S/O: How many gifts do your kids get for Christmas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I consider clothes, shoes, backpacks, water bottles, toothbrushes, etc to be essential items and not gifts. I buy them throughout the year whenever I find sales or as needed.

Christmas is toys and books. DS is 7 and we plan to spend $100-200 depending on what he wants. It will likely go up when he gets older and wants a gaming system or other big ticket item.

Grandparents, aunts, etc also buy gifts or give money that goes into his savings account.

Depends. A hydroflask water bottle or fancy brand name boots are definitely gifts and not necessities in our household. And we have a high HHI. Just because you are well off doesn’t mean children don’t need to learn the value of money, and if we spend less on X, we can spend more on Y.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Want, need, wear, read is so depressing. If you don't want to purchase a lot of gifts, then don't. But why stick to something so strict? Just buy a few fun gifts and some clothes if needed. If you have a child that's going through a phase where they have slowed down on reading for fun and don't enjoy clothes, do you think they're going to enjoy christmas morning? Stop being scrooges. Or get your kid some socks, a book & a toothbrush, I guess.

I hate the want/need/wear thing too! And year after year?!! What a bummer.

+2 Seriously. And a majority of the people doing it are so proud they stick to the specific 4 gifts. The whole idea probably started off innocently, but then the mommy martyrs took over. I hope their kids enjoy their winter boots, pillowcases and book.

Yes! And whenever someone new discovers it, they’re like, “loooooove this idea.” But get upset when Santa brings a pile of toys for other kids.

Almost every child I know is simply drowning in toys. Attempting to keep it simple means actively fighting against people who think that you are ruining childhood by not buying 15 toys. My kids are very happy and I buy them 1 toy at Xmas! They get other stuff, but it's not all toys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:4 kids

2 books from Santa
One outfit from each set of grandparents
Stockings with school supplies
Siblings’ gifts are household chore exchange

That sounds meager. Do you need help?

NP. Do you realize that "meager" on top of kids who literally have everything they need and truly want is...still excessive? When will you people understand what truly wanting and needing looks like.

We celebrate with "meager" gifts, that's what the materialistic parents out there would probably say. We spend the bulk of our holiday time and money sponsoring 3 families from a women's shelter. That's where we go big. My kids LOVE being a part of this process and are very thoughtful in what we pick out for our families. My oldest teared up with joy when she found just the right comforter that a little girl had asked for.

This does seem meager. Unless the kids specifically want books, you can borrow from the library throughout the year and buy a toy instead. If you truly can't afford school supplies, there are programs to help you with this.

I agree. I want my children to find the joy in giving, but I don’t want to steal the joy out of the holidays. I want to raise a strong, kind empathetic child, but I don’t want them to feel guilt from joy, or guilt from receiving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I consider clothes, shoes, backpacks, water bottles, toothbrushes, etc to be essential items and not gifts. I buy them throughout the year whenever I find sales or as needed.

Christmas is toys and books. DS is 7 and we plan to spend $100-200 depending on what he wants. It will likely go up when he gets older and wants a gaming system or other big ticket item.

Grandparents, aunts, etc also buy gifts or give money that goes into his savings account.

Well, that's because your child is 7.

Get back to us when he/she is 13 and wants a $80 backpack (Kanken), $45 water bottle (Hydroflask) or $200 sneakers (Adidas Ultraboost).

Then these things very quickly become gifts and not essentials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I consider clothes, shoes, backpacks, water bottles, toothbrushes, etc to be essential items and not gifts. I buy them throughout the year whenever I find sales or as needed.

Christmas is toys and books. DS is 7 and we plan to spend $100-200 depending on what he wants. It will likely go up when he gets older and wants a gaming system or other big ticket item.

Grandparents, aunts, etc also buy gifts or give money that goes into his savings account.

Well, that's because your child is 7.

Get back to us when he/she is 13 and wants a $80 backpack (Kanken), $45 water bottle (Hydroflask) or $200 sneakers (Adidas Ultraboost).

