How many gifts per child?

[Smarshian]

I am just starting writing out my lists for the kids.
so far I have a Xmas Eve box each (I know these aren’t universally loved!) with hot choc, new pjs, a mug, a bath bomb and a book. Total cost £10 each.
then stockings with sweets, fidget spinners, small toy (Gu jitzu dinosaur for him, uno for her), oodies (fake £10 ones), selection box and cans of pop. Total cost approx £25-30 each.
then under the tree maybe 4 gifts each. The cost will be quite different for these I imagine as he doesn’t want much and she is after a switch, so will get that and 3 very small other gifts, he might get 2-3 medium gifts and 1-2 smaller.
what is everyone else doing?

My kids don't really get much throughout the year apart from their birthdays so I tend to go abit wild at christmas.
I have a 4 year old who will have a big pile and I have 3 teenagers their presents wont look at much as the 4yo because their gifts are more expensive,
1 wants an oculus quest 2 and the other wants a ps5

Stockings for us is mostly sweets with like 5 little toys (example: like slime or card games or a teether etc...).

Under the tree they are getting 10 wrapped gifts from us this year cut back from 12 in previous years.

We also have big gifts out and set up ready (as that is how we grew up, where everything was out on the sofa etc...) and they are getting 10 of those (cut back a lot in terms of numbers but going bigger/better this year).

Santa sack has 12 small classic toys in.

oh we do xmas eve box with PJs, book, hot chocolate, toothbrush etc... but I dont class those as gifts they are just nacessities and tradition.

Kids are 4 and 7

Both will get 1 fairly big gift (keyboard/piano and playmobil castle respectively). Although I got the castle reduced to £20.
Then a box of books each. Some I pay full price for, some from the local free library box and some from charity shops.
Plus maybe 3 to 4 smaller gifts from us. For example dc1 likes Asterix so will combine books with a playmobil set. Dc2 was eying up Our Generation dolls so she might get one of those this year.

Stockings tend to contain things like
Keyrings for dc1 and hair slides for dc1
Top Trumps packs
Schleich Unicorn foals for dc2 (she collects) and animals, Knights or dinos for dc1
Pringles
A can of juice
Haribo
Small playmobil toys/blind bags etc
An orange and a chocolate orange

Dec 1st brings new Christmas book each plus all the old favourites as well as a new to them Christmas jumper and pjs, Bath bomb and all the Christmas decorations.

We leave shoes out for St Nicholas as well (because my mum told my kids he used to bring me gifts). So that's a small toy, a cookie cutter and a piece of gingerbread each.

They get a giant sack each from my mum, 2 presents and cash from my inlaws and gifts from numerous aunts and uncles as well so I'm trying to reduce the sheer amount of stuff.

We also do St. Nick too on the 5th/6th... its chocolate and something small like a bauble here.

Similar to you, but without sweets as they get lots from others, and without PJs as an auntie always gets them a pair.

Stockings will be
Bath bomb/bath roses
Novelty socks
Jewellery/hair accessory
Doll clothes small toy
Tangerine
Biscuit or chocolate coin

Then we do 4 gifts

Want (main gift from FC)
Need (something like craft stuff or a new bag with their favourite characters)
Wear (costume or special dress)
Do (an activity or game type toy)

We then also get small gifts for the kids to give to each other

Trying to cut down this year ideologically and budget wise but we'll see how that goes..

Am thinking this year of:
one main shared present (a DIY den building kit)
about 3 main presents - including a lego set each to build a collection
5 - 7 medium presents
a stocking with small toys and fun stuff for the day

We don’t do Xmas eve boxs. Christmas Day is a massive affair, I go totally ott on gifts, costs range from free to anything up to what ever their main or most wanted gift is. So far this year I’ve got:

5yo
2 x encanto Lego sets
frozen nighty
barbie Lego (I forgot to give for her birthday)
barbie dream house
colouring book and pencils
harry potter book

8yo
several pairs of leggings, hoodie & wool cardie
plush toy
top model colouring book & gel pens
sports coat

need to figure out what the main present will be & buy some art stuff she’s asked for.

