i hate the way parents buy BIG presents for no reason at all( like nintendos)

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

hmm yes
i sued to get a few presnts for xmas
now tis ONE and a stocking

O Stallionetc....please change your current suedonim as fearsome images are looming unwanted in my mind. The male feral horses in Lagos often sport very large........protuberances......and I don't need reminding of them every time I look at MN!!

I buy ds stuff as and when I feel like it, tbh. Rarely buy 'big' presents apart from birthday or Christmas but I have been known to spent too much money on Brio for no good reason other than I see it and can't resist. Other than that it tends to be books or small, inexpensive stuff.

imnecpensive ok
BIG thinkgs are NOT

Yeah, but I'm sure I have bought him big presents apart from birthday and Christmas, just can't immediately think of an example. I remember having a conversation with dh, with him insisting we should save whatever it was for Christmas. It was summer, fgs, there was no way I could wait until Christmas, let alone a two or three yo!

(I have recently started to tell him Mummy is very poor and we can't afford x, y or z, though, does that help?)

I have never forgotten my Uncle popping into my Nan's house on Christmas Eve with a portable TV tucked under his arm for my cousin who was about 8 at the time. Just a little last minute extra he said and I nearly passed out in shock. I was about 20 at the time and had no thoughts about having children but it just seemed amazing to me that a TV was a "little extra". Both his children turned into a complete utter nightmare for years with drink, drugs (think there was something about a gun) and goodness knows what other problems. They are finally coming out the other side, but I have never met two more spoilt children.

I am therefore a tight old cow and big presents are firmly for Christmas or birthday. My brother kindly offered to buy DD a bike for her birthday/Christmas present one year, which she refused as she didn't want to get rid of hers (blantantly too small but she wouldn't listen). A few months later the penny finally dropped that she had made a big mistake refusing it. So she had to buy one herself. Luckily I found her one for £2.20 on Ebay so she got off lightly !

I'd be very careful about telling your son that, edam.

When dd1 was 3 and raising money for 'poor children in Africa' for Comic Relief at her nursery, she became very sad and told the staff it was because 'mummy is poor too'.

Well I'm going to carry on getting things when we need them and giving felt tips for christmas .

It's ever so less stressful, because they just love opening things, and there's absolutely no 'have I got the exact thing' right.

Anyone remember Dudley Dursley on his birthday? I'VE ONLY GOT 36 PRESENTS (or whatever number) LAST YEAR I HAD 37.

I'd much rather presents were small tbh!

Pointy, good, um, point.

Wait for what?

I give the kids presents at random times. When they need them. That means, sometimes nothing for xtmas, but a bike when she started school.

Don't think they are spoilled.

[HMM]
WHEN DO TEY need A NINTENDO WII?

Cod - did you say earlier that you get your boys one big present plus stocking for Chrismtas?

I like the model, but I can't work out the practicalities.

How do you know exactly what they want, that will be the 'wow' factor? And is there any jealousy between them about their presents?

Do you set a budget? So - you can choose one big thing, but it can't be more than, say, £50. But then what if what they really, really want costs £20?

My boys have never really wanted particular 'big' things, so I've always bought lots of smaller things; then left the relatives to buy an assortment of larger presents between them.

I"m trying a new tactic this yr with dd1 birthday, and you're all worrying me now!

She will be 8 in Nov and I have said you can have a big present but that means no exhausting ridiculous party... Just tea with our family. She says yes and is v excited about the big present.

Which is... A Nintendo Wii... She loves them (I didn't think this was so unusual for a girl?!) She gets so much pink shit and disposable crap from everyone else so it makes sense for us to get her something really cool.

Is this really that extravagant? I reckon when we do a party (even a little one) and get her a handful of smaller presents it adds up to a ridiculous amount anyway.

Btw cod I would be REALLY peed off if someone bought her one without consulting us.

When do they need a Wii cod? NEVER!!!! they should be making their own toys out of bottle tops and shoe boxes. And dolls out of old dishcloths and elastic bands.

Message withdrawn

Oh I do this. A bike from the booty for a fiver. Or a nintendo DS before we go on a long trip. A trampoline at the start of summer. Roller Skates because the others are too small. A slide and swing set because it was reduced by £300 to £150.
My kids dont ever ask for anything, so when they do express an interest in some thing we tend to embrace it. I dont buy £5, £10 £20 toys randomly that noone ever looks at again once its through the front door, thats what some of my friends do, id prefer to have 1 big trampoline thats gets USED for £100, than 5 crappy bits of plastic shit to go to landfill in 6 months unused.
Xmas/birthdays are smaller more useful things.

Cod - did you say earlier that you get your boys one big present plus stocking for Chrismtas?

AM going TO SART AS SITER DID HTEIS AND TBH THE BOOKS AND ALLT EH OTHER STUFF OYU GET THEM TENDS TO BE LOST IN ALL THE MELLE - WILL KEEP THEM FOR OTHERS TO GET OR FOR RANDOM GOOD DEED PRESENTS

How do you know exactly what they want, that will be the 'wow' factor? And is there any jealousy between them about their presents? NO NEVER JEALOUS. ERM THEY TELL ME WHAT THEY WOUDL LIKE

Do you set a budget? So - you can choose one big thing, but it can't be more than, say, £50. But then what if what they really, really want costs £20? THEY HAVE NO ONCEPT OF VALUE NAD TBH ARENT SO MATERIALISTIC SO ITS NOT AN ISSUE SO FAR.

CHARLIECAThow odl are yours?

yy bit annoying to be undermined then?

6 and 9 mine are, does age come into it?

yes cos i think as they get older they have n more of an idea abotu value adn othe rfolk.