Then these things very quickly become gifts and not essentials.

This. It’s so cute when preschool parents think they have it all figured out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:4 kids

2 books from Santa
One outfit from each set of grandparents
Stockings with school supplies
Siblings’ gifts are household chore exchange

That sounds meager. Do you need help?

NP. Do you realize that "meager" on top of kids who literally have everything they need and truly want is...still excessive? When will you people understand what truly wanting and needing looks like.

We celebrate with "meager" gifts, that's what the materialistic parents out there would probably say. We spend the bulk of our holiday time and money sponsoring 3 families from a women's shelter. That's where we go big. My kids LOVE being a part of this process and are very thoughtful in what we pick out for our families. My oldest teared up with joy when she found just the right comforter that a little girl had asked for.

I'm curious where the things you kids want come from, if not from Christmas?

Or are you saying that your kids don't want anything but books and outfits and school supplies? Or that those other things aren't "true" wants?

Like if your kid wanted a comforter, or a bike, or a series of books with more than 1 titles, or a doll, what would your reaction be?

[Anonymous]

She gets a lot. But it's not a financial burden and we don't buy a lot of things over the remainder of the year (birthday in early summer).

You folks do what's best for you. I'll do the same (and ignore the sanctimommies in the process).

[Anonymous]

I buy my teen like 2-3 gifts. One is usually an experience, and the others are small things.

[Anonymous]

Zero -- we just all go an a very expensive trip each year. Last year was Singapore and this year is Hawaii and NZ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Want, need, wear, read is so depressing. If you don't want to purchase a lot of gifts, then don't. But why stick to something so strict? Just buy a few fun gifts and some clothes if needed. If you have a child that's going through a phase where they have slowed down on reading for fun and don't enjoy clothes, do you think they're going to enjoy christmas morning? Stop being scrooges. Or get your kid some socks, a book & a toothbrush, I guess.

I hate the want/need/wear thing too! And year after year?!! What a bummer.

+2 Seriously. And a majority of the people doing it are so proud they stick to the specific 4 gifts. The whole idea probably started off innocently, but then the mommy martyrs took over. I hope their kids enjoy their winter boots, pillowcases and book.

Yes! And whenever someone new discovers it, they’re like, “loooooove this idea.” But get upset when Santa brings a pile of toys for other kids.

Almost every child I know is simply drowning in toys. Attempting to keep it simple means actively fighting against people who think that you are ruining childhood by not buying 15 toys. My kids are very happy and I buy them 1 toy at Xmas! They get other stuff, but it's not all toys.

Mine isn't as we purge regularly and don't overbuy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:4 kids

2 books from Santa
One outfit from each set of grandparents
Stockings with school supplies
Siblings’ gifts are household chore exchange

That sounds meager. Do you need help?

NP. Do you realize that "meager" on top of kids who literally have everything they need and truly want is...still excessive? When will you people understand what truly wanting and needing looks like.

We celebrate with "meager" gifts, that's what the materialistic parents out there would probably say. We spend the bulk of our holiday time and money sponsoring 3 families from a women's shelter. That's where we go big. My kids LOVE being a part of this process and are very thoughtful in what we pick out for our families. My oldest teared up with joy when she found just the right comforter that a little girl had asked for.

I'm curious where the things you kids want come from, if not from Christmas?

Or are you saying that your kids don't want anything but books and outfits and school supplies? Or that those other things aren't "true" wants?

Like if your kid wanted a comforter, or a bike, or a series of books with more than 1 titles, or a doll, what would your reaction be?

They probably constantly buy stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are pretty strict on the gift giving. We limit it to $500 per kid (we have 3). We get some small things they like - a new xbox or Ps, a larger gift like a new bike, and some other items like a small drone or phone. We also get them new clothes. They complain they aren’t getting as much as their friends, but I tell them to be grateful for what they are getting.

Is this post a joke? A video game system is considered a “small” gift?