Do your older children still get main presents?

[OhFortheLoveOv]

That’s it really? How much do you get yours, do you still buy main gift?
My eldest (22)has morphed into the not getting main gift category and now gets something new clothing wise (last year it was shoes) , sweets and a bottle of his favourite rum. Plus a stocking of Tat quality reasonably priced useful items.

Give him a budget and get him to send you a link to what he wants. One of my adult sons loves big Lego sets.

My adult children, the two who live in the UK at least, do still get a main present which is money and several small gifts to open at Christmas. It used to be £100 each but in recent years I’ve been able to afford more thanks to careful retirement planning and a small inheritance so I now gift them a larger sum. The amount varies according to my plans and spending, ie what is surplus to my expected needs in the year ahead.

My oldest son who lives in the US get a slightly larger amount as I don’t buy him presents as well.

Last Christmas I bought a cup cake cardboard box ( empty) from Lakeland and filled it will various edible presents such as sweets, cookies, a bread mix, chocolate etc as a joint present for my children and their partners. I also bought a couple of more personal items for them.

I love buying presents for my children, I spend a lot of time thinking about what to get them and am now swaying towards gifts that can be used rather than decorative tat! One year they got all sorts of garden gifts as they had both moved house recently.

My children also make an effort with my presents, as teenagers they became aware that as a single Mum, I got far fewer gifts than them or my married siblings so they started buying me several smaller things to open.

Im fortunate that I can afford to spend so much, when they were younger money was very tight and I was on a tight budget so I guess I am making up for those years.

I’ve got a granddaughter to spoil as well this year!

That is so lovely.

I’m unsure what I will do this year for my older adult sons 24 and 21 they have much more disposable income than us and buy what they want really
will do them a stocking they love them still and ask what they want rather than guess but a smaller budget.
young teen daughter will have a main as she wants a new iPad and then a stocking and bits I pick up that I know she likes mainly horse riding stuff

You all sound very lovely indeed @caringcarer. How wonderful that you all have each other and collectively put such thought and care into celebrating and treating each other and making life that bit nicer through the year. Good for you. Very inspiring and, as someone who hasn’t had that from their own family as a child (or adult!) but who strives to create it for their own children now, it makes me happy to hear. Bravo!

Me and my mum tend to spoil each other for Xmas as our partners are useless lol 😆 mostly, unless she buys herself what she wants my stepdad doesn't put in any effort. And she does so much for me and her grandkids, I want her to be able to have nice things to open on Xmas day and have surprises. I consider my presents from her main presents as she is thoughtful with her gift giving x

Ooh yeah, good idea. Why didn't I think of that? 😆 It was hard enough last year when he was 17. But still want to make it special regardless of age. Thank you for the tip 😊

My kids are late twenties.

We have a budget of about £250 for presents. They choose what they would like (usually a coat or a bag or a pair of boots) and because I aim for them to have, say, three things to open I also buy them some posh bubble bath and some perfume.

I also do a stocking with a couple of high end make up bits. The rest of it is little bits like chocolate, hand sanitizer, hand cream etc.

The ‘stuff’ has lessened, a few little treats as I realised I was buying things the DC’s didn't really want. Much of it provide them with some savings in their shopping ( toiletries, drinks etc) with perhaps framed photos or a framed poster if an event they attend.

The main gift changes year to year. Sometimes money, sometimes a ‘voucher/IOU’ - so that I pay towards a holiday, pay for a nights stay in a hotel or buy festival/show/concert tickets. This gives flexibility. I didn't want for them to expect money every year and that to be soaked into their own Christmas spend iyswim.

The voucher also means they ‘go and do’ rather than the money disappearing on nothing meaningful.

(and still do a stocking)

Mine are all adults but still get a main present, often something for gaming or other hobbies as none of them are high earners.

I’m hoping to be the same.

Weve never done a specific big present. We get what they ask for, sometimes they might ask for something that could be considered a main present. One year we got 1 DD a switch but all the other DD wanted was a £20 present, to her that was her main gift. For us it’s about equal quantity and them having lots of fun opening everything.

Dds are long grown up, but yes, , if I know there’s anything they specifically want, otherwise it’ll be cash, plus something relatively little to open.
I very recently bought dd2 a pair of very nice boots she chose after admiring my new similar. Advance 🎄present, she’s already wearing them, will get something minor to open on the day.

Last year the only thing dd1 could say she wanted was a new double kitchen bin! Ordered one night from John Lewis, delivered the next morning