10yo
sports jacket
several plush toys
top model colouring book & gel pens
several pairs of leggings & hoodie
harry potter book

again need to buy main present

All 3 will gets Xmas themed bits, socks hats, selection boxes & novelty bits etc.. new oodies (fake), make up, I already bought them some but they found it before I managed to hide it.

I don’t do mine based on quantity more on a budget... £300 for DS14 and £250 for dd 10... then £50 each on stocking presents. DS is more as we upped it after he turned 12 because everything he asked for was remarkably more expensive. We will do the same for dd.

Mine will be 2 and almost 1. I'm probably going to go with two presents. Their birthdays are just before and after Christmas so there will be a tsunami of presents hitting our home from family and friends.

Where are you getting your fake oodies from?

Last year Amazon, but will check out the shops this year first, primark had some nice Harry Potter ones last year but I’d already bought mine.

I don’t put a limit on the amount of presents I buy my kids. I don’t personally see the point in limiting it to a certain amount for no reason what so ever.

They get however much I end up buying which could be 10 gifts each or 30 gifts each or more.

I like to treat the kids to it will be high.

One present from each parent under the tree (occasionally jointly from both parents if they want a big item like a new bit of tech). Plus presents from wider family/friends, of course

Quite a lot in the stocking (about pillowcase size)

No Christmas Eve box

Stocking - usually chocolate coins, a book, boxers, socks, small something to to "play" with (not so easy for older teens, maybe a lego blind bag for DS2)

Then it depends what they asked for. DS2 usually gets a "big" lego set from my mum and me jointly (I'm not talking the sets that are £100s, I think last years was just under £100) , maybe something else small if the budget allows. DS1 is impossible to buy for. So until he gives ideas I have no clue.

They used to get 4-5 things when they were smaller, but want more expensive things these days.

We don’t do Xmas Eve boxes.
Stockings.
One or two presents on Xmas Day.

These threads always turn into a bun fight, but here goes. I'm from a family where getting a lot for christmas is the norm. Birthdays are smaller and we don't buy much over the year.

We have a family Christmas eve box which I intend to mostly have the same stuff every year, other than updating the book as they get older. I want it to be seen as more of a tradition than an extra gift.

My children will then get:

From Santa
1 main gift
A sack containing 6-8 small/ medium gifts (books, board games, crafts, practical things, PJs etc) by the fireplace.
A stocking on their bed. Our stockings are tiny so only fit a few tiny things like bubbles or crayons.
One gift on the end of their bed next to the stocking. This is always a dressing gown.

From Mammy and Daddy
1 large/medium present
1 or 2 smaller things (probably another book, maybe a selection box)

So probably about 15 - 20 things to unwrap, but not many of these will be toys.

P.s. I made a big thing of stockings one year and now that is with us forever; they have very big hand knitted (so stretchy!) ones and they do get filled with quite a bit, but this is my indulgence where I like to put a whole range of things in there - nice but smaller toys, blind bags that they go nuts for that I wouldn't usually buy, those trendy fidget/squishy toys, collectibles, etc. Then I like to do a Lush bath bomb, plenty of special Christmassy sweets (Choc coins, choc orange, sugar mice, big swirlie lolly, American Candy now they are a bit older, etc) A couple of cosy things like slippers of fuzzy socks, novelty bubble bath which is a surprisingly bit hit, stickers, bubbles, smaller craft items, things like that.

Something a bit more well rounded that the tree presents which consists largely of toys. It's my compromise as that is how I prefer to do gifting, but I have to concede that my DC like toys so I do have mostly toys under the tree (and books of course, plus always a pear of new PJS).

Don't do Christmas eve boxes. Nothing against it, just did it one year and it didn't quite feel right to us.

