Stepchildren and presents or extras

[Saltystraw]

If you have a relationship which consists of a child/children between you and also a stepchild which is shared cared how do you work out Christmas presents etc. Do you buy all the children the same? Or do you buy the ones you have full time a bit more because they don’t have presents coming from another parent?

About to give birth to our first, but I think the plan is to give a tiny bit more in comparison to his other siblings.

Not in that situation
But if the other is also getting presents from his other parent and your child together is only getting it from you then I guess makes sense you would give a bit if you wanted. It’s like your giving him two parents worth just like the other kid is but from separate people

My older dc get presents from us and also their dad and his parents. My younger ones (DH's) only get from us, and they don't have paternal grandparents either so we do get them a bit more.

So they still get fewer presents altogether but they do get a little more from us than the others do.

We are just about to have our first together but the intention is to get the same for Both DSS and DD. He is with us 50% though - not sure if that makes a difference?

I don't know how what we buy compares to the gifts he gets from his mum - but what we get him is what we would get if he lived with us full time.

Good question my 3 DD's literally got one present each costing £10/15 last Xmas from there dad and stepmom, there 1 year old baby brother got mountains of presents including iPads , micro scooters, electronic cars etc there dads reasoning was that I buy them presents and there brother only has one lot as parents are married, they really are tight fisted arseholes... my girls are seeing it for themselves now though and really dislike there dad and stepmom only reason they still go is to see their baby brother who they love

I think it'd depend on if they're there Christmas Day or not and their age. I think anything before teens will struggle with seeing their sibling get more. Teenagers will also find it upsetting if they're much richer than they are at home, so siblings get more all round. So does very much depend on circumstances and whether or not they'll be there when their siblings open their presents.

Thanks everyone! I was curious to see how everyone else handles it, In my case my DSS will never go without. We have him 50/50 and I know his mum will spoil him as will we. He will spend alternative Christmas morning with us but we will see him every year. No matter what I’m sure he will end up with more then my DC which is fine since he has to have things at each home, I just wasn’t sure how much more or less to get him, I don’t want to over spoil him for the sake of getting him the same as my DC, it’s becoming increasingly hard to buy/ think of presents when he is also getting them from his mum, both sets of grandparents plus my parents.