How much do you spend on your child's Christmas?

laurenjs88

We have spent very little on the girls this year, as we cant afford it, I cant put an exact figure on it though maybe around £30 each, DD1 we went over board with last year and she still hasnt some of the present from last christmas, so she's having the peppa pig bits again this christmas.

DD2 hasnt got very much at all, a toy for her highchair & a wooden stacker toy. They've both just had a present from FC at the nursery xmas party so DD2 has had her electric toy already. although she'd still much rather bang on an upside down tub of celebrations! Shes only 8 months old!

I'm not jealous/envious of anyone else with regards to what they spend on their kids. We all have different circumstances, My OH and I are young and dont earn much right now & we refuse to get into even more debt for christmas.

Our girls will be very spoilt this christmas by our families anyway and yes we have asked for clothes for them & vouchers for clothes as they need them.

And my OH and I have just asked everyone for cash to help get us back on track. Which is just how our family does things at christmas!

Nostalgia_and_I

When I was a child my mum couldn't afford to spend much however she tried her hardest and got what she could. I can't remember ever being dissapointed at Christmas or being envious of my friends.
I accepted that she didn't have a lot and appreciated everything that I got.
I will make sure my children are brought up the same, not to take things for granted and to be happy with what you have instead of wanting more all the time.

KiKi

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UnderPressure wrote: »

...as a parent it is the most natural thing in thre world to want to provide the very best you can for your children, these misers spouting their usual nasty garbage feel the need to try and justify their own inadquecies and failures because they choose to not provide the best they can for their children.

'Best' does not necessarily equate to buying them everything they want just because they want it. It does mean doing what you can, spoiling them sometimes, loving them, providing clear boundaries, disciplining them and preparing them to be able to cope with life as an adult.

I accept that there ARE some people who are 'miserly' and compete to spend the least, as you point out. HOWEVER! Not everyone who chooses to spend less is a miser, or is being cruel to their kids. Do you genuinely believe that every parent who chooses to spend less is a terrible parent, trying to make up for their own inadequacies and failures?

It is not true that all people who spend loads are spoiling their kids and turning them into brats. Some are, most probably aren't.

Similarly, it is not true that all parents who choose to spend less than they can afford are misers. Some are, most probably aren't.

I'm sure that most people on this thread are intelligent enough to recognise that.

KiKi

TashaBea

I feel ashamed of myself for googling how much i should spend on my 4 year old. Yep i could spend infinate amounts but the truth is as lovely as gifts are that isnt what i loved about christmas, it was all the excitement and the family fun that i loved. Yes i did have some fabulous presents but i never remembered them, for me it was all about the day itself and the rituals.
At 27 i still love the christmas rituals and traditions and intend to pass them on to my daughter.
I wont spend as much as i could on my DD as i dont want her to become materialistic, plus i buy her toys etc throughout the year. I want her thoughts of christmas to be more about family and friends and fun not about what people buy her.
So ill buy her a few gifts but the whole day is going to be magical and extravagant in other ways so she will have a smashing time!:D

Charlie23

My daughter is 4 in feb and we've spent more than normal on her (£160) but we've saved it up so i don't mind my son is 1 has about £100 on him. My kids may get 3 other presents but thats it so i don't mind spoiling them, plus they don't get bought any toys or anything other than christmas and birthdays so i don't mind. I love christmas and love spoiling them and having fun!! I sometimes feel that i've spoiled them too much this year but at the minute i don't care so long as we're all happy thats all that matters. Plus my children are the best behaved that i know compaired to a lot of children i know. We're strict but it works :-)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE :D:D:D

Sid_Wolf

I dont have kids myself, and being 20 I dont want any yet thanks very much!!! :rotfl:

Im heading to mums for chistmas, even tho I now live with my OH i wouldnt spend christmas anywhere else!! Last year we went for lunch, but this year we going xmas eve and staying the night :T

Thats still my fave bit about xmas, not the presents or how much has been spent on me, just that excited feeling and being around those I love

Me and my brother have ever been 'spoilt' at xmas, tho I suppose we were, we got things we wouldnt have been given throughout the year, I got my 1st fone at xmas, a pair of doc martins, cameras etc etc. We normally get around £100 max spent on each of us.

I dont agree with the idea that xmas presents should be fun things that are a total suprise, or that the recipient shouldnt have any involvement in the planning or buying of it. For as long as I can remember I've asked for something specific, for about 5 years its been something expensive, and i've know that would be my main present (one or 2 smaller presents aswell), and my 12yo brother is going that way aswell now he is at the age where he wants specific things.

