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Christmas

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Original poster

50+ presents for each child?

73 replies

d1156075795531b003508 · 13/11/2008 21:07

I just logged onto another parenting website and someone posted they had bought >50 presents for each of their children. Substantial ones, not stocking fillers.

To my surprise loads of people responding admitted to buying the same amount, many more between 30-50.

I can't think of 50 things, let alone the amount of time it would take to open them all!!!

We're all a bit tight on Mumsnet

OP posts:
choccyp1g · 13/11/2008 21:08

Could only have been the Dursleys.

lauraloola · 13/11/2008 21:08

What??? Dd is getting 5!

Maybe they added the contents of their stockings??

janeite · 13/11/2008 21:09

Ridiculous imho. What is it..a competition for who wants the most spoiled children? Or who's got the least sense? Or who wants the biggest pile of plastic crap cluttering up their house for the next few months before they break it all because they've got too many possessions to appreciate the value of any of them? Bah humbug!

Original poster
d1156075795531b003508 · 13/11/2008 21:13

lauraloola- definitely not including stocking fillers. These were all biggish presents!

OP posts:
lauraloola · 13/11/2008 21:14

Oh I didnt read that bit - That is just wrong, they will have to keep that up every year now. More fool them

Lilyloo · 13/11/2008 21:17

d11 how do you type that every time you log in!

Mnet not tighter just more sensible! Surely anyones dc would be bored opening that amount of pressies not to mention wrapping them

Original poster
d1156075795531b003508 · 13/11/2008 21:19

Lilyloo- I am just to lazy to find a nickname . My pc just remembers the number mumsnet gave me

OP posts:
Lilyloo · 13/11/2008 21:30

Poor thing you need a name

ChirpyGirl · 13/11/2008 21:32

I have bought DD's maybe about 10 each, but that is loads for us, and that includes stocking stuff. I thought I was spoiling them with that many!

Whitty · 13/11/2008 21:41

Thats ridiculous. Seriously.
My 2 have 2 main presents each, and a stocking filled with stuff, with around 20 bits in, like socks, toothbrush, books, chocolate etc...they are 3 and 18mths.

I'm happy with what they have. I don't feel I need to spend large amounts of money on my kids to make me look and feel better than any other mother. And I don't particularly want them growing up not being thankful for what they have either.

nametaken · 14/11/2008 08:36

Do you believe people who say they bought 50 substantial presents for each child. That works out atabout £2000- are these people the type that can afford that?

SpandexIsMyEnemy · 14/11/2008 08:52

DS has 10 - BUT in my defence 5 of them are books which I don't really see as presents, and the most expensive was a £10 wooden train set!

we're not tight here just have less money to flash about - or as I like to think, don't want spoilt little shites for kids!

KatieDD · 14/11/2008 09:00

Wow even in my most flush days mine had 20 max and that was when a huge rocking cow cost £50 so not big things.
I have seen kids who live in tower blocks get great big electrical jeep type presents so I do believe some people spend £2,000 on kids at CHristmas, if they only have the one maybe or have their priorities different (all wrong).

frazzled74 · 14/11/2008 09:05

have spent £500 between 3 dc's and i think that that is a bit OTT, really.dont think my house would hold 150 presents.

LunarSea · 14/11/2008 09:13

Maybe if you count the bag of chocolate coins for the stocking indivdually.... But seriously, usually one main present, a few smaller ones and a variety of stocking fillers at mostly no more than £1 each.

Buda · 14/11/2008 09:13

That is just ridiculous! We are thankfully comfortably off and just have one DS so could afford to go mad but there is NO WAY we would.

DS doesn't actually want much this year - as DH put it that is because he has so much already! So he will get what he has asked for- a PS2 game and a Nintendo DS game, a Champions League football (to add to the many footballs he already has!), Guinness Book of Records. He will get extras - stocking fillers obv, and some books and a board game of some sort. Last year he got much more but he really really doesn't either need nor want anything much this year.

50 presents is scandalous imv.

midnightexpress · 14/11/2008 09:18

That sort of extravagance makes me feel slightly nauseous, especially in the current economic climate.

It also seems to me like showing off to go on a website and say 'look at what I'm buying', however it's diguised. A bit like Loadsamoney, if anyone remembers him from before the last recession.

lizziemun · 14/11/2008 09:25

That's just being silly. I mean where do you put all the craap toys.

I was shocked when a mum at dd school was saying that she would be spending anout £6000 on her 6 kids for christmas.

SpandexIsMyEnemy · 14/11/2008 09:36

I guess thou £1000 per child - lets think - top of the range laptop?? £800?? new bike - £200??? maybe they buy them a new wardrobe set as well?

(seriously can't think why any child would need such an amount spending on them thou!)

I think even with all of the family pressies DS still won't even have half of that amount (and we have a HUGE family!)

bozza · 14/11/2008 09:46

I think we do all have different ideas about what constitutes a big present and what is a stocking filler. A CD for instance, big present or stocking filler? Actually I have probably bought DS about 20odd books - but they are mainly from the book people - so Narnia set - 7 books for £7.99 - makes an individual book stocking filler price but obviously 20odd books are not going to go in his stocking. Then I have bought pjs, 2 set of pants (although they will go in the stocking), a sticker book and we are nearly at 30 before we even think about toys or games. Although I suppose you could count the 7 Narnia books as 1 present as that is how they will be wrapped.

mincepiemadness · 14/11/2008 10:30

Thought I'd copy and paste a few of the posts from the aforementioned parenting website so you get the gist:

Roughly how many presents would you buy for your kids? At the minute DS1 has 17 presents, plus 6 books and his stocking and DS2 has 15 presents, 4 books and his stocking. Do you like to see a big pile of pressies waiting for your kids?

50 plus for my lot too. Im being more controlled this year but i cant say much for the rest of my family with my kids being my mums only grandchildren and my sisters only nephews.

i dont think it ever looks as much till you put it all in the one room

Credit crunch ...what credit crunch
My credit crunch waits till after crimbo!

Ours probably will have between 20-30 but nearer to 20 from us, thats just main pressies not the stockings at what others will get them.

Why are you and the pp assuming that if we buy 30+ presents they are tat? I wouldn't call Disney dvds, DS games, classical childen's books, board games that we can all play, good quality clothing etc.. tat...would you?

belgo · 14/11/2008 10:31

choccyp1g

KatieDD · 14/11/2008 10:34

These people will be the same prats crying at the CAB in January when the credit card bills hit the mat.
I'm sure they love seeing a big pile for their children under the tree but my question is how have they paid for it.

Surfermum · 14/11/2008 10:39

D115etc,etc why don't you become Iamnotanumber.

psychomum5 · 14/11/2008 10:44

50 main presents each???

that is insane (and I confess that I can go slightly overboard on my pressie buying).

this year they each have 5 gifts under the tree. plus a new outfit each. plus new PJ's for xmas eve, and then 10 things in their santa sacks and another 10 tiny gifts in their stocking. going on that, mine will have roughly 30 each!

however, the santa sack gifts are from bitz/the works/poundland ect (and I limit it to £10/£15 per child for the enitire lot), and stocking fillers are from the same places plus hawkins bazzaar.

the one beauty of places like poundland is that you can often get packs of three for £1, and as I have three girls, of course I do well with that......some pressies cost 33p.