If you’ve bought 15+ gifts for your child/ren where are you from?

[PinkyU]

I have a theory that different parts of the UK view giving Christmas gifts differently (based solely on anecdotes and experience, so very scientific).

I’m from the Scottish central belt and don’t know anyone, regardless of income (in fact more so for working class families), who gift less than 12/15+ presents to their children, nor do any of the NI parents I know.

Conversely my experience of English families (almost exclusively on here) is that there’s competitive minimal gifting regardless of financial situation.

Is it different traditions across the nations?

Prove or disprove my very scientific theory.

(Apologies to the Welsh, I have no experience but am happy to be informed)

I think this is a really valid point; don’t bulk things out for the sake of a bigger number of gifts if it’s just going to be tat. Pointless.

I think my DC will have 5 or 6 presents under the tree, we live in London. A couple of books, jumper, aftershave/perfume, airpods. They get good stockings as well though.

We did this when they were younger too- usually a couple of big things (eg a big lego set) then a few books and bits to wear.

I think it really depends on number of children as well and how close they are in age, if you have a few close together by the time you get to the second or third DC you already have all the toys they could want from the older ones so if you're then doing 15 presents you're essentially buying tat for the sake of it. It's different if you've only one or a big gap between siblings.

Really? That’s a big assumption that siblings close in age have the exact same interests.

This seems completely mad to me! 15 presents?! Do they actually use all the stuff they get?

My kids (all young) get one big present each from us (eg a scooter, a new Playmobil set, play kitchen- around the £50 mark, I guess), and then a stocking from Father Christmas which will have a couple of books, chocs, and some small toys. And then they will likely have presents from extended family. But that's it! We are in the south of England.

When I was growing up, in the midlands, it was the same for me, and I never felt hard done by. A big present and a stocking. I guess we are middle class?

Not necessarily exactly the same, but when they're little they do often overlap. Lots of kids like a bike for example don't they? Not all kids, but it's a fair assumption that most kids will. Lots of kids like a train track, a marble run, Lego, Duplo, a dolls house/small world, toy kitchen, books, aquadraw, jigsaws etc. And it's certainly the case for baby toys, they are all quite standard.

I think you're more likely to have overlap than to have 3 small children with completely diverse interests tbh!

I'm Northern and I definitely noticed a difference between my family and Ex-husband's family (Southern). One of the things I found most odd about his family was that they only gave presents to people who they physically see - so if a relative was visiting over the Xmas period, they'd buy a present but wouldn't buy for someone who they weren't seeing. Whereas in my family, we buy for the same people each year regardless of whether we spend Xmas together or not.

As a kid I got loads but probably in part because I fell between 2 generations of family. My kids get a similar amount but I try to reduce the tat and bulk it out with things I would need to replace over the year anyway.

I have just counted DDs... 5items, plus 13 in stocking, plus 1 from sister. Stuff in stockings includes toothbrush, shower gel, socks and sweets, plus fun stuff. Just done a practice run on stockings, pleasantly stuffed (helped by the selection box!)

Totally agree with this.

Well yes but they can’t share a bike can they.. so they’ll both have a bike….
I have 4 DC, one is only a baby and whilst the older 3 have similar interests, particularly the boys (18 months apart) and play together a lot, they certainly favour different things. DS2 wants hot wheels this year. DS1 has never been into cars at all. It’s all dinosaurs & animals with him. Both love construction and we have lots of Lego but there are always different Lego sets.

I haven't counted presents for my ds but can safely say I'm well over 20. We've spent €1200 on him so far and we're not quite finished. In Ireland.

They can't share a bike, but they grow out of bikes at that age don't they?

So you buy a trike, balance bike, bigger bike, even bigger bike for DC1 and DC2 coming up behind inherits those. I wouldn't buy another set of bikes for DC2 just for the sake of it.

With toys, obviously they have some diverse interests, but not enough to buy 15 presents each every Christmas. There is enough overlap that a few presents each is enough is my point.

Whereas if you only have one you don't have this issue. You see it posted on here a lot....'what shall we get DC3, we already have xyz'.

It's just a general point though. If it doesn't work in your family and your kids need 15 presents each then crack on!

I think people have different ideas about sacks and stockings though. I mean, I read about people putting things like books, selection boxes and pyjamas in stockings and think how the hell are you doing that?! Our stockings don't fit things that large in, so my children will have that sort of stuff in their sacks and I'll count it as a main present.

So things like selection boxes, hair clips etc or basically anything you’d pop in a stocking would not be counted in the final tally of gifts from my experience.

I grew up with at least 20 gifts per child (things like: dolls house, barbie with clothes, bike, RC car, large gifts) for 3 of us plus one large joint gift (a la carte kitchen, sega console and games etc) all from Santa, plus family gifts from a large family. In total we’d likely have around a minimum of 30-35 gifts each (stocking not included).

My 3 dc probably total the same including all family gifts (not including gifts from friends, secret Santa etc).

Growing up it was unheard of for any child, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances, to get 5 or 6 gifts.

