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've always done big birthday parties and xmases and wasn't on benefits (well was for 1 year once)... low income/working class but not benefits.

I always get them a lot of presents. Well over 15. I think because my parents did for me and my siblings and so we do the same. Having said that pretty much every one I know does too. We're in London

Yes, it was easy when DS was three or younger. I got him a second hand push along walker as his first Christmas present and other toys from charity shops as a toddler. Could never find much once he was four or older though.

I'm in Scotland and give that but grew up in NE England didn't get as much. Not sure that wasn't just a 80s / 90s thing though?

I grew up in North East England but now live in the North West. 15+ presents is pretty normal in the families I know.

For example, DS has 2 "big" presents. One from us and one from Santa.
Then he has a sack filled with smaller gifts. This is 3-4 smaller toys (kinetic sand, wooden birthday cake), 3 books, 2 jigsaws and 2 or 3 practical gifts. So less than half is plastic and none is tat.

This is separate from his stocking which holds 5-10 smaller things. This is sweets, socks, craft bits and a couple of "proper" small toys (a toy traffic light and a recorder - because clearly I've gone mad 😅).

Total cost less than £150. I've no doubt that the sack will be harder to fill as he gets older, but I like a challenge!

He might not open it all or appreciate it all on Christmas Day, but will over the course of a year. I bought a gift for his birthday in October that I thought was a dud as he'd never touched it. He rediscovered it 2 days ago and has played with it non stop!

I'm from London. My kids will get about 15 each under the tree plus a stocking.

That's it theres 12 months (a whole YEAR) between christmases, the kids dont have to play with everything ON xmas day.

My kid get a variety of things and discover and rediscover them on and off again and again all year.

I give at least 15 gifts (of varying size). Am in Northumberland.

We always got ds loads when he was younger. Over compensating for me only getting 1 present and some chocolate as a 1970s child from a large family with one wage coming in and also because there is only ds to buy for.

We don't do much at birthdays or throughout the year but love spoiling him at Christmas.

@mam0918 @Athenen0ctua

Our Freecycle has always been hit and miss up and down .

You need to keep an eye on it and I was also a member of our surroundings areas so not just one town.

Loads of towns near us I kept an eye on. At that stage I was also furnishings my house and was a sahm so had that time to really be on it.
And collect quickly.

Our garden furniture, wardrobes, some antique decorative pieces have all come from Freecycle including stunning mirror's.
We have had plenty of dud's as well but overall it's been amazing for us.
It's ironic that the more expensive antique proper wood piece's lift the cheaper IKEA we have!

We've done so well out of free stuff and another place to look is just Facebook selling site's.

I try and sell stuff first sometimes but then it doesn't shift I free cycle it. So I've also given away lots and lots of quality puzzles and games, really nice brand's, french stuff etc and beautiful clothes I couldn't sell.

I've been let down and also let people down,that's the flow of it .

People get Very hung up about it and pompous about what they are giving away but at the same time many people use it as a garbage collection site!

I've always tried to be easy going, polite,bget in first,collect quickly.
But as I said atbfhat time I was a sahm and I did sort of make it my job to source this stuff

Lincolnshire, England.
Around 50 gifts each ranging from an iPad to a selection box.

SE England and mine have 8 presents each plus stocking.

They will also get presents from family so will get 20 + presents each if you include those

It’s a huge class thing.

I grew up with WC parents, Irish mum & always got tons.

DH is upper MC, grew up overseas & only ever got 2-3 presents.

We are somewhere in the middle for DS. He’s only two so will get tons overall, plus a Christmas birthday, so we’ve got him about 6 presents but will rotate them in throughout the year.

I grew up really poor and we got 1 main present and a stocking. In Wales but Mum was English. DH got 1 or 2 main presents and a sack/pillowcase of stocking presents.

My DCs get 1 main present or 2 or 3 cheaper main presents, depending on what they ask for. Plus a game to share (usually opened Christmas eve), PJs each, book each, so usually 3-5 things under the tree. Stocking used to be little toys and plastic stuff but now tends to be more useful things like new underwear or belts or toiletries with the odd slightly more expensive small item like headphones or something and sweets, chocolate and a can of Monster (teens now).
Definitely at the more minimal end compared to many, but more than I got as a child. We're working class living in the SE (for now).

I live in England, am originally from the US. I will be giving my daughter one large gift most likely, as well as a stocking. She has too many things already.

About 10 actual presents to open (not including chocolates, hair bobbles etc). I spend about £250/275 on each kid. In SW London

Ours get a stocking of 8-10 gifts but this will include a book, a small game (top trumps etc), a lego figure as well as pants, socks and sweets.

They will also have a gift from us under the tree and if the gift needs other things to go with it they will get those as well e.g. this year our two are getting a switch between them and a game each (although this was paid for with a couple of years worth of nectar points). So I guess one and a half tree presents each. But over the years some gifts have been v cheap (last year's tree present for each of them was only £13) and we have many cousins that provide hand me down toys that are used as main gifts too. E.g. a huge brio train set was given to us by SIL so we could give that to our DS one christmas. We are now doing the same for my nephew. Some presents have been through three children across the extended family. Any large tree presents that are bought, e.g. bikes, are always second hand (and then are passed down through the children as well).

It isn't that we can't afford more, but we choose to spend the money we save on other things. Experiences through the year, extra curricular clubs, holidays etc. Plus we have one DC who is really only into lego, and another DC who has never been into toys at all so a limited numbers of gifts plus experiences seem the way to go.

I have no idea what other people do for gifts around here (hampshire) but if their child loves a pile of gifts and they can afford it then that sounds like a great idea!

DS is getting some second hand brio and some small things (socks, snow glove, Peppa pig sticker book, books, snacks) and that's it. We are definitely MC but simply don't have the money for any more than that without raising our savings. Also contributing to family Xmas so just don't have endless money

Altogether my kids will have that much but that's from all relatives, us and santa. We are north east Scotland too.

South west, 10 gifts and a stocking.

North West here.
2 main ones, several smaller ones but still too big for stocking.
If I’m honest, I start buying from Aug/Sept and put them away. If you’ve heard of The Entertainer / Toy Shop - sign up to their birthday club. You get a 20% discount code emailed before the birthday and you can register 4 children I think. Also gives 20% off sale goods too. So the majority of what I have bought has had some form of discount 😅

Will get the stocking fillers closer to the time. Clothes, pj’s etc aren’t included as no 4 year old wants to open a present to find a new jumper or socks 😕

Why not?? My girls have always loved having interesting new clothes alongside more frivolous gifts!
Character jammies/pants etc…. Never been a disappointment round here!!

I’m Scottish from the central belt and working class. My Dc get one big present each from me and a couple of stocking filler gifts. # bucking the trend

DS loved character pyjamas or a t-shirt when he was little as well. Everyday clothes were second hand or affordable basics.

They've got about 5/6 presents each from us plus a couple of joint ones. We're in the South West.
I haven't done the Santa things yet but it will just be small things plus sweets and chocolates...the main presents are from us and the grandparents. Have definitely cut back this year, not even due to money particularly, they just get too much stuff 🤷‍♀️