Is this a crap present for a 1 year old?! Doubting myself!

[Acunningruse]

DNephew will be 13 months at Christmas so will only just have had his birthday. DB and SIL have mentioned him having absolutely loads of toys and clothes as they have a large family who will be v generous at birthday and Christmas.

So I thought for Christmas I would have get him some book sets, especially Christmas ones which they he can then get out every Christmas. So I ordered

• Box of 10 Spot books
• 4 Axel Scheffler Farm Books
• gift bag of 4 Christmas books
• Stickman
• lift the flap Santa book
• touch and feel seasons book

I spent almost £30 (our budget would be £40 tops) but now they've arrived it just looks like nothing 😢 is this a rubbish gift?

It's a lovely gift but I do think a few too many books - imagine if someone else in the family gets him 18 books as well...! My DDs are now 8 and 5 and although we all love books, we've had a lot of Book People collections and we've had to give so many away. My sis and I had to agree with presents for our kids that's it's not about budget, we found we were buying way too much - we also have a huge family. Better to get one lovely thing / one set of books whether it costs £10 or £30, even if you can afford to and want to spend more!

Thanks all, SIL and I are quite different and I'm never sure whether she likes gifts I buy so I'm just doubting myself but thanks for the reassurance.

Can't recall who said they also like the storage boxes but the code JINGLE gives 25% off.

@SleepingStandingUp funny you should say that I was tempted to do that (his birthday hasn't happened yet) but then I thought it may be a bugbear if people with birthdays near Christmas is that there's no separation between birthdays and Christmas IYSWIM? Like his birthday isn't being viewed as special in its own right?

Yes, I am a chronic overthinker...

A wonderful gift!

My 12m old DD would love this... and I’d be really pleased to have books rather than more toys.

I’d give him a Christmas box with the Christmas books in it early December. Then the other books at Xmas time in a small basket.

I would love this so much. My favourite thing to do is read with my little girl and she loves books so much

What have you got him for Birthday?

Nephew is Dec 10th and I've contemplated Xmas books for it as a one off as Christmas books in Christmas day probably only get a weeks use the first yr

We love books here but I think you've gone OTT. I'd give 2 booksets at most

That's a huge amount! How about a spot toy to go with it

For what it’s worth my now 18 month old loves books and has loved them from around 6-8 months so he would love this!

Also agree not to worry yourself as a one year old won’t realise what’s going on. But yes mine loves books so I think that’s a great gift.

My 1 year old finds books just as exciting as toys so it sounds good to me.

I think that's a great present!

I think n that’s a great present. Both of mine would have loved this, and a house can always find room for a few more books.

Brilliant gift! Both for your DN and his parents, it's important to have lots of variety in books

Books are lifeline learning! A great gift.

However ever you divide it put them in a nice big box and wrap the box up so he can open it himself.

He will then play with the box and read the books.

I think that is a lovely gift, but you could, as others have said, give some for Christmas and some for birthday. I am not so keen on joint birthday and Christmas presents (unless for a really specific wanted item), but would be happy to have some books for birthday and then some of them separately at Christmas.

If you are worried about the gift, the thing to do is give the presents in a big cardboard box. I still remember the Christmas that my DNephew actually skipped over all of the presents and instead had a great time playing peek-a-boo in the cardboard box the present came in!

That does seem an awful lot of books to me esp when you have 6 winter / Christmas books. That can really only be read a month or so in the year.

I think I'd return some of them and maybe give him a toy or something to wear instead.

Why don't you make a 12 days of Christmas book advent and give early, the rest in a box with a balloon would go down a treat I'm sure

My babies also got loads and that's so wasted as kids will only play with the wrapping paper... I would either offer half of them and wrap them all together or send the whole lot back bar 1 book and wire some money into his saving account instead (assuming your DB has set one up)

The amount of books really doesn't matter. As a baby he isnt going to be bothered over whether he gets 1 books, 18 books or 300. He will get loads of different stuff off other relatives and you can never have too many books. They will be treasured for years to come. It is a lovely present OP.

Ds would be delighted with something like that, he was 10 months last Christmas and if asked what to get him I said books, he will happily walk into a shop and ask for a book, will sit on the floor and try to read me a book and gets a story every night (yes I'm well aware he can't read yet) books for little kids/ babies are always a brilliant idea

That's a fantastic gift. When I give books I always write the year in too as it is a nice memory thing. I would wrap each one as half the fun is the opening of presents.

21 books?! That’s a lot they just aren’t ‘bulky’ items. I think you are over thinking this a bit just wrap them up normally and stop worrying it’s a lovely - very generous gift.

I think that's a fab gift and certainly the 1 year old wont know either way. If you feel bad just wrap the box set and each book separately. The baby can have more fun ripping paper off that way.