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Christmas

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Original poster

Honest opinion- is this too much to get for dd xmas dp thinks it is

90 replies

lilymolly · 09/10/2008 19:53

DD is 3 in Jan
We dont really spend much on her at all throughout the year- plus she is getting new baby in March.

I was planning on getting her the following from dp and I

1 x trike £19.99 woolworths
1 x Pram and highchair set £29.99
1 x box lego £9.00
1 x dressing up cloths set £10
stocking fillers:puzzles, dvd etc £20 ish

Total: £90 ish

Is this too much?

DP thinks it is and that we should ask grandparents etc to buy one of the items so that she does not get too much.

Now I am all for not spoiling kids etc and the last 2 years where she has not really been aware of xmas we got her very little.

But this year she will be nearly 3 and I cant wait for her to open all her gifts.

I also think that I would like to buy her the presents she wants rather than other people- after all she is out PFB

For birthday she will be getting:
Scooter £19.99
Car Garage £20

Please come and give honest opinions please.

OP posts:
Original poster
lilymolly · 09/10/2008 21:04

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT I AM HAVING ANOTHER BABY FFS

I would be buying her the same if I wasnt pregnant - I only mentioned the baby as it will be our last xmas with just dd.
More of a factual statement rather than some deepseated psychological issue with us having a new baby

OP posts:
TsarChasm · 09/10/2008 21:04

Sounds ok to me. Christmas gets very exciting for them from here on in. Nothing wrong with enjoying her enjoying it all.

Spreading them out over Christmas is a good idea though and keeps the excitement going.

Very glad to hear you want to give her separate presents for her January birthday and not combining presents with Christmas. I am a January birthday too. It's very important that the birthday isn't washed away as part of Christmas.

ImnotMamaGbutsheLovesMe · 09/10/2008 21:06

I just wondered the relevance of the new baby coming that was all.

Kids really will just want the boxes and wrapping paper and there are millions of parents who wonder why they bought so much, that particular must have toy, etc when the child just plays with the box!

JustKeepSwimming · 09/10/2008 21:08

TC - ds2 is a january birthday (one of my first thoughts when i worked out my dates was poor thing!) so will have to work hard in the future to separate the two - will be 1 next year so not too much pressure this time!
although anything i don't think of before christmas i can get in the sales i guess!

FangolinaJolly · 09/10/2008 21:13

Oh, do what makes you happy

My personal opinion is it is quite a lot.Ususally ds gets one main present,max cost about£20- £30 ditto dd.Then they get lots of little stocking fillers (crayons,bubbles,paper,small toy cars/dolls,books,play doh,paints).Otherwise we would be plastic overloaded

(They both have birthdays in late Nov so it gets quite costly.)

MegBusset · 09/10/2008 21:18

It seems like quite a lot to me -- we are just going to get DS one big thing and a few little stocking fillers. She will be just as excited opening small presents and I think it's good for them to learn that Christmas is not about spending lots of money.

pofaced · 09/10/2008 21:18

I'm afraid I'm with your DP - I have 3 DDs and so have had 3 3 year old Christmases. I wouldn't get a bike and a pram: get one or the other and get her the other when the baby arrives. By March she'll be a bit older/ weather better somaybe that's a better time for a bike?

NappiesLaGore · 09/10/2008 21:20

oh, and i think "stocking fillers:puzzles, dvd etc £20 ish" is a bit unrealistic imo/e. stockings and dvd's both cost way more than that.

LaDiDaDi · 09/10/2008 21:22

I don't think it's too much, I think it sounds lovely.

MegBusset · 09/10/2008 21:24

There is a danger with setting a precedent for getting loads of stuff. I have friends who have always got huge amounts of presents for their four children. As a result the kids have no appreciation of any of it and any new stuff gets shoved in a cupboard and never played with. In the end I have stopped getting them presents because it's just not valued.

IMO it is far better for kids to have a few toys that are cherished and loved, than loads of stuff that they never have time to play with. But I'm old-fashioned like that

frumpygrumpy · 09/10/2008 21:25

Well, FWIW (as if I haven't said enough already), I buy heaps for my 3 children. I don't buy much through the year but Christmas.........I adore the magic of them coming downstairs and finding heaps of things under the tree. It is magical and it doesn't last for long. As soon as the magic of 'Santa' is over its gone.

I had a very, very, very sick DD1 one Christmas and very late on, in hospital, on Christmas Eve she cried. She had asked when was Christmas Eve and I told her it was 'now'. She broke her heart saying she hadn't written a list or told Santa she'd love a great big teddy bear. She was 4, nearly 5.

