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Christmas

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Original poster

Am I going overboard - presents for baby

40 replies

5littlemeninasaucer · 04/08/2019 17:57

My baby will be 10 months old at Christmas and she is the first child and first grandchild on both sides.

I was thinking of spending £200 at Christmas but would this be too much?

(The £200 is broken down into £50 of Argos vouchers that I made doing surveys and £50 from a cash back account) the remaining £100 will be from mine & DHs pay.

I can’t picture what this would look like. She doesn’t have that many toys at the moment but are we going overboard. I know she’ll only be interested in the boxes and paper anyway.

OP posts:
hormonesorDHbeingadick · 04/08/2019 17:59

Too much in experience. I would get a max of 4 presents and she will be overwhelmed.

Beelee · 04/08/2019 18:00

The sensible answer is put the money away until baby needs something/savings account.

However, I didn’t do this with either of mine so I would say £200 is fine Grin

NerrSnerr · 04/08/2019 18:02

Just get what you think she'll need/ use. That's loads of money and I would save it for more expensive things as she grows up (balance bikes, scooters, days out at theme parks etc).

Don't give her loads to open as it'll be overwhelming. We still don't buy our children loads (at 4 and 2) A's by the time we have received family presents it ends up a big pile.

londonloves · 04/08/2019 18:02

I didn't actually buy anything for my baby's first Christmas as I knew he would get so much from other relatives. I think £200 is nuts to be honest. You would be much better saving it for the future, or using it for clothes, swimming classes etc.

coragreta · 04/08/2019 18:02

Young babies get overwhelmed. Won't remember and will probably more interested in the wrapping paper. Plus grandparents go overboard too, especially if it's the first. Save your money for now.

PotteringAlong · 04/08/2019 18:02

Don’t bother. One present just so you can say you got her something. Honestly.

If you spend £200, and then grandparents buy her stuff, what will you do 8 weeks later for her birthday?

MustBeAWeasly · 04/08/2019 18:03

Far too much. Save the extra 100 for when she's older and more expensive! I know it's a first Christmas but she won't know what's going on. Dd was 7 months on her first Christmas and we spent 50 on three lovely gifts she'll be able to keep.
Even her first birthday we only spent 100 and she was far too overwhelmed to open all of it at once.

mumderland · 04/08/2019 18:04

I think it's a bit much especially as baby will be 1 2 months later and will then get even more presents. How about a few nice keepsakes rather than actual toys?

FaithInfinity · 04/08/2019 18:04

Yes it’s too much. I spent £100 DD’s first Christmas not realising family were also getting her multiple gifts. It took us days to open everything and all she cared about was the boxes and wrapping paper!

I’d look to save the cash for her birthday instead.

Devaki · 04/08/2019 18:05

£200 doesn't seem excessive. I would get her things she needs out of that though, clothes and toys that will last.

BertieBotts · 04/08/2019 18:06

Put the £200 towards a really good car seat for the next stage. Buy her a few nice toys which are a bit more grown up than the things she has now. Put her some money in savings if you can afford to fit the future.

It will be her birthday in Feb/March so loads of money on toys at Christmas will be too much. You want to hold something back or you won't have anything to get her!

user2085372673 · 04/08/2019 18:07

If you spend £200 it will all be on plastic stuff she won’t really care about and will just add the worlds never ending rubbish. I’d start looking in charity shops for nice toys and save the rest of the money. Mine all have charity shop stuff and don’t know or care. I didn’t get my 1 year old anything this Christmas and told relatives to do the same.

SummerHouse · 04/08/2019 18:08

One present and she will no doubt prefer the box. Please just treat yourselves rather than a 10 month old who won't remember it and probably be overwhelmed by it. You have so many years ahead to fill your house with kids junk. 😁

Original poster
5littlemeninasaucer · 04/08/2019 18:11

Thanks all!

I had a feeling it would be too much!

I’ll stick with the £100 from the cash back account & the Argos vouchers. I was just worried as she doesn’t really have that many toys at the moment.

@user2085372673 - I do try and get second hand stuff when I can. Haven’t seen anything good in our local charity shops though Sad - not from lack of trying/looking!

OP posts:
GrapefruitIsGross · 04/08/2019 18:14

Honestly you’ll get so much from family that you’ll be wondering where you’re going to store all this plastic tat going forward. Then it’ll be her birthday in Feb (if she’s 10 months at Xmas) and the cycle will repeat itself.

I love love love buying presents, but fought against my natural urge to buy ALL THE TOYS for dd’s First Christmas. “Santa” got her a book, an Irish language toy and an outfit. Then she went to my parents/the in-laws and we came home with half the Smyths catalogue.

