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

supa-girl

I think people are getting a bit judgemental now. It seems if you spend a lot you are spoiling your kids and/or have pyschological problems and if you buy them everyday items such as clothes you are odd/tight.......

Personally we don't spend a lot on our children for a number of reasons. One is it would mean going into debt, something I am nt prepared to do. In addition we do lots with our children throughout the year and prefer to spend our money on an active lifestyle than on "stuff". They don't play with a lot of the "stuff" they already have. Finally, I object to the commercialisation of Christmas - I'm not religious but I do despair of the waste and things. So I like to use charity shops, preloved, ebay etc and feel I am doing my bit in some small way.

This works for us - our kids are always excited and happy at Christmas and I am comfortable with what we have got them. This is the key. If someone spends £100 or £1000 what does it matter? If that family is happy on Christmas day and has a good time, who cares really. Why must people try to make those who spend more or less than them feel bad - is it to make them feel better? That's how it comes across.

I actually DO, for example, include "basics" in their presents. Not as part of their budget but if they need new socks at this time of year, hell why not wrap them up and stick them in the stocking, it makes the present opening last a bit longer and keeps them happy. If people think that's odd I couldn't give a monkeys personally!

Whatever works for a family works, if it's not what you personally do/would do, who cares!

Answer the questions, by all means (in our case about £85 per child) but lose the judgement!

SG

balletshoes

poet123 wrote: »

Because we would have seen it as a family holiday and not passed the cost of that off as an xmas present too. Whilst we may have put the tickets in the stockings, we would not have factored the cost into the xmas spend as it wasnt solely for the kids but all of us.

I am not saying it is wrong, just not something we would have done.:D

I see what you're saying, but I think on reflection thats probably a big part of why i don't spend hundreds of pounds on DD at Christmas and birthdays - because I take her to Disneyland at least once a year, and although I love it loads, its most definitely a trip mostly for her (not a family holiday, as my OH has never come with us, our perfect dream would be his worst nightmare ).

bestpud

balletshoes wrote: »

I see what you're saying, but I think on reflection thats probably a big part of why i don't spend hundreds of pounds on DD at Christmas and birthdays - because I take her to Disneyland at least once a year, and although I love it loads, its most definitely a trip mostly for her (not a family holiday, as my OH has never come with us, our perfect dream would be his worst nightmare ).

That's how I feel. DD(18) has no interest in Disney at all so it seems wrong to make that a family holiday iyswim?

DD(9) and I love it so it seems an appropriate (part gift) for her.

borderlakland

I think i will have spent around £50 on each of my 4 plus about another tenner each on stocking bits, hardest bit was keeeping the amount fairly even as almost none of the gifts were full price thanks to codes/glitches/debenhams etc:p sure the full price total would have been far higher.

the kids are aware that they won't be getting a fraction of whatt some of their friends get, but are old enough to understand that everyones circumstances are different. comparing them to friends kids they aren't very materialistic and are realistic about life, cutbacks etc..(dd did joke if i won the lottery she wanted uggs, superdry clothes and ghds in her stocking)

MrsE_2

OK, I will spit out what I was thinking.

I still stand by my first comments that highchairs & regular clothes aren't gifts (not parent gifts) & are the people who are including those items in their spends to beef it up to brag a bit about how much they spent?

Personally I think its up to the parent whether they spend £20, £50, £100, £500 or £1000. I just fins it strange that people include this in xmas spends & I wonder is it to make themselves sound like they are spending a lot of money...........

coco1980

i include clothes because i want to nothing more or less, i dont always spend more than i would at any other time of year, my son get clothes through the year when he needs them yes but anything on top of what he needs is a treat or a gift. i dont spend a fortune kitting him out in all the latest gear and top brand names. i have bought him a pair of boots that cost more than i would usually spend, they are a gift because he does not need them i wanted to buy them. hope that made sense:o
oh and i remember asking for a new bed for my birthday one year, i didnt need it, i wanted it hence it being a gift:D

MrsE_2

On a plus note, my DD is now 23 & I think we have finally turned a corner & presents are coming down in price, because for at least 10 years it feels like it gets more & more expensive every year:eek:

mum2twinsx2

Well i wont be giving my boys highchairs for xmas now as i got them today and couldnt resist putting them together and seeing them in them today. They looked super cute and loved nosing around the kitchen.

bestpud

MrsE wrote: »

OK, I will spit out what I was thinking.

I still stand by my first comments that highchairs & regular clothes aren't gifts (not parent gifts) & are the people who are including those items in their spends to beef it up to brag a bit about how much they spent?

Personally I think its up to the parent whether they spend £20, £50, £100, £500 or £1000. I just fins it strange that people include this in xmas spends & I wonder is it to make themselves sound like they are spending a lot of money...........

The opposite for me, if anything, I think.

Id prefer to say I spent less and tbh wish I was able to buy one or two things.

I just find I can't - probably because mine never have much throughout the year so there is always loads of things I know they'd love.

They don't get a lot from elsewhere either though so that makes a difference, I think.

I certainly wouldn't feel a better parent for having spent loads - my personal opinion (just mine btw - not saying it's right at all) is that most of us on here have spent far too much and should rein it in.

I can't speak for others but I have heard parents bragging about the things they've bought in a way that suggests they think it makes them a better parent.

There is no right or wrong though - we each must do as we see fit.

katieclampet

supa-girl wrote: »

I think people are getting a bit judgemental now. It seems if you spend a lot you are spoiling your kids and/or have pyschological problems and if you buy them everyday items such as clothes you are odd/tight.......

Personally we don't spend a lot on our children for a number of reasons. One is it would mean going into debt, something I am nt prepared to do. In addition we do lots with our children throughout the year and prefer to spend our money on an active lifestyle than on "stuff". They don't play with a lot of the "stuff" they already have. Finally, I object to the commercialisation of Christmas - I'm not religious but I do despair of the waste and things. So I like to use charity shops, preloved, ebay etc and feel I am doing my bit in some small way.

This works for us - our kids are always excited and happy at Christmas and I am comfortable with what we have got them. This is the key. If someone spends £100 or £1000 what does it matter? If that family is happy on Christmas day and has a good time, who cares really. Why must people try to make those who spend more or less than them feel bad - is it to make them feel better? That's how it comes across.

I actually DO, for example, include "basics" in their presents. Not as part of their budget but if they need new socks at this time of year, hell why not wrap them up and stick them in the stocking, it makes the present opening last a bit longer and keeps them happy. If people think that's odd I couldn't give a monkeys personally!

Whatever works for a family works, if it's not what you personally do/would do, who cares!

Answer the questions, by all means (in our case about £85 per child) but lose the judgement!

SG

I totally agree !!

katie

:xmassign: