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Original poster

how much do your parents buy your kids at Christmas?

81 replies

sugarbaby · 20/12/2005 18:15

Today my mother came round to drop off some cards and I casually asked her if she had finished her Christmas shopping. She replied that she only had a few things left to buy but that her living room was full of presents, and that they are all for my DS and my nephew. I asked how much she had bought, to which she rattled off a long list of things she had bought for each of them! She must have bought them upwards of 15 presents each and I would like to bet she's spent probably between £150/£200 on each child! Now I realize that grandparents wish to indulge their grandchildren but isn't this just a bit extreme? i feel almost as if it's like an obsession with her! to see how much she can spend. Last year when I pointed out that perhaps she had spent enough on the kids she replied "how much is enough?".

So was wondering, am I the only one? or is there anyone else out there whose parents try to outdo you when it comes to buying presents for your own kids?

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skerriesmum · 20/12/2005 18:19

That sounds a bit OTT. My parents spend about a third of what we spend (50 or so.) They're on pensions however and have three other grandchildren to buy for besides ds. My in-laws are wealthier and spend more, but still just get one big present.

myrrhthamoo · 20/12/2005 18:19

Good grief no - nowhere near that much. They usually get each grandson a present each (about £20 apiece, ballpark figure). That's plenty afaic.

Hulababy · 20/12/2005 18:19

Not sure. My parents have spent £40 on main present and probably another £10 on stocking fillers. PILs have probably spent around the same I think.

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fairydust · 20/12/2005 18:19

my parents this yr have spemt about £100 an hae given her £75 in nextvouchers as well which is pretty normal for them

charlietherednosedpussy · 20/12/2005 18:20

About 50, 20 on toys and 30 towards a biggie that we have brought.

anchovies · 20/12/2005 18:21

My mum and dad usually spend quite a lot (£100?) but my mum starts thinking about what he would like in about September (ie it's not about the cost.) It always annoys me that he likes her presents more than father christmas's!

tortoiseshell · 20/12/2005 18:21

My parents go WAY over the top with christmas presents, but they don't see the children often, (maybe 3 or 4 times a year), and can't help with babysitting etc., so I think they feel it is their way of making up for not being 'on the spot' Grandparents. They buy far more than we do for the children!

QueensSpeechEagle · 20/12/2005 18:42

Wow! That is loads. My dad buys something to the value of £20 - £25 tops. My mum sends £10 each so they can buy themselves something. They are each on pensions and as I have 5 kids this is a lot for them especially as they have other grandkids too.

Rudolphthebluenosedteddy · 20/12/2005 18:45

Blimey, that's loads!
My parent's normally spend around £30 on each of my boy's.

ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 20/12/2005 19:04

My mum would normally spend about £25. It's a bit more this year as we asked for something that ds specially wanted and will get a lot of use from.

Clayhead · 20/12/2005 19:05

About £15 on each child (I have 2). In-Laws about the same.

jenkel · 20/12/2005 19:45

This year my Mum has spent £50 on both dd's. My MIL is another story, I just dread to think what she has bought. She buys so much, lots of little presents, I really wish she wouldnt, I would much rather her just buy one present each. We have tried to tell her, told her one thing that she could get each dd. She buys that and a load of other stuff. Its way too much and its not appreciated at all by my dd's. But to be honest she is a bit like that, she much rather throw them some money than play with them, she was like that with dh too.

merrySOAPBOXingday · 20/12/2005 19:48

My Mum spends £100 each on teh children, exactly the same as she does for me, DH and my sisters.

My PILS spend £25 each on all of us.

bsg · 20/12/2005 19:53

I gave my mum a big long list of all the things that I wanted her to bring from the UK for me as my presents to kids.She brought all of them and loads more and then said that it was all from her. I didnt need to give her any money. Yippee. Unfortunately I then struggled to think of what to buy for them from me.

WigWamBam · 20/12/2005 19:53

My parents go way over the top with dd, as does my little sister. She has bagfuls of presents from them ... most of which are completely unsuitable and have to be put away for another couple of years until she's old enough for them! I think it's partly because my parents are trying to make up for what they couldn't/didn't do for me, and partly because my dd is my dad's last chance to indulge a little girl now that his three daughters are grown up, and his other granddaughters are teenagers.

My dh's mother, on the other hand, will buy dd one present (well, when I say will buy, what I mean is that I have bought a present, given it to her to wrap, and may eventually see the money back if I'm lucky ... although I won't be doing that again) - this year it's the DVD of Madagascar.

fruitful · 20/12/2005 19:56

I would guess both sets of grandparents spend about £30 per child. Thats what we spend too. With aunts & uncles as well they're both getting about £120 of pressies. That is absolutely loads of stuff for a 3yo, and completely ridiculous for a 10mo who already has all his big sister's toys!

Tinker · 20/12/2005 19:58

Ah, now I understand that other thread where everyone was saying that they spend tuppence ha'penny on their own kids.

mumfor1sttime · 20/12/2005 19:59

I dont know yet as this is ds first christmas!

IlanaK · 20/12/2005 20:03

This is a topic after my own heart today. I just cannot stop my mother from spending money on the kids. It is driving me mad. She way over spends and it sort of makes a mockery of me and dh trying to ensure that dss just get a few presents and don't think that Christmas and Hannukah (my kids are half and half) are just about getting given stuff.

This year, about 2 months ago, I sat down with my mother and actually looked at things she had nought and agreed with her on a selection for each child. Since then, she has totally ignored what we agreed and gone out and bought endless more things. I have told her off on a number of occasions and she just seems to ignore me. The straw that broke the camels back was when she told me last week that she had bought a wooden castle for ds1 as well. We have no where to store it (so she said she would keep it at her place), he has absolutely ZERO interest in castles and knights (something that is a continuing problem - she buys what she likes, without thought to what they might lke) and it came with no figures so she will have to spend a fortune to get any.

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

santabops · 20/12/2005 20:13

This is a real bone of contention for me.

My mil buys one present about £20 or so. Fine, perfect, what I ask her to do. [happy]

My mother however, despite my repeated requests, buys them loads of presents and probably spends more that me and dh. This makes me mad. My parents are pensioners and I don't want them spending all of their money on the kids and than having to go without.

I deliberatley don't spend loads on them ( about £40 each this year) as I think 4 and 2 year olds don't need hundreds of pounds spent on them. I just wish she would respect my wishes.

SnowsyPosey · 20/12/2005 20:26

I would say around about £30 (my parents, in- laws spend slightly more I think).
However if there was something big they needed or wanted, such as a bike, I know they would get it. They don't spend money just for the sake of it. If they feel like they want to to give more, they may put some money into their savings accounts "for when they want designer clothes and expensive trainers" (my mum's words)
I think thats a good attitude.

Tortington · 20/12/2005 20:46

fck all

Mum2OneAndBump · 20/12/2005 20:49

Mil & fil between £50-60 this year.

My mum about £50.

galaxy · 20/12/2005 20:51

Mym mum spends about £50 on each of her 7 grandchildren and my in -laws spend about 25 each on ds and dd (only 2 grandchildren).

My mum is less affluent but saves up all year.

zubb · 20/12/2005 20:52

Not huge amounts as I asked them not to spend loads on them but to use the money they would have spent on taking them out somewhere - luckily they listened and have just got them something little to unwrap.

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