50+ presents for each child?

[d1156075795531b003508]

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

yuck, its a bit naeseating isn't it? We have made a 'rule' (for DH and I) that each child gets 3 gifts, a la the gifts the wise men brought Jesus. Because we don't think Christmas is all about presents, but I don't think we can reallly teach our kids that if our example proves otherwise.

By the time they get gifts from other family member and friends, they get more than enough anyway, and it means we can concentrate out time and money on getting them a coupl of lovely things (this year they are getting a playmobil campervan, as we are curently on a 4 months long trip in our Bongo camper)

The other thing is, it frees up a little money to buy them the odd book, toy or 'just because I love you' gift during the rest of the year.

ok katie you old cynic u - they might have a xmas club?

Thanks Surfermum, I am now mincepiemadness. When Xmas is over I'll keep that in mind for my new nickname

Mine get 6 each, plus those from rellies, not all big- book included for example

d1156075795531b003508 i thnk you should adopt FormerlyUntypable as your username

So is a dvd/cd/book a big present or not?
I tend to get all of those on cheap offers or ebay etc & we end up with loads at that size & similar with clothes (usually what they need anyway)
Dd2s 'big' present is a pile of Dr Who figures.which aren't big or expensive so what do they come under?

wow.... i'm feeling a bit about the amount of presents my 2 DC's have got for xmas...

between them i've bought them a garden playgym, a playhouse, a see-saw, a table and chairs set and a v-tech console thingy (smile console??)....

Then they each have 2/3 large presents, DD has a disney princess throne, keyboard and microphone set and a big barbie fairy set. DS has 2 large Hot wheels sets and a matchbox lego type ship thing...

Then they each have stocking fillers consisting of new toothbrushes, socks, slippers, couple of hot wheels cars for DD and baby magic feeding bottles for DD...

Then each of them have about 20 items of clothing (so i dont have to buy it ready for next summer) and about 10 other presents which consist of colouring books, story books, doll for DD, spiderman clock for DS...

And they will each ahve a pair of PJ's for xmas eve.

HOWEVER- i have worked it all out and i've spent under £400 in total between them... I managed to get lots in sales at the end of august. DH gets paid 4 weekly, and the mortgage is paid monthly, so each year we have one payday when we dont pay the mortgage... we used all the mortgage money to fund the xmas presents.

As a child we always got lots of presents, but about half of them were clothing, so i have been brought up thinking this was normal!!!

MY lo's are getting 5 each ,plus stocking fillers .

50 is ridiculous.

They could always be lying?

I know that, as a mner, I am supposed to buy my kids an apple, a satsuma and a spinning top but I must admit I do love to see a HUGE pile of pressies under the tree and I am ALWAYS disappointed when they are opened because it never looks like much. (They get maybe 20 things each. ish.)

If I had the money, I'd be one of those people you all hate who buys their kids a hundred presents.

I would. I admit it. [unrepentant]

My DS is getting one main present from us and a stocking (and presents form family). What is the point of getting more- Then it just becomes stuff. what are these parents trying to prove?? How rich they are ? How much they love there kids?

Hecate- i feel the same!! I mean the boxes take up so much room, and when out of boxes etc it never looks like much...

I feel ashamed when DH goes on about how much i've bought... nut i just can't help it!!

We're far from loaded!! And i admit all the clothes were bought at the end of the summer sales, in next summers sizes for them... BUT as they only have about 3 big toys each i doubt it'll cause much harm... the rest are small bits, books for their bookshelf, or clothes which will all get used and not take up much room

I think if you came from a (relatively) impoverished childhood (as I did) perhaps you tend to overcompensate with your own kids. DD has about 5-6 main presents plus stocking fillers (costing £300 probably in all, maybe a bit more). I'm a bit embarrassed about spending this much, although we can afford it and compared (for example) to what the Beckham children might get it is the equivalent of a few nuts and satsumas in a stocking!! Personally sitting opening presents all day is not my idea of a magical Christmas though which is (in part) why I will limit the no. of gifts.

I must admit that we have ALWAYS gone over the top at christmas...i buy DP about 15-20 pressies..last year he bought me 22.
The dcs get anything between 30-50 from us depending on what they are plus stocking fillers...my parents always buy them about 20 each and my brother spends about £150 each on them too

It's just the way we are and my dcs are not spoilt (imo anyway)

We do around 50 for dd between us and mil/sil, BUT this will include things like cheap books, bedsocks, drywipe pens, poundland goodies, etc.

We all have at least 50 pressies each. Half of mine will probably be soaps, tissues in pretty boxes, cottonbuds, cinema night boxes (a box with popcorn, glasses, coke, a dvd, chocolate, etc), bedsocks, etc.

It sounds excessive, but we mix practical stuff, that we use through the year, with a bit of daft stuff and a handful of really nice pressies, so everyone has lots to open on Christmas Day.

We did this before we had kids and I have to say, it really put the magic back into Christmas for me You never know whether your next pressie will be a hideous pile of pap or something you really, really wanted.

I love Christmas

But 50 real presents? Lordy, that would be bonkers!

Mine are getting a DS between all of us, plus about 3 v little things (DD is getting the HSM3 comp prize, DS a few bits I swiped from Psycho).

I am worried. It is the first year that DS gets xmas, we are not going to be at home, and it just feels shit.

I prob wouldn't buy 50 main presents even if I had the money, but just a few would be nice.

How did I end up on here?? I hid xmas

I genuinely hope that these people can afford these gifts and that they will take the time to enjoy some of them with their DCs...

I was last Christmas when a newish friend gave her 2 dds a wii with all of the extras, a Nintendo DS (each) with oodles of games, rabbits (cage and all), clothing, various dolls (American Girl ones valued at $100 EACH) and trimmings, a small library of books which was justified as we live abroad but there are libraries here...

This particular family have declared bankruptcy back home and might lose their house in the process. It is . I highly doubt that any amount of gifts could make up for this kind of instability in a child's life.

It is NOT worth it.

( Caddy! Hi)

Hi Astro! What are you doing on here?

Are you in my neck of the woods again soon?

{you are here! I see you. How are you??? We are in the loire now...can you come? Did you see my news on t he other thread]

Sincere apologies for the hijack...

Astro: News? What news? I am off to check.

I would love to see you. Will you be in Paris or Belgium? Hmmm...What else is near enough for a visit?

Apostrophe I love the three gift rule! Have never thought of that before, but will consider it when I am buying presents for DC for the first time next year (I am getting excited way in advance lol!)

Madness.

Our children get few, but large and very nice, presents. I don't want to fritter away money on lots of crap and I don't want to give them that example, either.