Stockings , when can I stop buying crap that gets discarded ?

[sasquatch]

I wonder what age you stopped giving dc's a stocking?
I can recall coming down one christmas morning dismayed not to have one, age about 13 or 14 I think.

Never!!!!

i have to say, the kids love their stocking fillers, and they rarely discard the stuff in there.

no idea.

i know dh still got a stocking when he was living at home, he left when he was 19

Never, ever, ever.

Is that clear enough ??

NEVER is okay not to have a stocking

I had a stocking until I left home too (19). DH and I do them for each other now. DS had a rubber duck in his last yr as he was only 5 months old.

Umm - I got one last year so did DH

My mum is lovely & he's rather fond of his MIL

I got one from my parents until I left home (actually thinking about it I still got one when at my Ps for Christmas until the DC arrived!) but, it had lots of useful stuff in - knickers, toothbrush and paste, socks, magazine, paperback...stuff mum would have bought me as a teen ,and did while I was at uni to help out. In fact I still get a 5 pack of underwear from MandS most Christmasses, and mum generally says, 'well it would havebeen in yhour stocking...'!

stockings were the best & most exciting bit

i love making up ds's stocking

Love stockings. Answer is to not buy crap, buy useful bits and pieces that you'd be buying anyway
eg socks, undies, stationery, flannel, bubble bath, hairbrush, toothbrushes etc.

and a few little treats - big tube of smarties, choccy coins, playmobil figure, hotwheels etc.

I still get one when we're at PIL for Christmas

We still get stockings from my Mum, best part of Christmas for us! The DCs open their stockings while we're still in bed, to keep them going until we're up, dressed and ready for the main presents. They're older now but have done this since they were tiny. I try to put some things in there that they can do/play with to keep the excitement at bay. Getting hard for stocking filler ideas for 14 yr old DS (who would be miffed if there wasn't one) so ideas welcome.

It seems the majority vote to continue with the stocking until they leave home, at least!
I dont buy crap really, and have been putting in socks, hankies etc for a couple of years but ds(12)is not impressed with this.
I've run out of ideas I suppose and would appreciate any inspiration for older dc's

I find it harder for boys, because with girls you can get hair clips, lip gloss, necklaces etc.

So far DS (6) has:
hot wheels car
football pants (pack of but will seperate)
electronic football game from Boots on a keyring
gel pens

DD (3) has:
Princess pants
Polly Pocket Micro Car
Disney Princess hair clips
gel pens
set of rings from Claire's

sasquatch, will start another thread re stocking fillers for older boys in the title - am sure we're not the only ones with the problem!

Mum still gave all of us one til we moved out, me aged 23 and sis was still getting hers when at uni! So I say until they say no!

Can't you buy useful stuff. DD is 3 I last year I put bubble bath, a toothbrush and some nice stuff like choccie. She loved it. She'll be getting that sort of thing this year too. Not sure about ds though since he'll only be 8 months

Just dont buy crap. Buy things they'll like but are small enought to fit in stocking. Last year ds was really into 'Cars the movie' cars so I put some of those in with a few other bits.
Me and dh still have them too.

DH is 36 and still gets one from his parents .

Good idea lillospell,

Mum only stopped giving me a stocking after I had my dd -she said it was her turn and she gives me stuff to include for dd. I'd only had one for 28 years . She even packed one for my bf when I spent Christmas with his family one year - although I gave it to him in private, not in front of his Mum . When she found out, she wanted one . Think my Mum was Mrs Christmas in a previous life.