Birthday presents-How much?

[MrsWhirling]

DD has just finished her reception year.

Her school has three reception classes (90 kids). She seems to be invited to a classmates birthday every other week or so and I'm really unsure as to how much is acceptable/normal to spend on a present?

Thanks xx

[Jinty64]

£8/£10 here. That seems to be the norm going by what ds got given at his "whole class" party. I do look out for sales and bargains.

I had a run of little girls parties (I only have ds's) and I got Melissa and Doug wooden beads from Amazon for about £9 which seemed to be really well received.

[intheshed]

£5-10, I always pop into TK Max when I'm in town as they often have little craft sets or decorate your own mirror/jewellery box/pony etc for less than a fiver. If anyone asks what to get I always say crafty stuff, but then I've got 2 DDs who love that kind of thing. I don't tend to give books as you never know if they already have it.

The one thing I avoid like the plague is anything that involves sewing or knitting- after spending a whole afternoon making a crappy rubbish sew your own bag set that was given to DD!

[Periwinkle007]

gosh I think that is sad if people wouldn't like books. I thought all children loved listening to stories.

[BornToFolk]

Never more than a fiver but in general as little as possible, while still getting good stuff. Wilkos had stationery stuff on sale a while ago so I stocked up then - tins of colouring pencils, cute notebooks all 10p. DS has got a party coming up so it'll be tin of pencils, notebook and a puzzle book from a set from Book People (of course!) and probably cost less than a quid all in. Plus a card from Card Factory's 7 for a pound range.

I am so tight.

[readysteady]

Phew a few more on my wave length! I was starting to panic!

[my2bundles]

£10 for a best friend, everyone else gets sticker books etc.

[noramum]

Folks expect their children to receive tat?

I don't expect anything but DD values every gift. But I as a parent try to buy sensible. You can get decent chapter books for under £5 and even if the birthday child doesn't like it and it ends in a charity shop or is regifted than another child will hopefully enjoy it. Better than buying things which just gets broken.

Some of DD's friend's mums I asked actually asked for books, especially Summer ones so they have some reading material for the holidays.

DD got a gift card and some cash this year, I find it a bit sad but maybe better than buying crap.

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

i try to spend near £5 than £10 but it depends if I've been able to grab a bargain. i spent £15 on dd1's best friend.
I don't like stocking up as even though dd1 is only going into yr 2 the parties are already thinning out a bit (or perhaps we're just getting invited to fewer of them)

[Notsurewhattodonext]

About £8 when they are in reception and are invited to every party in the class. About £15 once they are going to parties of children they are actually friends with. I also stock up on books, around Xmas time I give annuals which are often on good offers or things like Guinness Book of world records which is often half price. In the summer I often do a nice T-shirt or swimming costume from H&M for about £7/8

[Viviennemary]

I agree with £5-£10.

[Vajazzler]

I've given up buying presents and give £5 in a card. Last yr my dd had a birthday party and about half the guests did this. She ended up with £55 and was able to buy herself a really decent present ( a bike that was half price in halfords) which she's still riding 18months later whereas most of her other gifts have broken.

[PlatinumStart]

Books are boring? Really??

My DCs love a good book although probably prefer their iPads on balance

[readysteady]

Mine were happy with tat or books simply saw each gift by its individual merit. You wouldn't keep nice books? my 3 love books and we simply regift any duplicates. I can't remember if postage free? Sometimes it is with a promotion.

[lljkk]

That is good value, does that £10 include delivery charges, too? £10 for 10 gifts, right?

I reckon people do expect mostly tat. Books are boring.
DC typically only attend 2-3 parties a year (that's in the dizzy heights of reception), so most of those books would have gone to charity shop for us.

[scarlettsmummy2]

I spend £10. Seem to be at parties every other weekend.

[readysteady]

Each to their own I suppose but Its made it so much easier no last minute stress about no card or present ( I order card packs and wrapping from amazon , I have hardly bought the store out. i have 10 books for £10 and they did us last academic year with a couple left over its not as if they go out of date??? Do people really want tat?

[lljkk]

Admittedly DC haven't had very many parties, but books were probably the least likely present they'd get. MN so unlike real life, yet again. I definitely feel like high risk that I've done the wrong thing if I give books as gifts to DC young friends. Folk expect their kids to receive tat.

If your kids attend relatively few parties like mine then it is quite bad value to stock up. I would have lost a huge amount of money if I stocked up on offers the way you guys describe.

[readysteady]

I'm with you periwinkle book people all the way :)

[noramum]

During Reception we had lots of class parties and I tend to get offers from The Works or BookPeople, they held a sale at work so I often have a stack of things at home. I try to stick to £5.

For really good friends I go to £10 and very good ones we see regularly, do things together £20.

It got better in Year 1. I think DD was invited to 3 parties.

DD is a July child, she asked for a class party last year as well and we drowned in arts and craft kits. I know, easy to buy but on our case it took a year to do the last bits. The Barbies and books were played with/read a lot more.

I now tend to ask the mum.

[lottieandmia]

I spend £6-£10, depending on how much I can afford.

[Periwinkle007]

you would be surprised how many people have never heard of the book people Earlyinthemorning. plus of course they don't know that you have heard of them either.

IMO though it doesn't really matter. I think a book is a more than decent present for a child, it isn't like the child cares (or they shouldn't anyway) how much it cost and I certainly wouldn't expect my kids to get given presents worth more.

[PlatinumStart]

My eldest two are year 2 & 3 and I probably spend around the £15, partly because I'm disorganised and despite having a present drawer there never seems to be anything suitable in it and also because the older they get the more specific my DC become a out what they want to give

[PoppyWearer]

£5-7 is about right.

Find something good in the sales and buy as many as you can afford/store. I did that last year and haven't had to buy a present for aaaaaaages.

[EarlyIntheMorning]

Everybody does the offers from BookPeople so it never looks like you've spent more than £1 or £2

[marriedinwhiteagain]

DS is 18 and it was a fiver 13 years ago! We used to bulk buy from the early learning and one year I did a bulk buy of football gloves and shin pads from the local cash and carry for 3.99 each. That was brilliant. Girls I found later, were a little harder to please, mostly the dd who had very specific ideas about what specific friends would want.