People with two or more children, do you set a budget per child?

[Loobieloo27]

Hi just that really i have a ds7 and dd4 and struggling.

The things ds wants are expensive tech whereas dd still enjoys toys.

Do you have a budget per child or do you have same amount of presents? Dont want it to seem unfair and one have more then another gift wise but ds would easily be more expensive.

I don't have a budget per child. I have an over all budget. I try to make it even-ish like the same number of big and small presents, but I've stopped concerning myself with the price tag. They all need and want different things at different stages. I think it evens out over time really, but I hope I'm in a better financial position by the time I have three kids wanting technology, branded toys and designer trainers for Christmas!

I try and keep a similar budget per child but my youngest DS5 for example gets a lot less money spent than DS16 but he has more to open on the day

I have an approximately budget per child.

I have an approximate budget, but I am looking for the dc to have equal experiences, so if I have to spend a bit unevenly to achieve that then I think it is fine.

I've been in a situation before where I have been able to get one dc's main present at a big reduction in price. I spent the extra I'd save to get something extra for both dc, not just the one who's been lucky.

I think it is probably fair to spend a bit more on older dc.

Yes, £20 per child as we don't have much money.

What tech is your DS interested in? If it was a tablet for example, you could justify spending more for him now, as you'd do the same for DD in a couple of years?

My 4 get £100 each and stockings
But except for Christmas they get nowt else,

I think it's fine to spend different amounts when you have children at different ages/stages, as long as they have a roughly equal number of parcels - you don't have to spend loads of money on a 4 year old, but they do love all the paper and unwrapping stuff etc.
I have three kids, all adult now, but I still try to give them roughly the same and in the same categories eg I will buy them all some books, something to wear, something they want etc.

There’s a balance to be struck between a 7 year old not being taught that some things cost more than others and they might therefore have less parcels to open and a 4 year old being overwhelmed with gifts for no reason other than spending the same as you did on the older child. Neither extremes are particularly healthy for a child IMO. Somewhere in the middle is best.
Ouch there’s a splinter in my arse from sitting on this fence

I wouldn’t get the 7 yo expensive tech for Christmas wile the 4 yo still wants toys as he’s still really young and will probably get jealous if the younger one gets to open more gifts than him. Keep it toy based. If he likes tech you can buy programmable toys / circuit boards where he can work on little engineering projects.

The type of things he likes/wants are nintendo switch/xbox one. I thought this could be a shared joint gift for them both but the 4yo would lose interest i think so then id feel guilty that its more aimed for 7yo.

No.
3 kids - 5, 3 & Newborn

5 year old will have the most spent on him as his stuff is more specific

3 year old just got into Disney and a few of her presents I've found on Marketplace already.

The newborn has some bath toys that all the kids will use.

I don't think I would have a set price, as others have said, some years what one wants will be cheaper than the other, and I think thats ok, you don't need to then buy more for the cheaper one.

However, I would have a max budget, and an xbox type thing for a 7 year old would be way out of budget.

Just under 2 years between my two. I started with a budget of a similar amount for both but last year I spent more on the older one.
I did consider giving him less extras (in our house Santa always left a 2-3 surprises but they only ask for one) to balance it out but
I realized that as they get older, the gifts will get smaller and more expensive and within reason, we can stretch to that.
It seems a bit miserable for him always to get less than his sister just because he’s that bit older.
So I have different budgets but they have the same number of gifts and their stockings would be similar too.

In our house a Nintendo/ x box would be a big savings project rather than a Christmas gift.

I am going with same number of gifts for older 2 (7 & 5) - think dd will be a bit less expensive than ds this year but was opposite last year as she had a bike. Baby will get less spent and fewer things as he can play with the boxes.

I will be spending far more on my nine year old than my 3 year old and next to nothing on my 3 month old. However I’ll probably spend about the same amount I’m spending on the nine year old on the others when they at nine at Christmas. So over the period of time it’s fair.

Could the Nintendo Switch be a 'family present' (which has the added benefit that it is easier for you to control use), and then some specific games for the 7yo?

it avoids setting a precedence of the 7yo getting v.expensive gifts.

I have four kids, so it is hard to balance things. I usually get them each one big present, two medium presents and maybe three small presents plus stocking full of sweets and random cheap stuff.

DS is getting an Xbox that doesn't use discs I think it's called an XBoxOneS

Cost wise it's a lot more than DDs presents. But she is going to be over the moon with her dresses and her Frozen toys. She would have zero interest in anything like a games console.

I have a DS(9) and DD(4). I will likely spend more on DS as the things he is into are more expensive. Her gifts will likely look more as she is into toys which are often bulky, but DS is getting old enough now to realise what things cost & that even if his pile is smaller, it’s not less. Their main presents are likely to be different, but where possible I do try & get them similar e.g. both may get a Lego set or both a dress up costume or book or T-shirt. Stocking fillers also similar, so it seems fair to the eye.

We set a rough budget per child but will go over if they want an expensive item that i know they will use a lot, eg ds hd a laptop for school use last year but i wasnt then going to spend same in others as in next few yrs they will get a similar expensive 1 off gift

I go for same volume of gifts per child rather than cost.

However, I would warn of spending loads more on the eldest because it sets a precedent, and there will come a time (when they are 10 and 7 or 15 and 12 etc) when one wants a new xbox and the other a Nintendo switch- so you'd need money for both expensive gifts having given them to the eldest earlier. The other trend I've seen is that boys can end up getting far more as a result of being more into expensive things (it's always gaming though isn't it?) which over the course of a childhood does become obvious for the girls (I know : I've had teenage girls here chatting about this unfairness- their expensive tastes- Mac makeup, designer bags etc are often poo pooed as too expensive and a waste of money whilst Jonnie has had 4 new consoles over the last five years)

I always have a budget of what I want to spend on them both but aim for roughly the same amount of presents rather than money spent.

Same overall price on each so it’s equal and fair. Eldest might have a couple of less presents but understand the price/value reasons behind it. Generally each year they end up with the same amount of presents and same price spent on each despite having different interests. I couldn’t spend more on one than the other.