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Christmas

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Original poster

How many gifts to you let your DC ask for?

62 replies

Dreamwhisper · 05/08/2022 11:55

I love to plan for Christmas (hence posting this in August Smile )

However that means I spend a lot of time and energy researching presents that I know my DC will love and use. This will take up a fair bit of my Christmas budget for their gifts.

How do you balance this though, with the inevitable Christmas wish list? Don't have to worry so much about the little one but older 2 will be 5 and 7 this year so definitely in list writing territory.

Is asking them to wish for 1 thing too stingy? 3 things with the caveat that Santa can't guarantee everything? Just sack all my planning off and let them write a list?

OP posts:
Original poster
Dreamwhisper · 05/08/2022 11:56

Sorry that should obviously read "How many gifts do you let your DC ask for", I hate title typos

OP posts:
TeenDivided · 05/08/2022 12:02

We never did wish lists. We did 'suggestions' lists. If they were long we asked them to star the most wanted items.

Lists closed at the start of December and they couldn't remove things after that.
We did a present buying service for relatives anyway (lived too far away to see them much / know what they had / liked).

Oh, and 'Santa' only brought stocking with low price bits and bobs. presents were always from people.

Anotherdayanotherdisappointment · 05/08/2022 12:09

They can ask for 50,000,000 things if they want to. They know they will only get a few things they ask for.

alnawire · 05/08/2022 12:12

None.

I have never encouraged lists. They only lead to disappointment. I worked on surprise.

FilePhoto · 05/08/2022 12:14

They can ask for as much as they like. They won't get it all.

Like a PP Father Christmas brings low cost stockings. Gifts are from people.

InTheShadeOfTheFigTree · 05/08/2022 12:15

alnawire · 05/08/2022 12:12

None.

I have never encouraged lists. They only lead to disappointment. I worked on surprise.

This. The best way to do it.

Hadalifeonce · 05/08/2022 12:15

Mine used to write a list for Santa, we would pick which ones we would buy, then if relatives asked for ideas, we would read off other things from the list. There is no way we would have ever let DC think they would get everything on the list, that would have been madness

Original poster
Dreamwhisper · 05/08/2022 12:18

That's good to hear, I've seen some cute list templates online so I think I will make it so that they can ask for 3 things but in a way that makes it clear they're ideas not a guaranteed list.

I think it might be a good year to finally reinforce the "Santa brings a stocking and puts something under the tree" thing.

OP posts:
Original poster
Dreamwhisper · 05/08/2022 12:19

InTheShadeOfTheFigTree · 05/08/2022 12:15

This. The best way to do it.

Show quote history

I'm inclined to agree, I wish I had set things up a little different but, their presents will still be about 80% complete surprises!

OP posts:
Original poster
Dreamwhisper · 05/08/2022 12:20

Hadalifeonce · 05/08/2022 12:15

Mine used to write a list for Santa, we would pick which ones we would buy, then if relatives asked for ideas, we would read off other things from the list. There is no way we would have ever let DC think they would get everything on the list, that would have been madness

That's what we'll do I think.

A combination of my gift list which will be surprises, and then the can wish for 3 things which between us, "Santa" and their nan, they will probably get at least 2/3.

OP posts:
Comedycook · 05/08/2022 12:20

I let them do a list...can be as long as they want. They know they won't get everything on it

CrotchetyQuaver · 05/08/2022 12:22

Back in the days of the Argos catalogue, mine used to go through it and come up with a completely unreasonable (lol) list of what they wanted. That then got whittled down by them to £100 worth of stuff. I used to tell them £100 was Father Christmas' budget for them. They were happy to believe that.

soundsystem · 05/08/2022 12:22

Santa only brings mine one thing and stockings, and the rest are from who they're from. So they only ask for one main thing and a few small bits that they usually find in their stockings (last year my 5yo asked for a chocolate sock!)

I do tell them the wider family like to be organised and so to get any suggestions for what they might like to me early! (As grandparents/aunts etc usually ask me what they'd like around September)

User4223131 · 05/08/2022 12:24

I spoke to a work colleague about this before (my DC haven’t yet reached the list stage) and liked the way her family do it.

Her DC write a small suggestions list for Santa - maybe 3/4 things. Santa brings one present. He brings toys, not electronics. Other presents come from mum/dad/family etc and are surprises.

HappyHappyHermit · 05/08/2022 12:25

We just give FC some ideas, dd knows he doesn't buy everything on it as he has a lot of children to buy for.

greensnail · 05/08/2022 12:27

Definitely let them do a list and ask for whatever they like. Mine used to without fail ask for completely ridiculous things that either didn't exist, or were completely random (one asked for a carrot one year 🤣) but I treasure those letters to Santa. They always ended up delighted with whatever I chose for them anyway.

