How much on a tween?

[Sandtheedges]

What kind of amounts do you typically spend on your tween (girl)? Her dad and I are separated so we both get presents but also get joint ones if they’re main ones. We share the stocking cost too. I was thinking like £100-150 on stocking and £300 on main presents between us. Is that too much? What’s making it harder this year is there’s no ‘main present’ she wants!

I'm assuming tween means 12 rather than 9 and I feel this could be controversial but yes I think that's about right. Will depend on what she gets from grandparents too. That's similar to what we would spend but there would be some practical bits e.g nice shin pads, stuff for a ski trip, nice moisturiser, PJs etc. I think tween is a hard age because they want clothes etc but then also still need some more traditional present type bits like Lego, art stuff etc. We could spend more, especially if there was something big they needed but I think that feels about right.

It's so variable op.
Does anyone else buy for her ? Does the dad have other DC they spend on ? Are you both v comfortable and can get her clubs and activities ? Do you have savings for her ?

For my DC we have cut our cloth when older DD was very young she had many free toys or second hand.

Then we saved each month what we could afford at that time for Xmas eg 20 a month when we were struggling and now we can achieve several hundred. But I don't think there is 400 what can I buy I see what they like and buy it so if they wanted really cheap things that's all I would spend.

Probably around £200 on a main present and £100 on stocking fillers here.
He had an expensive iphone and a PS5 the previous 2 years so I don’t want the expectation to be set that he always gets a £500 plus gift. I think we will give a larger gift every few birthdays/christmases if there’s something he needs/really wants

No other children. Yes savings, yes comfortable. Yes, she has grandparents, aunties, uncles etc. She’s 11

I’m not buying rubbish for the hell of it, but everything just seems so very expensive these days!

I’ve spent £100 so far and all it is is a board game, a craft thing, two tops, and some little jewellery/ make up bits.

We never set budgets. DDs (8, 11 & 13) get 4 things on their Santa lists then get to ask us for 4 things, although this year they are all getting new dressing tables off us instead of gifts. As long as their main requests are met anything else we buy is a bonus and I always buy extra I can’t help myself.

We don’t do stockings, not in the sense others do, ours just get stuffed full of sweet treats and we’ve never really done a big main present thing either, everything fully depends on their lists.

So they’re all just getting one piece of needed furniture instead of presents? Nothing else at all?!

I think the other poster meant they ask for four things from their parents (but are instead getting a presumably expensive dressing table each) and they also get four things from their Xmas wish list.

I could have misinterpreted it.

Depends on what they have asked for as a main present. We probably spend between £200-£300 on the main present , if something like an iPad or PC and then about £100 on stocking fillers , but it can be less if it is a year when an expensive electronic hasn't been requested.

Yes this. Santa brings 4 presents and then we as parents get them 4 presents. They all wanted nice fancy dressing tables, led mirrors, usb ports and sockets built in. They have all chosen the ones they want. I have got them other bits but these are extras they haven’t asked for.

Every year they always get more but we decided a long time ago to control expectations, it may be one year their wish list is more expensive than others so by limiting what they ask for we make sure we can get everything plus any extras we can afford.

I’d spend more than that, especially if it’s split between you and her dad.

I don't think the number matters at all - what matters is what they want/need.

E.g. Forcing yourself to spend hundreds, if they don't want or need anything expensive is a stupid waste.

Equally forcing yourself to stay under an arbitrary budget (unless it is the max of what you can afford) when they want just one expensive thing (musical instrument, technology, equipment etc.) that is over budget, would also be silly.

Looking back on my Christmasses as a teen, some were very expensive, where I had specific needs, and others were not, and all of them were fine, because I was getting what I wanted/needed.

I think that is a hell of a lot of money to spend on one child at Christmas and it’s actually crazy how it seems to be normal these days.

my dd(12) has asked for a ninja creamie and a necklace. I will get her other things too. I don’t do stockings.
The ninja creamie alone will be about 200
necklace probably 70-80.
then clothes, skincare, and other treats will probably be another 400.
So about 700.

Stockings in our house are never more than about £20 - just some sweets/ chocolate and some stationery/ small novelties. Will then spend upto £200 on gifts. My DS is turning 11 at the start of December and I have DD who is 3 and will spend similar or maybe slightly less on her. DH and I always set a budget for each other too. As long as everyone has a few bits under the tree then everyone is happy.

We will likely spend around £500-600 on DD this year. But that is very much an exception and only because we still haven't given her a birthday present (April) as there was nothing she wanted or needed.

My usual max budget for the DC is £200 each, £100 for the stocking.

My son will be 15 next month and wants the 220 nasa icon Lego lol but also wants a fan for hes meta quest 3 at 90.00 nice and easy lol

We do a cheaper stocking (£25-£30) and probably a £400 gift

Mine are 12 and 15 and we try and balance so they get the same amount spent on them ie last year DS12 wanted a PS so DD got more smaller gifts.
We still ask them for Christmas lists, as I’d never guess what what in right now re clothes toiletries etc, me and DH choose what we can afford and then they have several members of the family that like to know what to buy them so I can then choose something price appropriate for that member and they get to give something wanted if that makes sense.