Help! Gone overboard with DC's presents

[whyohwhyohwhyyy]

DC will be just 3 for Xmas and so far I've accumulated over 30 presents (one DC). Problem is, they're related to things they like now and I'm worried if I give them for birthday, they'll have found other characters from programmes that they like- I've spent £500 not including their stocking fillers which come to about £58 (small toys!). What do I do with them all, I acknowledge I overspent but I think that'll be way too much for one day?? Or will it be okay??

It's a crazy amount.

I don't have kids but I will never forget one Christmas I spent with my ex and his niece and nephew.

They were about five at the time.

They got so much stuff the room was a sea of gifts and wrapping paper. They were totally overwhelmed.

They were just opening stuff and barely giving it a glance before going to the next thing.

What's worse was their mum told them everything was from Santa so they didn't even say thank you!

I'm not saying they were ungrateful - they were little kids. But more doesn't equal better.

I don't really get how kids get so overwhelmed by too many presents- admittedly, we don't buy quite as much, but DS can open how many he wants at a time and if he wants to play with something first, that's fine as well, don't see the issue

MN is the wrong place to ask re children and Christmas presents. Anything more than an orange and chocolate coin and the child is spoilt . In real life I don’t know anybody who only buys one or two presents for their own child st Christmas l

I don’t think it’s too much but you could always save and bring out during the year so that there’s a nice rotation of toys.

All that plastic - please consider what you are doing to your child's environment and there future environment. Also it's only bloody September

I don't really get how kids get so overwhelmed by too many presents

And yet many parents on here are saying that their DC do get overwhelmed, so maybe it’s just that all children are different.

Far too much, your dc will be overwhelmed - and you'll be disappointed that he's not ecstatic about everything and perhaps can't even be bothered with all the opening.
I've known very young children overwhelmed with a lot less than your massive pile.

Just a few appropriate presents are plenty at that age.
Take what you can back, and if you can't, stash them away for future birthday/other kids' birthday parties.
Or donate to one of the charities that do presents for deprived children, or to a charity shop.

I just used to buy my son one or two things when he was small or he'd not really enjoy it. He always knew exactly what he wanted at that age. I remember glow worms were the fad when he was three so he one of those and a few other bits.

Fully agree with the PPs who've said give some for their birthday if you think it's too much and from experience I'd say 3 is too young for the Barbies, but if that's what you want to give then it's fine. I reckon half of us overbuyers are compensating for all those childhood Christmases when we didn't get the Sindy horse or the yellow teapot set .

It's also nice to give to the kids' present charities too - I always look for decent toys at bargain prices, like the load of 2ft singing Elsas I grabbed a couple of years ago that were marked down in the Disney Store to about £3.20 each.

I don't think it's too early to get your present stash in though - after all, the dreaded B word is coming! You've enough to ration for a few years if you have to .

I think your idea to keep some back for birthday and next year is good. We bought my dd some of the happyland toys from Mothercare when they were on sale before Christmas. When it came to Christmas eve I realised that she had more presents than I'd anticipated from relatives and friends
So we put two of them back on the loft. She will have one for her bday which is a few weeks before and one for Christmas. It did make me realise that she didn't need that much as she thoroughly enjoyed unwrapping and playing with everything she did get.

I love buying presents and I do go a bit ott for our DC. But I think your list is excessive.

Also, kids are fickle. You’ve focussed so much on the branded characters. There’s a danger that it becomes a) overwhelming and b) irrelevant.

Last year, I went to 3 different Argos shops trying to find the different Blaze vehicles (where they have 1 product code for 7 different items, so you can’t order in advance and get a full set!).

I spent £50 on these little merchandised vehicles. On Christmas Day, my 3 year couldn’t have cared less!! Unfortunately, I’d already taken them out of the packaging to wrap, so couldn’t return them.

Definitely look through the pile again and return at least half of it! Can you buy something more general like a play kitchen, bike, tuff tray etc. Then it’s more likely to stand the test of time

Well, aside from people who are struggling financially I actually judge people who only get a few presents. I’ve never said it before, and don’t actually care what people do in real life, but I’d never do it personally.
Why? What exactly do you think the children are missing out on?
They have the fun of opening presents and playing with them. They have the enjoyment of toys that have been carefully chosen that they will enjoy and actually play with, without additional stacks of character figurines.

Do you think your (or any) child's life would be measurable worse for not having 15 peppa pig toys?

@BeanBag7 I just enjoy it and so do my kids. I think it’s a bit Scrooge to only get a couple of presents and have never met anybody in real life who does this.

Ahhh op, it's so easily done isn't it?!
My kids are 9 & 8, and I used to buy them TONNES. And then they'd get loads from relatives ( seven aunts and uncles, both grandparents, etc). They're good kids, don't get much throughout the year, so it's ok to get them lots at Christmas, right?!
We cut back massively last year, I think we spent about £150 on each of them including stockings, Christmas Eve stuff etc. This year they are getting stockings and FOUR PRESENTS. That's it.
Do you do a Christmas Eve hamper? Could you put some of the stuff in that? Keep hold of some of the bits and bobs and use it as 'rewards and treats' throughout the year?

I'd definitely swap out some of the branded character stuff for more generic things, as they outgrow characters really quickly.

My SIL is forever buying character stuff and then complaining that the kids aren't interested any more. They never seem to get much use out of their toys and are always getting new ones because the old ones are "too young" for them.

I tend to go for generic dolls house, kitchen etc, and then maybe a set of characters to use with it, and that seems to give more mileage.

Save the Barbie and Elsa. Give her the Build a Bear stuff on 1st December.

Do you have any similar age children with birthdays soon or to buy for this Xmas?

Just a hunch but are a lot of the toys play sets? Can you have Ben and Holly figures but played with the Peppa Pig house?