I phoned my darling big brother who, at 4.30pm on Christmas Eve dashed to Jenners (was big family run department store in Edinburgh) and bought the most gorgeous cuddly teddy.

She was allowed out of hospital for one night, at 9pm on Christmas Eve. It was a horrible time for us all. But OMG! When I carried her down the stairs on Christmas morning and she saw that teddy..............

It was magical.

You can't pay for that. All the plastic in the world goes out the window when you see and hear the delight from your adored children.

I say, spend whatever you can afford and make it wonderful. [soppy git]

TsarChasm · 09/10/2008 21:30

Oh Frumpy that was a lovely post.

I am with you 100%. I love Christmas especially since having the dc.

You can go through life being too practical sometimes. Do it and enjoy it I say.

minorbirdOnElmstreet · 09/10/2008 21:46

I think we kind of carry on the traditions of our own xmas's don't we? Or at least I do, I used to get a big santas sack full and so do the same for DD. My list looks like yours but thats just the one I show DH. In reality, there will be other 'bargains' and 'must haves' along the way. I love xmas!

ScareyBitchFeast · 09/10/2008 21:50

i woudl spread it out, over birthday, or perhaps other relatives

Original poster
lilymolly · 09/10/2008 22:07

Ok decision made

Will hold back the pram/car set thingy until baby is born in March when it will be given as a gift from baby

Keeping bike back for then will be no good as I will not have time with newborn to trudge around village with toddler on bike

Everything else is staying!!

I Love xmas too and love seeing everyones face when they open their pressies, including the adults and of course me

Thanks everyone for your honest feedback

OP posts:
nooka · 09/10/2008 23:19

Sounds very sensible. I haven't even thought about presents, but as we will be spending $5k getting back from Canada to see family all presents will have to be pretty notional. Luckily I think that Christmas is mostly about spending time with your family and friends, and that's what we'll be doing. We will have lots of snow though, so I think the kids should be fairly happy. I'm glad we don't do the Santa stuff and the children are old enough to understand the options (ie either lots of presents or seeing family/friends).

WeLoveFabio · 10/10/2008 06:53

LilyMolly, that sounds perfect

Meg, I know what you mean - our last house was so cluttered and everything just got broken and trampled really. He had so much stuff.

People stopped getting him anything as it would just get ignored or lost in the mess, it was horrid.

I have got a fair bit of back pedalling to do now in order to reeducate ds in the value of 'things', and it isn't going to be that easy. Strong words needed with my parents...

lizziemun · 10/10/2008 08:00

Lilymolly

I don't think it is to much. Like you we don't tend to buy big things through the year. but we spoil our 2 at birthdays and christmas.

seeker · 10/10/2008 08:13

My children have, I am sad to say, never been overwhelmed by a pile of presents!

seeker · 10/10/2008 08:15

That didn't read the way I meant it - they have had HUGE piles of presents and have never been overwhelmed by them. I wasn't presenting my children as latter day Tiny Tims!

belgo · 10/10/2008 08:18

I personally think it is too much to give - I would just give one big present and several smaller presents, so it's a good idea to hold back on the pram until the new baby is born.

ErnestTheBavarian · 10/10/2008 08:26

justkeepswimming,

my dss birthday is 2nd January! I felt so bad for him, but actually, it's not as bad imo as a december birthday, and perks the family up after the post christmas lull, no difficult separating the 2 BUT his cards/present from family (all distant) can get forgotten /late & at that time of year no chance for last minute rescue bids, so just need to train family up to sending cards etc in dec together with Christas stuff, but keep hidden of course.

lillymolly, congrats on new baby in spring & glad you came to a decision.

seeker · 10/10/2008 08:31

My dd's birthday is 21st December. When she was 5 I invited her whole class (30 children) to a party. They all came, and I had really truly not think about the presents. I was certainly overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of 30 presents in our small living room 4 days before Christmas, but dd wasn't! She still remembers it!

WeLoveFabio · 10/10/2008 08:52
HappyMummyOfOne · 10/10/2008 10:07

Frumpy, what a great post - bet that teddy was well loved.

I go overboard at xmas for DS, its a special day and its nice to spoil him. DH leaves the shopping mainly to me but does order the odd thing for him or suggest items I may not have thought of.

As long as everyone is happy with their choices and their xmas, it doesnt matter if there are 1 or a 100 presents.

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