Does this look equal? I’m panicking for no reason I’m sure but please help

[Positivenancy]

OK, so attached I have a picture of my DC’s Christmas gifts laid out on the bed! I definitely think the left-hand pile looks like more and it is more, 22 in total but some v v small, compared to the other pile which is 14.

Now their dad does have some gift for them also that we will add to those piles. I just don’t know how many he has for each of them, so assuming he has equal amounts that means my DD will still have more. Maybe I should get my a few other small things like a pack of football cards etc?!

1st world problem I know!!
also I don’t do stockings…so this is it.
help 🤣😅

Because Anthony goes in my house and DS will love it!

Anything..not Anthony! Don’t know who he is 🤣

Last year my daughter wanted a luxurious fluffy bedding set and that was the only one that would look right in her room apparently lol anyway she got it for Christmas because there's no way I'm spending 40 quid willy nilly on bedding for her and it's not a present, when she was little she got bedding sets for Christmas too with her favourite characters on. Just to add she always has adequate bedding all year round so buying a nice bedding set for Christmas isn't odd at all

Is this a normal number of gifts for kids???? Honest question as dd is 3 and hasn't cared until now but this year is getting 3 gifts (and I thought that was too many...). Do kids care more as they get older? When I was a kid we got 1 present and then a stocking which was mostly fruit, sweets and pencils!

Yes, my kids probably get about 50 each but I wrap allsorts up they only get one main expensive present the others are cheaper toys, games, arts and craft stuff, clothes, hair and beauty stuff etc they like having lots to open and we don't take it in turns to open presents they just dive in.

The question doesn’t make sense. You say the left-hand pile looks like more and it is more and your question is Does this look equal? it doesn’t and you know it doesn’t.

Is your question “does it matter that this isn’t equal?” I’d say it depends on your DC. Are they old enough to understand and to accept that more in quantity is not the same as value?

Thanks @HoppityBun i think I have rectified it suitably now with the extra things ordered and I’m going into town today so I’ll get some sweets etc. thank you

@showersandflowers i have no idea but it’s normal for my family and I got the same. As I said in my main post i dont do stockings…I just get the bits the need and want etc and wrap them. It can be anything from a jigsaw to bedding or hair clips or a book.

What’s your unwrapping routine? Take it in turns or dive straight in?

dive straight in, but there naturally seems to be little breaks between some of them.

Instead of spending yet more money on yet more presents, take some away from the bigger pile to equal them out, then give them to the relevant child for their birthday.
I have to say though, it’s concerning that parents think they have to buy the exact same number of presents for each child ‘for fairness’. The overspending at christmas is utterly bonkers!

On thinking this there’s definitely one I could keep for march for my dd. We’re going to Paris on a girl’s trip for my birthday and her birthday and one of the gifts there is a 3D Eiffel Tower puzzle…I’ll keep that.

I have a spreadsheet and spend the same amount on each dc. I've explained that if they ask for expensive items there will be fewer presents. They're slightly older than yours.

It’s not that I don’t/cant set a budget it’s just that i wouldn’t have fun having them open one/two gifts…I really enjoy the wow factor and the craziness of opening all the presents. I suppose I didn’t have to but the PlayStation either so I just feel like I don’t see it as my ds has had lots spent on him.

It does look unequal and your options are to either buy more little bits for ds, get rid of a couple for dd or put a couple of things for both in a gift bag, say 3 gift bags each (but dd has 2-3 presents in each one and ds has 1 present) It’s just so the pile looks less and vaguely matches up!

It’s easier when they’re smaller but you do get a large range of gifts. I personally do a smallish stocking with hair stuff, face masks, bath stuff that sort of thing and then 8-10 ‘proper’ presents. Less if they’re getting a big gift. I try and make sure that vaguely they’ve got something to wear, a crafty present and a game of some kind whether it be computer or board, then I have a look at their wishlists and buy a couple of things to make them happy!

With my older 2 (10 and 14) I try and ‘match’ the presents. So one has a jellycat, the other has some sort of soft toy, one has skincare, the other has hair care or whatever but their tastes are very similar!

Put some of the small things in a gift bag

I'm torn.
My kids get the same number of presents. That's usually 3 from us, plus another from my parents. So it would be very, very, noticeable if someone had less. It isn't always equal on value - we've been very clear the year DS1 got a laptop, that DS2 would get one when required/desired not just now to even things up.

I think your idea of grouping together some bits from the greater pile is the best one. But equally, could some of the e.g. socks and hair clips just get given to the child in Jan when they run short? Or are they special ones, so an upgrade from when they would get when they snap the final hair clip?

People commenting that who cares about it being equal…. Have you met many under 10 siblings? All mine did was grumble that it wasn’t FAIR most of the time 😂

This is what we do. The picture makes me feel a bit dizzy!

Mine have to fair amount to open. I’ve got 3 aged from 7-13. The 7 year old is still in to big boxed toys where as the teen is in to Nintendo games. Whilst I’ve explained over the years that big plastic toys are way bigger than Nintendo games, I do try to keep the amount to open the same.

I have 3 DD’s (9,11,14). They take it in turns to open their gifts (so we can all ‘appreciate the present’), so there has to be the same amount….but money wise, I don’t keep
tabs at all. In your boat I would go to the pound shop and buy bits like hair clips, tlblerone, bubble bath, pig pack of fave crisps etc.

I'd struggle, really really struggle to come up with anywhere near 50 gifts of any description for my boys. I definitely think girls are much easier to buy little bits for.

At the moment my boys have 6 things each from us (inc books and selection boxes), and 6 things from extended family.
I really think I should get my youngest some extras but don't want to buy clutter and struggling really struggling to come up with any sensible ideas.

This is not tradition for us, it wasn’t for me either…I’m nearly 40 and I’ve never received a stocking and one present.

Yeah i have girls definitely easier to buy for as i wrap things like a pack of hair bobbles which are like a quid. Boys I would struggle