This year I know Im getting a camera, and I know what make and model, because I wanted THAT one, mum has checked and double checked to make sure she gets the right one. I wouldnt mind if she got it wrong, its just it has specific specs, its £72, and I dont know if I'll get anything else, I dont mind if I dont, I even offered her my £10 argos giftcard to put towards it! :rotfl:I also know exactly what Im getting off my Gran, a walking belt which will be handy for walking the dogs Like my mum she wants to get it right, so she asked me to send her the link to it :rotfl:

And as for not getting practical everyday items for xmas, my mum asked me for a bird feeder cage!!! :rotfl:shes a weird one, but yes I got it for her, and also some jewellery and a lovely top, but she doesnt know about them

I dont think it matters how much you spend, or what you buy, as long as the recipient is going to enjoy it and get some use out of it, if the gift is a £2.49 cage to protect your bird feeder from squirrels then so be it!!! :rotfl:

Edited to add: I love clothes for xmas and birthdays, last birthday I got new nikes (1st ever expensive brand trainers I've owned!!) and right now I have my eyes on a pair of high top adidas!!

wildfrog

Perhaps this is just me but bizarrely I felt embarassed are the money my parents spent on us when I was a child. I felt undeserving and shamed when I saw others with less than me.

My husband is a teacher in a school in a deprived area, and he was talking the other day of some of his students who do not look forward to Christmas as they have very little or are young carers or have difficult family circumstances. I felt bad hearing about them.

I understand that all parents of course want the best for their children and this can look so very different for different parents.

Our 2 little ones are still very young (2 and 7months) but when they get older I would like to spend Christmas helping at a homeless kitchen or a community centre together. It is great to be able to "spoil" and treat our kids but I'd also like to share with them the real blessing it can be to help others too.

In many ways it is is irrelevent, but our budget for our little ones has been £40 each. They both have this split over 2 presents each rather than a several smaller presents.

I hope this hasn't upset anyone, this post isn't about how much or little to spend at christmas but rather I think it is great to encourage children to enjoy the joy of giving at Christmas (particularly giving their time) as well as receiving.

VK-2008

personally i think EACH TO THEIR OWN!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you wish to spend a few pounds, £50, £100, £200, £500, £1k

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what does it matter??

as mentioned christmas should not be all about the presents - yes they are nice but its not the be all and end all of it?

some people choose to spend a little, some spend a lot, some choose to save for the kids future and some do not.

because some parents spend a lot it does not mean that child is spoilt. if its afforable then why not? its noone elses issue as its not your money its there.

if a child has got a lot of money spent on them at christmas it does not mean that child does not know the value of money (the parents may make child do housework/pocketmoney) children dont just become spoilt brats because mum and dad give them a lot of presents

comparing two children one child with £50 and one with £500 spent on them - whos to say that either child will be less happy or LOVED?

i think it comes down to the individual you spend what you PERSONALLY feel is AFFORDABLE.

personally i feel that if your worried about your kid keeping up with the jones' then surely thats more a way they have been brought up more than what is spent on them at xmas.

when growing up my dads job seemed to get progressively better, i was always given a good xmas, this year i am 24 and my parent gave my husband and i £500 to spend on our gifts and we could get what we want plus my parents always get us extra. i appreciate it so much. but flip the situatin aout and say they spend £50 i would not feel less loved.

to everyone please dont feel judged by anyone else on what you choose to spend on xmas gifts

and be mse look for all the bargains xx

merry christmas to all

Spendless

What do we spend? It varies. Last year, we were skint. Hubby had taken a pay-cut. I wasn't working. We had £30 of Tesco vouchers to put to DDs main £50 present and £20 cash to spend on DS. This year hubby has had his pay cut re-instated and I'm working and . DS's main present is more expensive than DD's. I haven't added everything up, but it would work out around £150-£200 each. Also our kids have
2 x grandparents
2 x great grandmothers
2 x aunts
1 x great aunt
1 x great uncle.
who all buy for them. The majority buy more than 1 gift. Eg my parents and 1 gran have clubbed together to buy my son a bike this year but my mum has also bought my son a lock for his bike, an annual and probably some other bits. I have to think about where we put it all, so some years we buy less because they are getting a big quantity elsewhere.

Avisute

I must admit I always find these sort of threads amazing, as I never realised until I was an adult how much other children got for christmas. My mother never really spent more than the modern equivalent of £20, £30 at a push and I really valued everything I ever got. It's why the moment I turned 16 I got a saturday job in the local supermarket and with my first paycheck I bought gifts of gold and crystal for my mother and gran. It did of course mean that if I ever did get a big present (on my 18th I got a £70 stereo) I always was very grateful and careful with what I was given, and it made such occasions even more special. I certainly never complained if something wasn't to my taste or it wasn't the thing I wanted. I also really understood the value of money and was overjoyed when I could finally buy myself things I wanted.

To put things into context I am now 26 and newly wed.