Think the kids may be disapointed this year

[MrsSnape]

I know I'm being a bit daft with this...

But every year the kids wake up to a living room FULL of presents. I mean, you litrally cannot walk around, there are presents EVERYWHERE.

I always spend a stupid fortune on them, buying loads of stuff that I know deep down they won't bother with after 5 minutes and their grandma always buys them LOADS...as in car fulls of presents too.

After last year, ANOTHER year where the kids only bothered with the console games and nothing else...I decided enough was enough and I wouldn't be buying them much this year. Plus we're saving for a holiday so I've told them not to expect much.

So basically I've bought them a Wii to share. A few xbox 360 games, a few wii games, a couple of DVDs and clothes. Everything I have bought them is hidden behind the computer desk and nobody has noticed...that's how small the 'stash' is but I thought "it will still seem like they have loads when MIL buys her usual masses..."

Anyway MIL has just told me that she doesn't intend on buying anyone presents this year, she's just giving money instead so they can buy what they want.

So what is usually an entire room filled with presents is going to be a room with two small piles of presents.

I've told them they won't be getting much but at 7 and 9, I think they're still a bit young to realise why things are different this year.

Am I being daft?

ds 1 will be 4.5 come christmas and will finally get to grips with what christmas is. in our house father christmas fills the stockings and mummy and daddy give the big gifts (why should he get the credit??) there are of course a few really nice things in there but he needs to understand that there is a budget for everything in life and the thought of spending £270 on lego is mind boggling to me. we don't do big splurges at christmas because its so expensive for everything else (a round trip to see family takes three fill ups in the car...£200) decorations, nice food and wine, a trip to the theatre all adds up and this is ontop of normal monthly budgeting. dh and ds 1 are going sking over new year to s. france and the overnight train is £380 return (accom. free). that will be more memorable for him than another £200 of presents and presents are always boosted by what gps give.

I am staggered at the amounts people spend on their children at christmas. I only ever got one present and a stocking and christmas was always brilliant fun. Will be doing the same with dd

Notdoingthehousework why not sell the Wii and buy the Lego?

I think we build it up more than the kids, and i am in a similar quandry to you as i have bought my three dc's a wii to share, a game each and dont have money to get much else.Have been worrying that they wont get the same thrill of seeing a sea of pressies.

I am going to make more of the stockings this year and try to make them seem really special and magical and a bit more personal than usual. I am also not going to get stressed with shopping in the run up to christmas and am going to spend more time with them doing christmasy activities.and slobbing on sofa with them watching christmas films and eating chocolate!

less is more

loads of presents doesn't mean you love them more

bet they actually remember what they've been given and play with it if they don't have a room full of presents

only a Wii between them and a game each? poor depived things - NOT!!

Mine usually get one main present each (Are 4 and 2) and stccking fillers.I don't spend much on them TBH.

DS has been asking for loads of stuff he seen on the tv,this year,(The power of TV advertising,sigh)so have had to do a money doesn't grow on trees talk,and the "Lots of children don't get ANY presents" talk,whilst sounding like my mum.

I have told ds he can choose one main present and thats it,end of!.(Harsh mum emoticon)

Luckily he wouldn't know a PS3 if it bit him on the bum.(Yet)

I just can't believe people are worried there isn't a ROOM full of presents - it just smacks of the awful consumerism this country has succumbed to

thank goodness the end of it all is upon us

That's all they're getting?

We are having one (second hand) DS for all of us (so me, DH, DD & DS). I won the HSM goodie bag so am wrapping that individually. I raided Psychomum's toys for a few bits to give to them.

That is it. I have no idea how I am paying for family/friends gifts yet.

It is going to look sparse this year. My mum is in the same financial situation as us, so she is buying less. My dad isn't, but has cut the budget anyway (I appear to have pissed him off and I have no idea why ), my sister is getting them a bear factory bear each - one gift, but an outing etc too.

Money is tight. As long as there is happiness and chocolate, we'll be ok

I think it will be good for your kids NOT to get so much, find it quite disgusting the amount people spend on their kids and amount of consummerism that goes on at xmas.

tbh I am at the amount they are getting anyway.

Xmas should be about spending time with family not presents.

While mine are still little, I must admit (to my shame) that I love to see their faces when they see a room full of lots of parcels under the tree. We do try to be careful to buy only stuff they will enjoy and not just spend spend spend - but I still like a decent heap!
I despair of excess packaging usually but this Christmas I think that it will help to create a lovely bulky illusion. £2 plastic dressing up shoes in a huge bulky plastic box, gigantic cheapy art sets with felt tips arc around the top, individually wrapped tubs of playdough etc etc

there are others ways to have a lovely Christmas without a huge pile of presents - I just think it is doing children a disservice to make them so materialistic

Try horsey-gifts.com for loads of horse related ideas.

I havent read everyone elses responses, but there is a thing called gluttony, you know. Yes you are being daft. What you have bought so far is MORE than enough.

Im guessing also, the kids don't go without throughout the year either. If you want to spend money, Children in Need is coming up, chuck it all in that bucket

Oops - that ended up on the wrong thread!

NotDoingTheHousework I completely understand the whole lego thing, my 2 boys are star wars mad too and will be getting some smaller lego sets for christmas but I just wanted to say that from what I've seen the Death Star is so big and cumbersome that it probably isn't really practical as a toy for a smallish child anyway.

My understanding and the age on the box suggests that it may be more of a build and display piece rather than anything else. Looks good though, I'm getting a bit lego obsessed and may be putting it on my christmas list next year

Notdoingthehousework no one is equating it to child abuse however Mrs Snape was worried she had not bought enough. Most epople om the thread are shocked at how much she HAS bought which should reassure her. Reading the thread from last year it also seems as though it seems as though her ds is almost overwhelmed with the sheer amount of presents.

Nothing to do with what you can afford, it is oftem those that can afford a lot that don't indulge their dcs.

I do think that if they are old enough to have computer consoles then they are old enough to realise the cost of them. And if they're too young to understand that, get them the cheaper bigger stuff that fills the room.

Alternatively, bulk out the presents with cheap secondhand stuff from the local car boot sale.