how much do you spend on your kids at christmas?

jetty

jorose wrote: »

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Two consoles for Christmas doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. It would be like buying your husband two sports cars or your wife two diamond rings. Sadly this would not have the positive, desired effect on most children either.QUOTE]

I think the fact that he only asked for a ps2 and not a top of the range ps3 or xbox shows that he is far from spoilt
They are totally different one is hand held and one is for the bedroom so not like buying to sports cars

you really don't need to explain yourself, it's just one persons opinion and you are right, they are different, it's not like 2 hand helds or 2 consoles!

velocity.girl_2

i've spent about £150 on my each of my children aged 5 and 3...but as the trend this includes pjs,slippers,stocking and xmas day outfit...a lot of stuff i got cheaply in sales or on ebay...some stuff is 2nd hand but boxed...mainly Happyland stuff...but they won't care about that-luckly.

also spent about £150 on my hubby...but that includes his birthday on the 1/1 so that's not too bad!

elektra-2007

It really gets my goat when people nit pick on here, my lad has a ps2, psp, ds and wii, No he isnt spoilt it's just each one is totally different, people wouldnt say anything if you were buying a vtech smile and vtech pocket or a bike and a scooter. "Consoles" is just a label, the actual items are totally different.

Lunar_Eclipse

elektra-2007 wrote: »

It really gets my goat when people nit pick on here, my lad has a ps2, psp, ds and wii, No he isnt spoilt it's just each one is totally different, people wouldnt say anything if you were buying a vtech smile and vtech pocket or a bike and a scooter. "Consoles" is just a label, the actual items are totally different.

I'm not nit picking. I genuinely don't understand the multiple purchases, because in the bigger scheme of things I don't see them as much different at all. Why would it get your goat to do what you think is right for your children?

So yes, I do think a bike and a scooter in the same Christmas would also be excessive since they are also very similar, satisfy the same purpose.

Why not spread the money (or cut back)? I think that is my main point. It's not like I'm affected or care what others buy for their kids; you're taking it personally when it's just an opinion.

miss_independent

I'm really sorry if people think I've said something wrong. I was actually trying to defend JoRose when I posted but on then end of it I did say I didn't agree with some parents I know of children I teach who bought their children wii's, xboxes, ds's and psps etc all in one go (i.e all of the latest consoles in one christmas). That is just my opinion of course and to be honest I wouldn't say this in real life to the parents - I suppose I just thought to myself, which one would they play with first out of wii's, xboxes, ds's and then they had to have all the games and things to go with it and on top of that one was getting a pony, and an iphone (she was 6!). I'm not nit picking at anyone on here though. Everyone has a different way of parenting. And I don't see anything wrong with having several games consoles either, they are all different platforms and especially when you have more than one child I can understand you may accumulate lots of ds's, ps's etc. I just think its a bit excessive to get them ALL in one go! But thats just me!
A little story, my brother is twenty years older than me and my mum had no money when she had him so he didn't get much at christmas and birthdays but had a big extended family. As a kid in the nineties, I had lots of toys and went to private school but I never got to see my Dad much as he was a workaholic and we lived far away from all my other relatives. My mum and I also had periods where we did struggle for money too, but it was the fact I didn't have time spent on me that made my childhood unhappy. My brother only visited us at christmas and would see me getting lots of presents (although not THAT much by todays standards) and so decided I was spoiled and referred to me for many years as "the brat", but he never knew that I would have gladly had less dolls and teddys if it meant I had people to spend time with me and give me cuddles or play with me. I was also a very quiet child and never boasted of the things I had, so I don't think I was spoiled or a brat, I was grateful for everything (especially when someone bought me a book!) and was very polite. When I hear some of you say you can't afford much but will play board games and spend quality family time together, I just want you to know that I think that is wonderful. I do hope when I have children I am able to afford to buy them lots of lovely presents but I would also want to make christmas a very special family time with lots of traditions and things to bond over too.

