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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Has anybody else two children of same sex close in age and ended up buying two sets of nearly every present?

58 replies

emkana · 13/12/2008 23:40

It's insane really, but the dd's are incredibly aware of what the other one gets and they are into the same things.

Therefore the vast majority of presents for them is identical.

OP posts:

debbiewebweb · 14/12/2008 09:47

I do a bit of both, main presents are different but stocking fillers will be same/similar and they each will have a fureal cat off my sister. The rest they will share - eventually - I think they are allowed to want their own on christmas day so the other one will have to wait their turn.

Umlellala · 14/12/2008 09:53

My sister and I used to lots of things the same in our stockings (her red, me blue -STILL her fave colour is red, mine blue, brainwashed...) but think it was more down to my mum not having to think of so many present ideas!

(so with you Seeker, on the having to share and buying kids gifts when it isn't their birthday )

ChippyMyrrhton · 14/12/2008 09:55

I tend to buy similar but not identical stuff for DS1 & DS2 and DD, who are all a year apart. If they fancy someone else's item, it's up to them to negotiate swaps. And they are pretty good at sharing anyway.

MummyDoIt · 14/12/2008 09:58

My DSs are 14 months apart but I don't buy doubles of anything except small stocking fillers. They like a lot of the same things so share those then also get things for their individual interests. If we do get any arguments, the rule is they get first go of their own presents but then are expected to take turns.

DasherDancerPrancerFMVixen · 14/12/2008 10:14

yup! 8 and 10 (though one turns 11 next week) and even the stockking fillers have to be same/similar to avoid fights
Both getting lego as main pressies.

Fennel · 14/12/2008 10:20

Interesting thread. my 3 dds are close in age and the older two (17 months apart) do fight quite a bit, but not over presents. I get them different things, and sometimes things to share, it's not really an issue. Dd1 has more Sylvanian stuff and Animal hospital, dd2 has most playmobil, dd3 has more polly pocket.

I use tips from Siblings without rivalry about sharing, I get them to decide how they'll share something like time on the computer, it works well usually.

More problematic is one of them taking another's best friend. That's harder to smooth over.

merrykittymas · 14/12/2008 10:22

About half of their Christmas stuff is the same so same doll, same pram etc but they are so different for example DD1 is very girly princess but DD2 wants a Hulk.

Don't double up on board games or books

Or big things for example this year theya re getting a kitchen between them they also have a dolls house between them.

I find relatives difficult keep saying buy them the same, the other week DD1 got a more grown up present (she's 4.5) DD2 got a shape sorting baby toy (she's almost 3) but at leat DD3 will be able to play with it.

aGalChangedHerName · 14/12/2008 10:27

I was joking,i can't afford to buy anymore lol. I will maybe think about a letter from Santa tho. You know about being a good sister and sharing etc etc.

unknownrebelbang · 14/12/2008 10:33

My three are 14, 12 and 10, and they have a mix of both matching presents (often similar rather than the same) and sharing presents. Then sometimes they've all had something completely different.

DS1 tends to have less matching presents these days than the younger two.

orangehead · 14/12/2008 10:33

I have two boys 16 months apart. Every present has had to be identical, even same colour otherwise world war 3 would breakout. This is the first year it has actually been safe to get them different toys, as they have learnt its good to swap toys for abit. They are 5 and 6

bratnavipoddslitecuddlytoy · 14/12/2008 10:39

No, I have 2 DDs who are 15 months apart, plus DSD who is 4 months younger than DD2, so 6, 5 and 4.

We buy them all different things and they all just share their toys, with the agreement that if there is something that they don't want anyone else to play with, they keep it in their bedroom. Otherwise they all seem to have got the idea that if they don't share their stuff, the others wont share theirs too. We find it works really well, as they all end up with lots of different toys to play with.

Celia2 · 14/12/2008 11:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

belgo · 14/12/2008 11:07

I have two girls with 18 months between them and their presents are almost identical. They do share some toys (duplo, playmobil), but it usually ending up in a fight. I'm glad baby no. 3 is a boy, it will make present buying more interesting!

googgly · 14/12/2008 11:56

I get stuff that's similar but not identical. The important thing in our house is to have the same number of parcels each. They'll always find something to fight about whatever I do though.

lou031205 · 14/12/2008 12:12

I still remember sadly that I always got the same present as my younger sister (3.6 year gap) but in a different colour. It wasn't good. If she opened a present first (and she always wanted to open all her presents all at once, I preferred to really look at each present before moving on to the next) I knew exactly what I had. It was just the blue one.

We weren't even similar in personality. I would much rather have had one present that was really me than a number of presents that were just one for her one for me.

Having said that, I know my family were all trying their best and had no idea that I felt that way. I would never have dreamt of telling them either.

belgo · 14/12/2008 12:23

lou - my girls are still very young (aged 3 and 4), and I'm hoping in a few years time they'll have different tastes and will request different presents.

herbietea · 14/12/2008 12:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

lumpsdumps · 14/12/2008 12:48

I used to when the girls were young but they are now 12 and almost 11, (DD2 is very excited, birthday is a week after chrimbo). They both have completely different tastes now.

ingles2 · 14/12/2008 12:52

I've never bought duplicates and there's 17 months between my boys. Admittedly they're very different, but they just have to learn to share imo.

chloemegjess · 14/12/2008 14:16

I have 3 sisters, all close in age and we never had the same presents, if we wanted the same thing then we would share it.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 14/12/2008 14:23

there are 17 mths between my 2 and they are very different, so I don't buy anything the same. I always find that they squabble regardless, and I try to make them see that if they let the other one play with one of "their" things, they will get to play with something the other one has got, so in effect they get double the toys. I know there are some things that I have bougt one which the other one will want, but equally the other one will have something else, similarly covetable! To me buying 2 of everything seems like a waste of money- I can buy them more different things if I don't double up. I have bought some things similar (eg each have new PJs and slippers, 2 different dressing up dresses), but no matter what I buy they all (even ds, 13mths) end up playing with everything.

jenkel · 14/12/2008 17:57

Well despite trying my hardest we have had to go out and buy another dolls house. I have 2 dd,s 18 months apart and last year we got 1 dolls house, this has caused so many arguments so this christmas, we have had to get another one.

HangingbaublesofBethlehem · 14/12/2008 18:07

oh blimey - I hope we'll be ok with our one dolls house. I have a cunning plan, it's this beastie and it can either be one house or be split into 2 for when the girls are being objectionable. I've even bought another family of dolls and a spare bathroom as I figured the toilet would probably be the most coveted item. We'll see..

MilaMae · 14/12/2008 18:14

I have twin boys and a dd 15 months apart 5,5 and 4. I used to get the odd thing the same but definately not all . The last 2 years I hardly have at all.

They never squabble over toys but are very different and love playing together so share well. This year though they both have a remote control sub from my aunt as I know they would have problems waiting for turns with this particular toy.

All our big toys we only have 1 off eg farm etc and they've always shared well. I don't have the house space for 2 of everything anyhow.

TinselBaublesMistletoe · 14/12/2008 18:45

Every year I say we're not going to buy identical presents for my DSS's and each year we end up buying the same. Not exactly the same but it will be both get a PS2 game and a DVD. They're two years apart and now the eldest is in Y6 I'm hoping next year will be different

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