Now for Christmas and birthdays I stick rigidly to “Something she wants, something she needs, something to wear and something to read” and it really helps limit the crap coming into the house.

itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted · 04/08/2019 18:17

Sounds like 1st bday only a few weeks after Xmas when they'll get bought loads again then.....I'd buy a few special things which will last/aren't a fad/ keepsakes - a charm bracelet which we add to every year, a nice teddy bear with the year on it and some wooden toys which don't date

Honestly they'll be overwhelmed and not sure what going on - save your money now because Xmas only gets more expensive from here on in! 🤣

Singleandproud · 04/08/2019 18:19

The sensible answer is don’t bother, buy her something special if you want but save the rest until she’s older. Family will inundate you with extra stuff and babies don’t care about Christmas or opening presents, it just becomes overwhelming for them. Young child don’t ‘get’ Christmas untill they are 3 or 4.

At that age maybe get some bits you will need in the upcoming months, sensory toys, and a push along walker or cardboard boxes, my DDs favourite thing to do at that age was to rip up pieces of paper, or have someone rip them for her. She played with the wrapping paper and boxes whilst the toys sat untouched.

I bought my Dd tonnes of stuff every birthday and Christmas over the years thinking she would play with it but actually she really wasn’t interested, many toys went completely unplayable with, dolls houses, cooker, play Mobil etc because I bought what I thought she should have before her personality had developed. I wish I had known about different development play schemas before then I could have saved money by buying her things that matched her needs instead of all the money I wasted.

firstimemamma · 04/08/2019 18:23

We spent £50 on our baby's first Christmas presents including stocking and special card from me and daddy. However, each to their own.

HJWT2 · 04/08/2019 18:29

We personally got things we needed for first Christmas (she was only 3 months though) spend probably £250 but got things like Jumperoo, Bumbo, teething toys etc!

DS is due in October so will probably get him a high chair for Christmas and some teething toys 🤣

If shes 10 months id maybe spend £100 on toys and £100 on things she needs like clothes in 12-18 etc as her birthday is soon after and you can give her more toys then x

Aria2015 · 04/08/2019 18:47

My lo is 4 and at Christmas and birthdays If he's had loads of gifts he opens them and then ignores them in favour of the toys he already has because I think he's a bit overwhelmed. Now I limit gifts to about 3 and he actually enjoys it far better than when he's had lots. I think when kids are much older a nice pile of presents is exciting but when they are small its just too much and they get overwhelmed and you get disappointed. Save your money for when they're older - from what my friends tell me, their Christmas lists increase with age lol!

DinoMamasaurus · 04/08/2019 18:47

How much to spend is going to be a personal matter for each family but basically as long as you aren’t buying for the sake of buying/putting yourself in a bad position financially then get what you want to get. And don’t feel bad because everyone does things differently!

Yes baby is young and doesn’t need much and won’t specifically remember this Christmas but it is still a special occasion and I know I loved getting my baby’s first Christmas gifts. Maybe a personalised stocking or present sack that will get used each year would be a nice thing to get this year. Christmas story books are also nice as they can come out each year, the night before Christmas is lovely to read aloud to children. I say that because I have very fond memories of getting out my increasingly well loved stocking and copy of the story if Father Christmas each year as a child.

Gift wise there is so much to choose from I guess depending on how much house room you want to give for baby toys! Bath toys are always great, musical instruments, maybe a special soft toy (love Jellycat ones), books, shape sorter type things, a baby walker probably about right age. My son got a My Pal Scout dog for his first Christmas which was a hit and you can personalise it so it says their name/favourite food etc

I love Christmas and starting little Christmas traditions for my children has been super special. It’s my second little one’s first Christmas this year and this post has got me thinking about how nice it will be to be doing a first Christmas again :)

DinoMamasaurus · 04/08/2019 18:53

Ooh the other thing I did for first Christmas was go to a pottery painting shop and did a bauble and a Christmas sweetie dish. Handprint reindeer, footprint robin there are lots of designs and again something nice and sentimental to keep. If you like that sort of thing (which I obviously do!) :D

hormonesorDHbeingadick · 04/08/2019 18:59

We did the reindeer bauble thing too and now every year we let DD choose a new bauble to buy for the tree.

Thesearmsofmine · 04/08/2019 19:00

But things she needs and wrap them up. Don’t expect much from her, babies have no idea and don’t really care!

Confusedandworried321 · 04/08/2019 19:25

Yes I agree and I will also have a 10 month old baby this Christmas (although he's my second). We will buy a couple of bits/clothes he needs and maybe one or two new toys (as he's barely had anything new, mainly DS1's hand me downs). You could get a smart trike which is really handy? We got one for DS1's first Christmas (or birthday which is Boxing Day, can't remember which!). Otherwise agree with PP, put it in savings, or squirrel it away and use it for something for her eg swimming lessons.