I do an Xmas Eve box too, I put all the little bits in there like a poppet, colouring in book, stickers, pjs, bath bomb, books, socks.. It's all quite simple, not too many small plastic things because I have a personal vendetta against them 🤣 my poor kids

They get a stocking from Santa, that's usually 1 or 2 gifts they have asked for in a letter. Then an item of clothing they need like a new coat or something, it's a bit of a tradition that he brings them a new pair of shoes too, I don't know why! It started one year and hasn't stopped haha my kids are 2 and 6 so forever growing out of shoes so it works well. Then I usually put some chocolate from him too.

From us I'm doing, something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. I started it this year and have done it for birthdays. It works well and stops me from going over board which I am known to do!!

So 4 from us
4ish from Santa and some choc
And an Xmas Eve box :)

They get spoiled by family too!

@Dinosauratemydaffodils did you know there is a Playmobil Asterix advent calendar this year.....?
I am curious with presents about what some people class as 'one' present. What I mean is if the main present is something like a Baby Born doll but you also give a couple of Baby Born outfits and a toy changing bag do you count that as 1 gift or 4 gifts? Because a lot of toys you need the extras (ie dolly clothes) to go with it otherwise it's not a very exciting present.
I've had this curiosity for a few years now.

I always wondered this too.

We don't get a specific number and I would feel quite stressed to try to stick to a specific pre-set amount, both to reach it and then keep to it. Each DC picks one thing they want (within reason!), then are also given one bigger or a couple of medium-sized gifts that we've chosen, plus a number of smaller things like books, small add ons to existing sets etc. I try and balance what each DC gets by volume and perceived (by them) value rather than number of items. They do get quite a bit from us, but they will be given little else from wider family/friends so we do try to compensate for that a little. It is still much much less than the present mountains I see on acquaintances' FB feeds however!
Last year I prepped DD1 in advance that as she is getting older, her gifts will get smaller in size because older children's things tend not to take up as much room, but that doesn't mean they are any less valuable (by value I don't necessarily mean ££, but also value to the person). I wanted to head off the chance of perceived unfairness as her main gift was a Nintendo 3DS, but her sister's was a Barbie set - DD1's actually cost 1.5 times more but was considerably smaller. DD1 would have no idea of cost and see only the size difference otherwise. I suspect this year the difference in volume will be even more marked as DD2 is still very much into small world toys whilst DD1 has almost completely outgrown them.

We don't do Xmas eve boxes, so no cost there.
Stockings are a football sock, so no big items needed for those. They always include a satsuma, chocolate coins, and a tube of sweets. The rest is filled with little bits like bath bombs, mini figures/blind bag, cheap fun jewellery, hair bands etc plus a couple of things me and DH "never buy" for them eg mini perfume, lip balm or nail varnish.

I think at this age at least my kids would notice if one got 3-4 gifts and another got a lot more. With DD having such a ££ gift I won’t be able to stretch to much more for her and then wouldn’t want a massive mismatch in piles on the morning.
It is also DDs birthday on 30th Dec but she will be getting some cheaper gifts then to balance out the switch!

Just a thought, but if DD is young enough not to understand a Switch is expensive and that getting one means fewer gifts overall, is she old enough to actually need the latest Switch over an older system? We have bought the previous Nintendo DS handhelds for our DCs as a starter. Much cheaper for the actual console, so less stress over dropping or losing it, and the games are mostly pocket money prices as it is all second hand. My DCs often pop into CEX to choose a new game with their saved money, which just wouldn't be possible with the cost of Switch games. Last Xmas we upgraded DD1 to a 3DS from her DS plus a few new games for under £50. She was very happy with the upgrade, and it meant she could still have other gifts on top.

4 dcs

Xmas eve box. Pjs, sweets, mug, Xmas Book,. Chocolate, xmas Socks, a crafty thing (except eldest whos nr 17) £25?

Stockings,. Lip balms bath bombs hot wheels, pens, coloring books, coins, hair bands, clips, fidget toys, fun things like whoopie cushions etc and whatever else i see for each dc, £30 each

Tree clothes, games, books, toys £200 / 300 each. Teen more as 1 tracksuit is about 120!

Mains anything from xbox, ps5, bikes, tablets etc. Again price varied