How much do you spend and what do you get for your childrens Birthday presents???

MERFE

Mine are roughly the same age as the OP, dd 5th is just after half term - she is having 5 friends from school for a tea party with painting and pass the parcel games. Party costs including food nearly £100. For presents she had a new duvet set (she has used a cotbed size duvet up till now nd new one is single to match her bed) matching curtains and rug. We have just moved so this is to make her room nice for her. She also had a lightning macqueen toy as she requested cars when her brother didnt want to share his christmas presents. Total cost £50.

This is a quiet birthday with only small gifts, nothing much but it adds up so fast. She agrees that she has too many toys so it was nice to get her bits for her bedroom instead and make it really girlie now she doesnt have to share with her brother.

I also put about £50 in her saving each year too, depending what we have left over. I have a big family so she'll get plenty of clothes and toys from everyone else too. TBH she would be happy to sit at the table all day everyday with a doodle pad and some pens, big expensive gifts just are not worth the money.

For christmas they had bikes total cost £115, DD was £80 DS was ex-display £35, and some bits I got off ebay, probably spent another £50 each. so not extravagant. We do always go to panto at christmas and have loads of days out as a family. This family time together is where I value spending my money rather than on stuff.

maureenjscott

bugbabe1970 wrote: »

I suppose it comes down to how much you can afford really.

My kids are 8, 13, and 15. I spend about £400 each on them at xmas. I suppose it is a lot really but thats what me and hubby work full time for.

I save monthly for xmas.

I often wonder why 2parents need to work full time and this seems to be one of those reasons! Yes if you can afford it spend that amount but would the kids rather have more family time/spend more time with mum or dad throughout the year rather than perhaps childminders/after school care/nannies etc (bug babe, this isnt aimed at you, just a broad thought re parents working fulltime for things i would see as uneccesary, please dont take offence!)
Seems lots of folk on here taking offence at other peoples opinions.

I currently have 4yo dd and ds about to turn 9- we will spend about £25 on his present(s) and mabye another £20 on a family day out eg zoo/soft play/cinema depending on his decision. WE may also have some family round for birthday tea - usually buffet type thing but without spending more than £25 ish on food/soft drinks/cake.

DD got similar on her 4th birthday, present was cheaper tho as she saw something she wanted and i got a bargain but again we did the family day out and ensured both kids had a great weekend.

WE are due baby no3 the week before ds birthday so i've already got his present organised and been saving for the extras too as well as getting organised for the baby. I have Christmas sorted for the baby - he/she will have £0 spent as i have loads of baby type toys etc from the first two which will simply be cleaned/repaired/new batteries etc and quite possibly the same will be the case for the following Christmas too!

Last Christmas dd had less than £80 spent on her and DS about £150 - mainly cos we left it late buying his main present and as some else said re toy story it will be a nightmare getting at end of year, we found that with lego and paid a fortune for the set that he requested! argh! The other specific thing he requested we couldn't get without spending even more so explained that to him, and he has said that if we can get it cheaper later he would like it for birthday instead - managed to get it for £25 instead of £50 just by waiting a month or so.

Keys - I hope that some of this helps. I agree that i would spend more on 'special' birthdays eg 16/18/21 but not to ridiculously huge amounts and again dependant on what we could afford. We're trying to pay off debt and i dont see point in taking on more for such events.

mo x

princessl84

Keyes - Spend what you can afford if its £10 or £1000. Its your money to spend how you see fit.

Andyf - You are so true about the spending £100 on a baby is easy. I know i have done it today for my niece

Mrcrow - If you dont want to spend that sort of money then dont but dont shoot people down who do. Or it could come down to jealousy.

I know that my parents still spend about £50 on brithdays and about £250 on xmas on me (25) Brother (23) and my Sister (19) also on my h2b and my sisters bf they spend about £30 on birthdays and £100 on xmas. We had alot more spent on us at birthdays and xmas when we where younger

Janepig

maureenjscott wrote: »

Seems lots of folk on here taking offence at other peoples opinions.

I couldn't give two hoots what strangers on the internet think of how much I might or might not want to spend on my children. Or whether I work or don't work, etc... As parents we're all so critical of each other - does it matter if someone works full time and spends alot on their children? Does it matter if someone doesn't work and spends less? Err no.

To me the only important thing is spending within your means.

Jxx

princessl84

cleaned/repaired/new batteries - I feel really sorry for babies that dont get anything new at xmas. Fair enough they wont know but still

sparrer

My DD and DS both have their birthdays tomorrow, although there's 9 years between them. I've spent between £20 and £25 on each of them and I'm taking DD out for a meal. I'd do the same for DS but he's not here tomorrow. They get a main present of £20/£25 value at Christmas plus a few stocking fillers so perhaps £35 altogether.It was a lot more when I was working.

I like to spend as much as I can as do the majority of parents and think it's relative to income. In my case DD is 37 and DS 28 tomorrow , I live on a pension and a lot of the money I spend on birthdays/Christmases is made from surveys etc. They know and think I still spend too much, but won't tell the tax man about my ill-gotten gains!

Morgan_Ree

My DS is nearly 4 and Xmas just gone we probably spent about £200 on presents for him. Every year older he gets the more expensive these toys become

For his birthday this year we'll probably spend a little more than £200 but that includes a trip to Thomas Land as well

I don't really think I spend a massive amount of money on him
He gets pretty much what me and my brothers got when we were kids, that's probably why I don't see it as an issue

As for those who think it's obscene to spend that sort of money on a child, I personally think it's sad to spend only £20/£30 on them at Xmas/birthdays IF you can afford to spend more. Treating them twice a year is hardly going to ruin them as adults

Of course if thats all you can afford then thats fair enough! But if you can afford to spend more then whats the problem?

*Louise*

We usually spend £50 each on our 3 but have started cutting back to £30, because they get plenty from relatives and it was getting silly.

We always have a family party in the evening for them, so the June/July babies have a BBQ party in the afternoon/evening (depends on the day of the week it falls on) October baby (eldest) has a small buffet and fireworks party.

MERFE

princessl84 wrote: »

cleaned/repaired/new batteries - I feel really sorry for babies that dont get anything new at xmas. Fair enough they wont know but still

And it would be such a waste buying them new things just so they had new things, once the box is taken off its all the same anyway.

I'm pretty sure that the baby does not need to be felt sorry for, probably has loads more toys than the older ones had, since has theirs and any new ones family buy. Plus older siblings that love him.

DeeDee74

:eek::eek:how much on a b'day present...

i spend £50 for b'days as mine are both rite before xmas.

xmas i splash out more i normally spend about a £1000 each but i was good this year and spent less....

what are u buying her /him for £150? ( soz couldn't remember if u said in u post.)