How many presents do you usually buy for your child's birthday and how much do you typically spend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is turning 8 soon. I got her a fancy origami book that is $14 and comes with origami paper. Plus I will give her a gift certificate from me to her saying we can have a baking afternoon.

Is this all your dd is getting for her bday? Or does she have gifts from family and friends too? My dd would cry her eyes out if this was all she got for her bday.

Um, I'll let her pick out what we make for dinner. I bet a couple of her girlfriends at school will make her cards and include little trinkets (last year her friend gave her a pretty rock she'd painted). A couple of times teachers have given her a cool pencil or something, so she might get that.

Is it possible that your DD is used to getting a lot more? If so, that would explain why she would cry her eyes out if she went from getting a slew of presents to one. My DD has always gotten one present on her birthday, so this is where her expectation level is.

I am glad your dd is that way, that seems nice, but what about when all the little girls get together at school and start saying, I have 3 american girl dolls, an ipad, an x box, and three million toys. Doesn't your dd feel a little bad to have only gotten a book and a pencil and a rock for her bday? For goodness sakes. I grew up in a family of 8 kids, and we were poor, but I still got more than one book for my bday.

[Anonymous]

Too much, probably $200 per kid each birthday, and they are little. One or two big presents that are developmentally appropriate like a trike, bike, "big girl" bike, scooter, doll house, play kitchen etc. Board games, puzzles, books, kid's music CDs, dress up clothes, creative toys that she can play with more than once, workbooks, tiny farm animals or cars. I try and getat least 6-7 presents so it looks like a pile. And don't forget the pink glittery wrapping paper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is turning 8 soon. I got her a fancy origami book that is $14 and comes with origami paper. Plus I will give her a gift certificate from me to her saying we can have a baking afternoon.

Is this all your dd is getting for her bday? Or does she have gifts from family and friends too? My dd would cry her eyes out if this was all she got for her bday.

Yikes. Sorry to hear that. Have you tried working with her to be more appreciative and less materialistic? You don't say how old she is, but maybe she'll improve in this area as she matures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is turning 8 soon. I got her a fancy origami book that is $14 and comes with origami paper. Plus I will give her a gift certificate from me to her saying we can have a baking afternoon.

Is this all your dd is getting for her bday? Or does she have gifts from family and friends too? My dd would cry her eyes out if this was all she got for her bday.

Um, I'll let her pick out what we make for dinner. I bet a couple of her girlfriends at school will make her cards and include little trinkets (last year her friend gave her a pretty rock she'd painted). A couple of times teachers have given her a cool pencil or something, so she might get that.

Is it possible that your DD is used to getting a lot more? If so, that would explain why she would cry her eyes out if she went from getting a slew of presents to one. My DD has always gotten one present on her birthday, so this is where her expectation level is.

I am glad your dd is that way, that seems nice, but what about when all the little girls get together at school and start saying, I have 3 american girl dolls, an ipad, an x box, and three million toys. Doesn't your dd feel a little bad to have only gotten a book and a pencil and a rock for her bday? For goodness sakes. I grew up in a family of 8 kids, and we were poor, but I still got more than one book for my bday.

You have two choices: buy her a bunch of crap so she feels as loved as her friends at school, or teach her that materialistic crap doesn't equal love.

[Anonymous]

15:50 here. Meant to add that since kids my are young, some of their gifts are used, like a Barbie scooter, DVD or plastic dinosaurs from the thrift store. Last year I went overboard at Marshall's and had leftover items that came in handy for other kid's birthday parties. So although I like to see the kid's eyes light up, thee are ways to make it less pricey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is turning 8 soon. I got her a fancy origami book that is $14 and comes with origami paper. Plus I will give her a gift certificate from me to her saying we can have a baking afternoon.

Is this all your dd is getting for her bday? Or does she have gifts from family and friends too? My dd would cry her eyes out if this was all she got for her bday.

Um, I'll let her pick out what we make for dinner. I bet a couple of her girlfriends at school will make her cards and include little trinkets (last year her friend gave her a pretty rock she'd painted). A couple of times teachers have given her a cool pencil or something, so she might get that.

Is it possible that your DD is used to getting a lot more? If so, that would explain why she would cry her eyes out if she went from getting a slew of presents to one. My DD has always gotten one present on her birthday, so this is where her expectation level is.

I am glad your dd is that way, that seems nice, but what about when all the little girls get together at school and start saying, I have 3 american girl dolls, an ipad, an x box, and three million toys. Doesn't your dd feel a little bad to have only gotten a book and a pencil and a rock for her bday? For goodness sakes. I grew up in a family of 8 kids, and we were poor, but I still got more than one book for my bday.

We found an American Girl doll at Goodwill two years ago, which I got her for Hanukah and then for Valentine's Day even though normally it's just a card holiday, I made her and her doll matching nightgowns. Plus I sewed her doll some "daytime" clothes as well. DD may feel a little bad that she doesn't have everything everyone else has, but you know, just like I tell her, I'll tell you - there will ALWAYS be people who have more than you and less than you, so just appreciate what you've got and be aware of opportunities when you can give something to someone who has less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is turning 8 soon. I got her a fancy origami book that is $14 and comes with origami paper. Plus I will give her a gift certificate from me to her saying we can have a baking afternoon.

Is this all your dd is getting for her bday? Or does she have gifts from family and friends too? My dd would cry her eyes out if this was all she got for her bday.

Yikes. Sorry to hear that. Have you tried working with her to be more appreciative and less materialistic? You don't say how old she is, but maybe she'll improve in this area as she matures.