Sorry if I have offended anyone .

TeresaO

Hi,

so far DS £17 and DD £0... oh dear my shopping hasn't been very good.
to share they will have DSi and a game each, DD will get a Wii game and she has asked for a plastic teaset. DH and I (translate as family pressie) are getting a Wii fit.

The main reason for my lack of purchasing is that they haven't asked for anything and so I'm a bit stuck. I really don't like spending money for the sake of it. I do like the idea of a movie basket, so I think I might 'steal' that idea, (in which case I have to get DD a DVD too!

have a good one

T

dawnteabag

I normally spend about £50 on my son who is 9 this yer. He has an x-box (not 360) and a ds that he got as a joint present from me and his dad last year. He'll get most of the things on his christmas list one way or another but hhis list did make me smile

Rugby padding ("for top half")
Hannah Montana DVD
Cuttlekids plates because the ones he has are marked from over-use
history book
beano membership
airfix set (I think we can thank James MAy for this one)
craft set
and, my favourite, whch sadly he isn't going to get
"hand weights - up to 200kg"

I pointed out to him that 200kg was quite heavy - nearly 3 times my weight but he was undeterred and said that he would be using a structured programme to build himself up. Bless his heart!

So far I've spent approx £35 and intend to spend the remainder on pjs, slippers and maybe a dvd box set.

We don;t spend a huge amount on presents in our family - £30-£50 on kids, £15-£20 on close adult relatives and £5-10 on aunties, cousins etc.

elektra-2007

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

I'm not nit picking. I genuinely don't understand the multiple purchases, because in the bigger scheme of things I don't see them as much different at all. Why would it get your goat to do what you think is right for your children?

So yes, I do think a bike and a scooter in the same Christmas would also be excessive since they are also very similar, satisfy the same purpose.

Why not spread the money (or cut back)? I think that is my main point. It's not like I'm affected or care what others buy for their kids; you're taking it personally when it's just an opinion.

I can see your point about spreading the cost but i do that by buying things during the year and saving them for xmas, if i got him everything he wanted during the year xmas wouldnt be that special and id have a house full of rubbish, when he asks for things i tell him to put it on his xmas list by the time xmas comes the list has changed so much most of the things he previously wanted are gone as they were a whim...and theres a few things he really wants and has stayed on the list, it teaches him patience to wait for things and they he will enjoy them better (hopfully). Anyway as you said it an opinion, this is mine.

Sublime_2

I like to get bargains throughout the year, and hoard them for christmas/birthday presents. So I haven't spent much on mine, but have managed to get some great things.

My daughter is getting a Honey my Baby Pony, which cost £9.03 from amazon earlier this year, (instead of £39.99). Shes also getting a new bike, which we got 1/2 price, only because she's outgrown her old one.

My little toddler, is getting a Tomy Thomas Track Master at Tidmouth sheds whish I also bought from amazon earlier this year for a bargain £20.10, (instead of £49.99). I am also giving him a build it construction set which I got 1/2 price for £17.99 from the Early Learning Centre.

I like to get them nice things, but I don't like to spend much, as we have other priorities.

shelovestobuystuff

Kandipandi wrote: »

At what stage do you start to spend less on the children.

Is it when they are 18, or is it when they get a job or leave home or does this cost never decrease?

My eldest are almost 15 now and we are finding that the things they would like are getting more and more expensive, and we are looking forward to a time when this changes.

I guess it depends on the individual, I just know I will feel tight when the time comes and I announce that the budget has been dramatically slashed!

18 is the point I decided my son gets treated like an adult at christmas instead of a child.No mountains of pressies and helium balloons this year for him.We are just buying less stuff this year for him,ends up the same amount of money spent though(about £300-£400)1/2 gifts and 1/2 cash for him to do what he please with.
My Mother in law still spends a couple of hundred on my OH and he is nearly 40 so I dont think there a cut off point.Depends on the individual and the family I guess,no cut and dried answer.