I was brought up in the Midlands by MC parents and we had very few gifts, I think it was seen as a bit common or something. I was never allowed anything which didn't have a use or was educational, so no Girls World or Sindys for me!

I am still MC and live in Jersey and we have always bought our DC loads of gifts at Christmas. So yes prob around 15-20 each.

DH grew up in Yorkshire, and although not very well off, his parents were as generous as they could be. We have followed their example as being generous is one of the best feelings in the world.

Ah yes with the bikes if people are passing them down fair enough. My DD had a barbie bike which I ended up donating and DS1 and DS2 are a similar height so there was no bike to pass down as he is still using it.
They obviously don’t need 15. No child really needs any. They just get what they want.

My 7 year old has 11 things on her "under the tree" list from me.
My 3 year old has 7 but 2 of those are quite big things.
My 5 year old has 6 things so I will probably end up buying him a couple of things to "bulk out" his pile tbh, as the disparity is too big. However he has a November birthday and was gifted/bought with his birthday money quite a few things I had on his Christmas list!

So while I don't feel the need to bulk out piles of presents in general to meet a certain number of gifts, I'm willing to do it to fix disparity. If my 5 year old was getting 1 huge thing I wouldn't though.

Mine do also have smaller but proper gifts in the stocking too, e.g. a Pokemon ball full of pokemon cards, themed Uno, figures, Tamagotchi.

I struggle to think of more than 10 main gifts that would be wished for, affordable and best suited to buying them that year.

I'm from SE England.

I am WC but live in a very MC area and the longer I've lived here, the smaller the dc's piles have become! There's definitely less to prove the more money you have - I've really come to loathe the consumerist nature of Christmas. If I had my way I'd buy the dcs a charity gift, something like a goat for a poor family - but I doubt that'd go down well!

I've never noticed any regional variation, but loads of variation between different people

DH just loves a "big pile of presents", when giving as much as when receiving. I'm the grinch who has everything I need (or I would have bought it already) and childhood memories of wishing I could buy exactly what I want so very happy to gift cash to the savings accounts of the younger members of our family.

I also have an absolute blanket ban on "anything that needs dusting"

Growing up we got sensible presents that we would have received anyway such as a new overcoat but we're allowed to pick them if they were presents rather than parent selecting if they were 'required'.

Having cleared out DParent's houses on both sides and seen the waste first hand, I am determined to leave very little clutter behind me. DH just loves clutter and thinks knowing what is being gifted in advance spoils the whole idea of gifts. Sigh.

WC North West but Irish parents, far more than 15, but until this year because of MN I’d never really thought to count. I do include what others deem “essentials” e.g DDs will be getting a number of branded clothes, sports jackets, pjs. Gifting clothes especially ones that are above the usual daily budget has always been a thing with people I know.

DH very MC English, Cheshire got 3-4 presents and would do the same if it wasn’t for me.

I’ve said it before, I believe it’s very class/background thing. Mc kids get a lot throughout the year, clubs activities, holiday’s whereas wc kids don’t. Christmas is the chance for we families to spoil their kids.

One thing I don't do which I often see on here is to bulk out stocking with tat for the sake of it.

So the stocking contain smaller, slightly more expensive presents (also needs like socks and pants), books and some consumables. But not stuff for the sake of stuff.

I would never go into Poundland and do a sweep of the shelves to fill up the stocking for example (happy to shop there generally!)

Mine probably get relatively few main presents by comparison to others. We also don't have a big family adding to presents. Certainly not more than 5 or so.

But for example a real football kit is getting on for £100 so I consider that's enough to spend.

I also make use of second hand Facebook things especially for the youngest who changes tastes quickly.

MC grew up in the south.

Scotland - growing up we would have a 'big' present - some I remember are a doll's house, play kitchen, scalextric. We'd also have a game, book, jigsaw and an item of clothing - jumper, skirt or such. And a stocking with sweeties, coloured pencils, colouring book, Matey bubble bath maybe a tiny bottle of Avon perfume.

DC used to receive similar when they were young - now it's all cash or vouchers.

I’m from the North East and my theory is that poorer households tend to do more presents regardless of finances. I grew up in one of these households. We never had less than 30 gifts. I suspect my parents got into quite a bit of debt to give us a magical Christmas.

My partner’s family are much more well off and they only do a few gifts. But they do more holidays/treats through the year.

I am West of Scotland and I will be well over 15 gifts for my 10 year old. She also gets a Christmas Eve Box and stocking and I am making her an advent calendar with a little gift every day that I know she will love. I had masses of gifts growing up as well. She also gets spoiled by family.
I think everyone is different and what works for one family doesn't work for another.

I'm from NI but live in Yorkshire. I think I give more gifts than my English friends, but also I give my children far fewer things for the rest of the year. So they will have a big pile of gifts, but that will include necessary things like coats and shoes and pyjamas and clothes in general, and kit for sports and other hobbies and "vouchers" for activities that other people would just buy whenever.