Whoa, sorry but i gotta side with the cry her eyes out PP on this one. A book about origami and a card? We are a non-materialistic crunchy family but that is pretty slim pickings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is turning 8 soon. I got her a fancy origami book that is $14 and comes with origami paper. Plus I will give her a gift certificate from me to her saying we can have a baking afternoon.

Is this all your dd is getting for her bday? Or does she have gifts from family and friends too? My dd would cry her eyes out if this was all she got for her bday.

I think that gift is perfect! My kids would love something like that as the *only* gift.
At this age, they don't so much see the value, as long as they got something they liked.

Last year we got my son a Venus Flytrap kit -- $29.
He couldn't have been happier, and his friends thought it was the coolest thing.

It is sad that your DD would cry over not having enough presents. No wonder costco already has christmas stuff out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is turning 8 soon. I got her a fancy origami book that is $14 and comes with origami paper. Plus I will give her a gift certificate from me to her saying we can have a baking afternoon.

Is this all your dd is getting for her bday? Or does she have gifts from family and friends too? My dd would cry her eyes out if this was all she got for her bday.

Yikes. Sorry to hear that. Have you tried working with her to be more appreciative and less materialistic? You don't say how old she is, but maybe she'll improve in this area as she matures.

Whoa, sorry but i gotta side with the cry her eyes out PP on this one. A book about origami and a card? We are a non-materialistic crunchy family but that is pretty slim pickings.

Not crunchy enough! You really think that you are non-materialistic?

there seems to be a disconnect somewhere here...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is turning 8 soon. I got her a fancy origami book that is $14 and comes with origami paper. Plus I will give her a gift certificate from me to her saying we can have a baking afternoon.

Is this all your dd is getting for her bday? Or does she have gifts from family and friends too? My dd would cry her eyes out if this was all she got for her bday.

Yikes. Sorry to hear that. Have you tried working with her to be more appreciative and less materialistic? You don't say how old she is, but maybe she'll improve in this area as she matures.

Whoa, sorry but i gotta side with the cry her eyes out PP on this one. A book about origami and a card? We are a non-materialistic crunchy family but that is pretty slim pickings.

DD LOVES origami - she was introduced to it when there was that tsunami in Asia a couple of years ago and is forever asking to use my computer to learn how to make new animals and things, and loves when there's scrap paper she can use to make stuff. So I know she'll love this. She's 9 - she doesn't look at a gift, decide how much money it cost, and base whether or not she likes it on that.

[Anonymous]

re: origami mom, that's extremely cool! Do you get her toys randomly at other times of the year?
Does anybody else think the American Girl doll thing, and video games for that matter, are just a big racket? Love to hear that somebody found a used one and is making clothes for it, I feel like the kid is getting the benefits without getting sucked in to the marketing.
A friend of mine told me about his neighbor, whose kid went to (un-named here top tier private school) on scholarship. She said there was something she regretted about sending her kid there, and that was that many of the girls there were very materialistic. They would get each other designer items for birthday presents - and they would know the brands and how much each one cost. It made it a bit hard on her daughter, and their one-parent income.

[Anonymous]

Wow. I'm an adult but as a kid I got tons of gifts. I usually got a handful for bday but Christmas I got I don't even know how many! And nice things too. I mean id say 20 packages at least but its probably more. I still get that now and I'm 27. From parents. My mom loves giving gifts and I do too. I'm not spoiled (well, with things I guess I am but I'm not bratty etc) and I LOVE giving people presents. Its Sept and my mind is already racing with ideas for Christmas!

[Anonymous]

I'm the cry her eyes out poster. I got a tip a couple of years ago about how to handle the requests at Target, and various other stores when my dd's are clamoring for toys and other things to be bought for them. Or maybe they get a cool catalog in the mail, and want that stuff. Someone said that you should tell them that it will be on their Christmas list or bday list. I tell them they won't get everything on their lists. But considering their lists probably have about 100 things on it, then I don't think it's fair of me to tell them they are getting one book for their bday. That's why my dd would cry her eyes out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the cry her eyes out poster. I got a tip a couple of years ago about how to handle the requests at Target, and various other stores when my dd's are clamoring for toys and other things to be bought for them. Or maybe they get a cool catalog in the mail, and want that stuff. Someone said that you should tell them that it will be on their Christmas list or bday list. I tell them they won't get everything on their lists. But considering their lists probably have about 100 things on it, then I don't think it's fair of me to tell them they are getting one book for their bday. That's why my dd would cry her eyes out.

Seems like they are set up to cry regardless -- since its unlikely they'd get 50 or 100 presents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the cry her eyes out poster. I got a tip a couple of years ago about how to handle the requests at Target, and various other stores when my dd's are clamoring for toys and other things to be bought for them. Or maybe they get a cool catalog in the mail, and want that stuff. Someone said that you should tell them that it will be on their Christmas list or bday list. I tell them they won't get everything on their lists. But considering their lists probably have about 100 things on it, then I don't think it's fair of me to tell them they are getting one book for their bday. That's why my dd would cry her eyes out.

Seems like they are set up to cry regardless -- since its unlikely they'd get 50 or 100 presents.

As I said, they know they aren't getting everything they saw at the store or in a catalog all year long, but it is a very effective way for them to delay gratification and wait for their bday or Christmas. But yes, having one book, would be a huge disappointment to them. That is certainly not the expectation they have, and I don't see why they would need to. I certainly plan to spend more than $14 on their bday. Grandma sends them each $100 for their bdays, so I would at least spend that much since I have that money go towards their gifts.