Anyone fee' 'Baa humbug' that children will be getting yet more stuff at Xmas?

[bobblyboris]

OK. I know I sound like a grumpy, old fashioned down in the mouth. However, when I was little, we didn't seem to have that much 'stuff'. Toy's were a luxury and we seemed to only have a few. I have a DS (just over 1) who's just has a birthday, hence 'stuff' and I am now being asked what more 'stuff' he can be bought for Xmas. I'm sure the amount of stuff he has is in no way related to his level of happiness and we just seem to be endlessly consuming and filling out house up!
He doesn't get around to playing with most of his things now and much prefers books, nursery rhymes and generally playing with anything that is not a toy.
I feel quite sad that everything seems all about consumption, especially when I think of all the little children in the world who have very little and often don't seem any worse off (maybe better) than us.

• I / we feel like he'll be getting so much stuff, we don't want to bother adding to it. (harsh I know).

Anyway, I'm going on, but wondered if anyone else had similar thoughts??.....

Totally agree re too much stuff/money spent. I was looking for a lost werewolf costume just before Halloween (which is a whole other story involving a sinister clown costume that was too scary to wear, but I digress) and looked through just about every storage container of the DC's stuff. I was horrified by the sheer amount of plastic bits and pieces and of toys/craft sets played with once or never. Me/DH are both from small families, don't do present swapping with that many friends and are comparatively restrained when buying xmas/birthday presents, but even so it has just mounted up.

I am planning a major pre xmas/birthday (both my DC have Jan birthdays) clearout to charity shops/recycling/bin as appropriate and will plead with anyone who asks what the DC would like "not too much and small please!"