GretaVanFleet · 05/08/2022 12:41

Mine were asked to write a list with things on it from a couple of ££ up to the sky’s the limit. They’ve always known that Christmas gifts were from friends and family, Santa/Father Christmas just delivers them. DD was always pretty sensible with her list, DS would put anything and everything-his rationale being if it’s on the list, there’s a chance. They were always grateful and never complained about anything they never received. We always were realistic with them regarding any toys that were really in demand, like when everyone wanted Buzz Lightyear. We also never told them they were being watched by FC.

mam0918 · 05/08/2022 17:56

Mine don't... we have never done the list thing.

Occasionally they might mention in passing something they want throughout the year (my oldest went through a phase of being obsessed with tractors right before xmas when he was 2) so in general kept asking for a tractor toy but thats the only time I can ever think of when something was asked for and usually they have forgot they asked for something by the day being out.

As a kid me and my siblings would circle things in the argos catalogue but as kids we got carried away and would circle nearly everything lol.

Im glad my mam use to mostly ignore that, we always got WAY better presents because they where things we had never even seen before so couldnt know we wanted them.

The only time I remember ever specifically asking for something was a furby, they where sold out EVERYWHERE so I finally got one a week after xmas and I hated it, it was the crappest toy ever... kids know nothing lol.

mam0918 · 05/08/2022 18:03

As for the 'from santa' we do a santa sacks and it includes 12 cheap 'classic' toys like a yoyo, skipping rope, football, tamagotchi, hula hoop, dominoes etc... and always one 'noisy' thing (like recorder, harmonica, whistle) that we wouldnt buy so its definately 'from santa' lol.

it costs next to nothing really, as most 'classic' things can be found in poundland etc... and some how we have never yet ran out of new things to put in there.

NiqueNique · 05/08/2022 18:16

My children did a wish list (emphasis on the ‘wish’) - it could be as long as they liked but they knew they weren’t going to get everything; it was just to give Father Christmas some ideas of what they might like. As they got a little older (maybe 6 or 7) they could also put a star next to their most favourite/biggest wishes and I would try to get at least one or two of those. They also always got things they hadn’t asked for, to help them understand the joy and pleasure of being surprised, and to guard against the shopping list/demands mindset.

Never had huge piles of presents. A stocking full of lots of little treats, some small toys/puzzles/games and a soft toy. Then maybe 8 - 10 presents, a mix of cheaper and more expensive things. As they got older still they tended to get fewer presents as the cost went up! Now that we’re all adults it’s token gifts only as we prefer to keep it low key and make it more about family, cosiness and togetherness.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

stargirl1701 · 05/08/2022 18:23

DC can put 3 things on their lists for Father Christmas. He brings one.

Stropalotopus83 · 05/08/2022 18:30

We used to get ours to write a letter to Father Christmas with one big thing they'd like and a couple of smaller things but always told them Father Christmas couldn't promise to get them exactly what they'd asked for. Never seemed to be an issue and was a good guide for what they were into. Although one year eldest (aged 5ish I think) did mention write on list she wanted new knickers! This tickled a work colleague of mine so much that she actually brought me into work a multipack of girls knicker she'd picked up and wrapped beautifully. Daughter was actually thrilled when she opened them lol. But we got our lists done early as we used to buy one rocket on bonfire night (we'd go to public displays but just let off the one rocket before we went) and tie the letter to the rocket and send it to Father Christmas when we lit the firework. Course this meant that kids had changed their minds ten time before December.

Upsadiddles · 05/08/2022 18:33

DD generally circles things she’d like in the smyths catalogue (which is pretty much everything), then at the end of November she writes a letter to Santa with her 3 most wanted things on it. She knows she isn’t guaranteed to get everything on it, but if they are not too expensive/huge/crap then she might get all 3.

We do one gift from Santa from her list and one from us (the more expensive one being from us), plus a stocking from Santa. Then a few surprises from us, usually including something she’s circled in the catalogue. We give relatives ideas from the catalogue and anything left from the list too.

I love searching for bargains in advance but make sure not to spend more than half of the budget before the list is done. That way she gets a nice mix of things she wants and surprises.

Craftybodger · 05/08/2022 19:25

Part of the magic of Christmas is that anything is possible.
Father Christmas only fills their stockings in this house, but he puts in all sorts of little things that we don’t allow! Cans of fizzy drinks, slime, things I’ve actively said no to . . . Not ‘big ticket’ items - they came from family and friends.
My children knew that they could ask for whatever they wanted but that it was only a request. Some reminders had to be given - things like the reindeers wouldn’t tolerate other animals on the sleigh!
I wouldn’t limit them, but I would remind them that even FC has a budget!

LilyMarshall · 05/08/2022 19:28

They write a list for £150. My ds in particular from very young has had it to the penny! I add things i think theyll like on top.