRocks · 18/12/2018 17:32

A trampoline or the likes I'd do a small a joint gift as obviously wouldn't want two but I tend to avoid them in the main. It's nice to have your own gifts, whether a child or an adult i feel.

Arrowfanatic · 18/12/2018 17:33

We've had a Nintendo switch which they shared last year and this year a game for it to share. Also all 3 asked for gel pens so instead of buying 3 identical packs I've bought one giant pack to share.

However the majority of gifts will be individual, but they all tend to share as a matter of course anyway. Especially when it comes to things like video games.

Trinpy · 18/12/2018 17:40

Mine are 2 and 4 and all their presents from me and dh this year are sharing ones. Their stocking presents are just for them. They end up sharing all the toys and books we give them anyway so it seems silly to split it between them. I'm more worried about arguments starting over the stocking presents as they wont have exactly the same things!

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 18/12/2018 17:49

I'm getting my niece and nephew a present between them but it's as well as an individual one. Only something little but it's something you can't really play with on your own

Original poster

tenthavenue · 19/12/2018 07:38

Yes most of the share presents are board games.
They will have at least 6 individual presents too, and maybe 4/5 shared.

OP posts:

CazM2012 · 19/12/2018 08:54

My 2 older girls generally share a few presents at Christmas, a big play kitchen a couple of years ago, a double doll pushchair this year, a few games and books. They are 6 & 5, it works well for us apart from the occasional arguments.

Equimum · 19/12/2018 10:56

We sometimes give games etc. This year they are sharing a craft bundle and a CD player for their audio books.

WerewolfNumber1 · 19/12/2018 11:05

My boys are 2 and 4, and almost everything is shared. Tbh I just can’t remember exactly which dinosaur was given to which of them etc, so it’s easier to share. We wrap gifts for each of them but they will then share the toys.

MyNameIsNotSteven · 19/12/2018 11:07

Mine are having Gravitrax and K'Nex to share, otherwise there would be ructions over one playing with the other's toy.

Bumbumtaloo · 19/12/2018 11:54

We have previously given ours a joint trampoline and this year they have a joint Nintendo switch. They do have their own gifts too.

Our DD’s are very different in the types of toys/games they like - DD1 has never been into dolls/prams but loves dinosaurs and arts and craft stuff and tech. DD2 is a typical girly girl. Although she enjoys arts and crafts she would much rather have a doll.

Whyislarryhappy · 19/12/2018 12:08

Depend what the present is. My two (boy and girl) who are 3 and 1, they share puzzles, playdough sets, role play things (play food, play tools, hats, play jewellery) art and craft stuff, building blocks, threading bead set.
They also have their own toys buy both play with dolls and vehicles. They also share their bikes and scooters and jumpers/ hoodies!

1stTimeMama · 19/12/2018 14:42

2 of my boys are 4 and 5, but in to different things, so they've never had sharing toys. I have bought all 4 of them 2 joint gifts this year though, which I'm half regretting, as I can imagine the arguments of "Its MY turn", already!

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