Do you follow the want, need, wear and read Christmas present rhyme?

[ricketybeauty]

Does anyone else try to stick to the "Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read" rhyme/ theology (??) of presents? From Mum and Dad at least!

I've tried to the past couple of years - maybe gone for 2 x want presents and then a present from Santa and stocking as well. The year I was pregnant with my second, I went absolutely mad and got her tons of stuff and opening really felt like something we had to get through rather than enjoyable.

But, my point really is what do other people do for the "something they need element"?

A few years ago I helped at a Christmas Grotto.
One child aged about 5 asked Father Christmas for an electric toothbrush.
Would that be a need or a want 😂🤔
The need thing is actually really easy because children obviously do need new underwear/socks, new toothbrushes, toiletries like bubble bath, felt tip pens etc and they absolutely love recieving them as gifts.
Obviously not boring grey school socks but ones with Bluey or Pokémon on are the best thing ever if you are a kid (or in fact an adult too 😂).
I always think Christmas gifts are a time for nice treats and getting new things.
For me it's a tradition to get new socks etc.
I don't think the "need" part is mean.

No, too miserable for me to strictly follow that rhyme. I don't give piles of tat though and do buy my dd a couple of things that she needs like new pjs etc and a book or two.

Does the rhyme actually exist anywhere other than on here? Has anybody heard it elsewhere?

I buy my daughter more than 4 gifts, so I don't stick to it in that sense. I do try to buy a mix of stuff, always including at least one book; I do tend to include things like underwear and night clothes; there will be some "useful' stuff like craft items, note books etc And of course some totally frivolous stuff she will like - plushies etc.

But this is not based on the rhyme, it's just that I love to give her a range of stuff.

I think that, unless families are living in hardship, it does seem a bit mean to only give four gifts, most of them practical in some way.

I think I unknowingly follow this, I have made it tradition to get socks and pajamas in their stocking, I always get them a couple of books as reading is very important to us, and then they do the usual list to Santa which we get something/things from for the want aspect. As my kids get older and want particular clothes these will no doubt form their prey as well, like my son has asked for Minecraft shoes and clothes, and although I have got these for his birthday I didn't count them in the budget if that makes sense

I don't do this.
I guess i would say I focus on the 'want' element as in my mind birthdays and Christmas should be about getting things they wouldn't normally/would take a long time to save for. So I guess this might include wear if your kids are into brands and wanted expensive trainers for example, but I wouldn't be trying to fit into categories.
I also think my way around it is buying what's on their lists (within reason) and within a set budget. If their lists come to less than I expect that's a bonus!

To add when young I did buy lots of stuff I thought they would like, or just impulse buys which is now why I try to stick to a list.
Mine are 10 and 11 so want big items this year which makes it easier as I can't afford anything else!

I just looked at my DC’s lists.
”Needs” include a headset for the PC to replace a broken one, an electric drum kit to practice on, trainers, football boots, footballs, sewing machine, exercise equipment, laptop…. All are also wants, some are also wear.
”wear” includes clothes, trainers, jewellery, sports kit, make up… some are also need , all are also want!
”wants” includes things they don’t know they want yet
The most severely dyslexic doesn’t have a read…

I would agree with this too. I wouldn’t only buy four presents for my younger children. No issue with others doing so but that’s not for me. But they get a range of categories across gifts, obligatory socks in their stocking, they usually get some character clothes that they will like, books of course, but we are always buying those anyway, lots of craft materials and Lego, and then toys and things to play with.

Perhaps the rhyme works better with older children when something they ‘need’ might be a new phone or something more expensive and something to wear is a piece of designer gear, etc. Because having four presents and one of them just being a pair of PJs or something for a 5yo seems a bit mean! My kids don’t really get excited about clothes though.

No I hate the poem because 'gifts' should not be necessaries for kids, those are parents jobs. Plus people following the poem are never true to what it says so it pointless.

Sometimes theres a bit of overlap exception with gifts like say a kid wants a Disney princess dress up outfit thats not everyday clothing etc... but in general normal day to day clothes and especially anything that you could class a 'needs' aren't something that should be gifted.

Usually most kids get newer/nicer everyday stuff like clothes and toiletries around Christmas anyway as parts of different family or cultural traditions or just through need which aren't gifts but just new stuff for the new main season change (summer clothes in winter aren't suitable so you get new clothes through the season etc...).

If the poem is taken at face value to do 4 'gifts' and have most of them be 'necessities' that are wrapped up and presented as something they should be thankful to your parents for when its something your parents 'need' to provide seems so depressing and narcissistic.

It always seems like people try to twist it, especially on mumsnet to force it to fit into the poem by making 'need' something that actually an expensive hobby item or luxury electronic but those aren't 'needs', those are lifestyle choices and therefore 'gift' wanted to go with that. If someone can afford and want to get their kid a new Iphone then just do it but they don't need to pretend they are more consumer conscious and buying the less and it was only things they 'needed' when really they likely spent more than many overall on a luxury not necessary item.

It also always turns out that its more than 4 things when people start talking, they will class 1 big thing and the 10 separate accessories to go with it as '1 gift' and often have stockings/sacks with a collection of 'smaller gifts' instead of standard stocking fillers in or they have massive families who buy load of gifts so their kid gets one thing from them and dozens from grandparents, aunts/uncles, family friends etc...

Often when you dig on mumsnet it tends to be the people who spend and/or receive the most that claim they only do the poem and it seems so disingenuous that I don't get the whole smoke and mirrors of pretending to do less when really they aren't.

If you really do want to do 4 presents then really all 4 should be things you kid wants, not stuff crammed in just to fit into a twee poem. If your kid really wants a one thing its fine to have that be the one main thing, you don't need to pair it with unnecessary socks, jocks and lynx bath set (assuming you do provide your children these necessaries and aren't sending them to school unwashed and with no underwear) wrapped up just to tick off boxes on a poem, you would be better off spending that £10 or so on extra accessories for the main gift or another smaller item or two they wanted.

I can see it maybe working for adults though maybe where you have to buy your own clothes and necessaries and gifts start to become more practical but still its better to get just what they want not try and buy a book for a non reader for the sake of it etc...