How many gifts to you let your DC ask for?

[Dreamwhisper]

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

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?

Yes. I did/do this also.

Sorry - we don’t do stockings.

Santa list is 2 items, it use to be 4 but reduced during covid, they are young enough to not remember the 4 items. They also get to choose 2 back up items in case Santa can’t get the first 2. Santa lists are done early, when I was in charge it was September but now they do them in May/June with no prompting from me. I’m very good at swaying them to what I want them to list usually.

As much as he likes, the bigger list the better as the same list is shared amongst the family so people have a choice if something is out of stock for example. Eldest knows he won’t get everything on it though. Middle and youngest are too young for lists.

Mine can ask for whatever they want but know it's not a shopping list but some wishful suggestions on their part.

I’ve got “a surprise” on one of my DCs lists this year, the other item is a paint canvas. I think I’m getting off pretty lightly with this DC, unlike one of my others who wants a phone & laptop 😬 and then my third wants something I don’t even think exists.

Their lists can be as long as they like, they know they won't be getting all of it.

I let them ask for as many as they like BUT I tell them that they won’t get them all and this year ds(10) has already told me he is only going to ask for one thing to give him the best chance of getting it. Whether that actually happens or not, time will tell

As much as they want but they don't get it all. My eldest DD has already started hers which includes a £50'pair of jodhpurs so I don't think she will be getting much!
I get lots of stocking fillers/larger cheaper bits to bulk it out that pick up throughout the year.

I let mine add anything they like to their wishlists, the wishlists roll over to birthdays too, and they know they don't get everything on it. Closer to Christmas I check what they are "hoping to get the most" and also they can ask Santa for one, medium sized gift (all those have to fit on his sleigh you see, and the world has a lot of children in it...). The stocking is also from Santa but doesn't have requests in it. This way we can adjust what we get them based on that years budget etc and they aren't disappointed as they know the list isn't a checklist but a "would be nice to have one day" list.

1 gift from Santa, plus a (smaller) surprise from a wish list, and a stocking.
1 gift from Mum and dad, plus PJs and a book.
1 gift from each set of grandparents
1 gift from each godparent.

No other gifts from aunties or uncles. It's pretty much the format for all DS's cousins too so there's no disparity.

This. DC are only allowed to request one thing from Santa, so they think heard about it. We try to pick up on the other things that they like/need and share it with grandparents.