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?

How big is this stocking?

I think I can fit 5-6 small things in my kids 😂

Our elf does things like make a ‘snow’ Angel out of flour… bar the initial £3.99 outlay 6 years ago it hasn’t cost a penny. How is it about consumerism?!

I always wonder this! People have huge lists of things that are going in stockings (someone above mentioned a doll styling head amongst lots of other things). Our stockings are stockings… aka large sock size. They fit in a few bits like chocolate coins, hair bubbles and a bath bomb.

I wondering if their stockings are basically the Xmas sacks?

@Dinoteeth it depends on the child (I have 4 between 17 and 3 so quite a range of ages).
They all get every year: a satsuma, a shiny coin, chocolate coins, a tube of sweets, a box of Christmas animal biscuits, a tree decoration, a toothbrush, shower gel/bubble bath, a polystyrene glider and something to wear (this could be pants/socks/hair bands/shin pads/a leotard etc depending on what they need at that time-I haven’t had a single year yet where someone hasn’t needed something!)
Then the rest depends on their interests, so the youngest is getting a few small toys, some dive toys for the swimming pool , a torch, some bubbles… Father Christmas also always brings some things that I would never buy such as slime or surprise eggs.

They’re pretty big! Not sacks though. Christmas Stockings Set of 2, 18 inch Knitted Christmas Stocking Personalised for Adults Kids, Large Xmas Stockings Hanging Gift Bag Socks Ornaments for Christmas Fireplace Tree Decorations amzn.eu/d/0YqnbXf This sort of size (I think ours were Matalan)

I only have one so no need to balance things out. We also haven't done any xmas shopping yet as we have just had her birthday. But she normally gets:
Xmas eve box - mainly stuff recycled every year - includes santa plate, the night before xmas book, a bath bomb, a Xmas DVD and new PJs
Stocking - always includes a chocolate santa and a pomegranate, but mainly 5-7 small things like notebook, hatchimals, rainbocorns, socks, flannel, lip balm, sylvanians figures
From Santa - 3-5 things she has asked for. One year this was a chocolate doughnut. this year she wants a lapland husky and dog bed and an elf costume. Also normally get a board game (this year pictionary), some books, yoto card, some lego, and he always brings her dressing gown and slippers
From us - her main present. This year Abba Voyage tickets.
So that's about 25 things altogether. Written down, that's quite a lot. But it's not a huge pile or anything.

A lot of the stuff on your list for your daughter is stuff I put into the stocking for my teenage dd so similar items, just a different way of presenting it.

I grew up with stockings being the most important and exciting part of Christmas (we had one leg of a pair of tights each absolutely crammed with stuff) so I’ve tried to do similar for my dc but I also try to make it stuff they’ll actually use rather than typical stocking filler type things (apart from the glider but there was uproar the year I left that out 😆)so they can end up costing quite a bit. My teenage ds has mostly food and lynx in his, I agree older boys are much harder to buy little bits for.

Counted DDS list and it's 10 presents from us, some are small colouring books, some are a socks. She gets about 10 more from family. She has a summer birthday so waits until June for more presents. She's never counted how many she has and is excited about everything including socks. She's 7. She's getting a new sibling near her birthday next year so that'll be lovely for her to help with presents as they get older.

I have a 4 nearly 5 year old and a will have just turned 1 year old and hate clutter! However, stockings were a big thing as a child and I want that magic for my children as well. DD4 will have a stocking with things like smelly gel pens, nail Polish, choc money, sweets, choc Santa, water bottle and fidget toy from smuggle, glow in dark stars for ceiling. 1 year old stocking will be baby snacks, small amount of choc, baby hairbands, Xmas blade and rose leggings. On Xmas eve they will get jointly some Xmas books (jolly Xmas postman, polar express etc) and 4 year old some Xmas PJ’s. Under the tree is restricted to 4 pressies each - 4 year old wanted a mama surprise hamster thing, encanto Lego, a LOL doll (🙄) and a happy hopper dog (don’t ask!) 1 year old will get a wooden farm, a wooden rainbow thing, and some duplo sets (can’t go wrong with duplo and my 4 year old is still playing with hers!) . They are getting a joint bath toy pirate ship thing as they have baths together! I thought I was being frigal but written down it sounds like a lot! No idea how much I’ve spent 🙈. Have asked grandparents for money to put away for them

@Toomanypressie
Just wondering what your logic is for the four gifts from you, and cash from Grannies.
Would it not be better to have 2 from you and 1 from each Granny?

Cash to kids means nothing, so kids can't really say thanks for cash they won't see, and Granny doesn't get the chance to buy or wrap a gift.

@Dinoteeth no logic behind it really! Just asked both sets of grandparents for money towards something when they asked for a Xmas pressie suggestion, they always offer anyway and are happy to do that. That said, i haven’t forbidden them from buying presents if they really feel they want the kids to open something from them, they’ll just have to buy something off their own back rather than go with a suggestion I’ve made of that makes sense…

Also, pressies from me are actually from ‘Santa’ which my 4 year old DD still very much believes in so not like I’m taking any credit for them yet anyway 😂

That won’t work as they have specific houses, they all love HP but only one, my Griffindor/Hermione Granger obsessed DD has asked for HP specific gifts and it was the Grifgindor book that was out of stock. She will think I have gone mad if I give her a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff book. I still have time to find something similar. If not I will keep the books to give on other occasions.

We do a selection box and 10 gifts in stocking which are the xmas sack types and 10 under tree.

,@ITSSSSCHRISTMASSS have you looked in The Works for Harry Potter stuff? Gryffindor is usually the easiest to find.

Not for a while. I’ve seen lots of Griffindor merch but not to match the other books, they are really lovely faux leather bound.

Mine are teens.

We always put out a boot for St Nicholas on 6th. V traditional contents of chocolate, red apple and nuts.
Stockings will be Toblerone, hot choc, perfume, book, pencil case and cuddly toy for one dc.
Choc orange, herbal/fruit teas, perfume, calendar, bath bomb and cuddly toy for the other.

Three presents each under the tree, don’t know exactly what those will be yet, likely something electronic, clothes and a voucher.

About 15 Santa presents each (small and medium presents), then a big present from us. Currently a bone of contention with DH as he’s rather do 3 or 4 presents only. But I like replicating what my parents did.

I have a lot of fun filling their stockings. I don’t do a Christmas Eve box, but elf presents throughout December and always new pjs for Christmas Eve.

I like to replicate what my parents did too…. I always remember just having loads of presents in the front room and being soo excited which is why I probably buy so much.

Xmas eve boxes

Stockings 3 youngest have 14 gifts in each eldest 8 so far

Under tree. Around 10 to 15 each. Varies depending on prices

I’m really interested in all the people saying 10 or more presents under the tree, do you buy your children things throughout the year as well? I feel my 4 is stingy now, but my 4 year old does get occasional presents through the year E.g a doll when she got a good parents evening

Mine have about 8 presents each although older preteen boys may have more like 5/6 as their items are more expensive. This is about £150-200

Then about £30 on a stocking with books, bath bombs, chocolates etc.

Not really. They have summer birthdays and I get them a couple of bits at Easter too. Also not alot from family, so mostly just us.

I don't know tbh I usually just buy stuff and then when it's enough I split it into Christmas and birthday for ds and usually Dd has a similar amount even though I've not specifically done that iyswim. They're 16 and 12 now so stuff is smaller but agree with others 'stocking filler' gifts for Dd are soooo much easier to think of than for ds!