How many gifts for kids?

[journeytolily]

Hi. I am wondering how many gifts to buy for my kids this year. Our oldest daughter will be 9, our son is 7, and the "baby" girl is 2. DH was unemployed for a short while, but now has a good job. Our finances are okay (I don't work outside the home), but we are hoping to save money to adopt one more baby in the coming year (fingers crossed!).

 

So far, I have 2 "mid-price" items for DS (about $30 each), and 2 less expensive (about $10-15 each). For DD1, I have the Leapster Explorer she has been begging for ($60), along with one game, and then 2 doll outfits for the Karito Kid doll she is getting for her birthday a week from today. DD2 is getting a doll that talks when it's moved around, super cute ($35) and so far only one other toy (a play purse, $15).

 

I'm thinking that I'm almost done. DD1 really wants the FurReal Gogo pup, but that's another $50. I plan on getting DD2 two more gifts. Then perhaps a book for each, and a new set of PJ's for each.

 

Is this enough?? I remember getting probably 15-20 presents under the tree every year when I was growing up, but the kids seem to have so much stuff already. And they always want more!

 

How many gifts do you think *most* kids get for Christmas (let's assume solid middle class family income)? How much do people spend on average?

 

Veronica

[NanceXToo]

We celebrate Hanukkah and we get our kids 8 gifts each, one for each day of Hanukkah. They open one present a day (with extra gifts from a couple of other relatives here and there). A few of them are 'smaller' gifts, anywhere from 1-3 of them would be more expensive.

 

No idea how many gifts most kids get for Christmas lol.

[ProudGrandma]

it is so funny that you asked this question...becasue i was wondering this very thing myself...it is so hard to know...I have 3 kids and I try to keep the # of gifts the same...price doesn't really matter to them...they don't know what things cost...but they kind of have an idea if they are of similar cost...I suppose...but I am eager to see what others say.

[Jennifer in MI]

Sounds like plenty to me! If you wanted to beef it up a little just so they have more gifts, you could wrap a bunch of stuff they need anyway for their stockings - toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Santa always used to wrap things for breakfast and lunch that we never otherwise got to eat - cold sugary cereal, ramen noodles, Kraft Mac and cheese, twinkles, etc.

[littlebug42]

I am not sure who gave us the idea on this board in another thread but this year we are doing 4 gifts:

 

Something they want (Santa gift),

Something they need,

something to play with and

something to read.

 

My kids get so much from other family members that I would rather scale it back here at home. I think it will be great. We also will do something together for charity this year as well (which we do every year).

[Okra]

For our family, we give two presents each. It's just the way it is with our family. We have 5 children, so that makes 10 presents between them, and usually there is something that they can share with their siblings. Also, their grandparents usually give them 2 presents each also (usually something big and then something smaller. They have an aunt that gives them each a present. Overall, that's how it is. Sometimes it seems that other families give more, but my children have never complained.

 

Okra

[Ravin]

Honestly, outside of stocking stuffers, I expect to get DD one fairly large/impressive toy from Santa (though not necessarily expensive--probably in the under $20 range), a non-toy gift and a toy type gift from DH and I (probably PJ's for the non-toy gift) and something small from just me for Mother-Night (possibly handmade, or to lend itself to DD's own creativity). Most of the stocking stuffers will probably be edible (food stamps buy candy). She might get something from the associate angel tree at work.

 

She will also get gifts from grandparents, her single uncle, etc., so it should be plenty. We also spread the gifting out over the 12 days of Yule, from Mother-Night (the 20th) until New Year's Eve. Santa puts things under the tree on the 25th, and she gets gifts from DH and I on the Solstice, so there's no single huge pile to open at once. Things mailed in from distance go under the tree and get opened one day at a time, things from the in-laws get opened when we happen to go to their house, etc.

 

At this point I rather like how much the gifts have been downscaled in our house. If we had more money, DD's big Santa gift might be somewhat pricier but there wouldn't be more of them; instead I'd rather set and example and encourage her by expanding our gifting to other people (like my young siblings, a kid off the angel tree at the store, etc.).

[K&Rs Mom]

We usually do 3 plus a stocking. Grandparents give far more, and about 1/3 of that goes right into a box for the next year's Toys for Tots collection (at dc's request). There's only so much stuff any kid can use.

[kokotg]

I remember getting that many presents when I was a kid, too...but I've found with our kids that they tend to burn out and get overwhelmed if they have too many things to unwrap. I think a few well-chosen presents are best. We don't have a set number in mind from year to year, but this year is shaping up to be around 5 presents each, plus a couple that are for all of them together. Of the five, a couple are games/toys, a couple of books, and a couple are clothes. Then we do stockings and 1-2 presents each from Santa (we also had a way bigger Santa thing when I was a kid; we do Santa-lite with our kids...I don't let Santa take the credit for all the best presents, for example. The Santa present is a mid-range kind of thing--I aim for something that looks exciting when you see it first thing in the morning, but isn't necessarily going to be the favorite long term).

Edited November 18, 2010 by kokotg

[Sherry in OH]

I am not sure who gave us the idea on this board in another thread but this year we are doing 4 gifts:

 

Something they want (Santa gift),

Something they need,

something to play with and

something to read.

 

My kids get so much from other family members that I would rather scale it back here at home. I think it will be great. We also will do something together for charity this year as well (which we do every year).

 

We do something similar -

 

Something they want,

something to read,

something to play with,

and something to share (a family gift).

 

They also get a few treats in their stockings and a sibling gift.

 

This year the gifts are a game, a book, and a puzzle each, plus a gears set to share. Brother gifts will probably be toy trucks (I haven't taken them shopping yet).

 

I received a lot of gifts as a child, but nearly all were things my things my parents had to provide anyway. I don't see the point of wrapping socks or underwear. In addition, my parents rarely bought anything but necessities other than at Christmas. My grandparents and other relatives/friends of the family also only gave gifts at Christmas. My children receive "treats" throughout the year. Their needs are met and they have few true wants.

[Ravin]

I don't see the point of wrapping socks or underwear. In addition, my parents rarely bought anything but necessities other than at Christmas. [/QUOTE]

 

It's exciting to open gifts, and when you can't afford to spend money on non-necessities, it's nice to have SOMETHING under that tree.

 

Thanks for the socks reminder.

[femke]

We do gifts on New Year's Eve.

 

2 gifts each:

A book

A toy ($20 )

 

And a new game, for all to enjoy.

 

Guess it's not so much compared to what you're all spending, but I like to give gifts year round, just to surprise them every now and than.

Two years ago we did do lots of gifts, but my son burst out in tears and was shaking all over... not going there again!

[Laura Corin]

One each from each family member, so about five in total: one from parents, one from grandfather, one from grandmother, one from my brother, one from husband's brother. Stockings in addition are very small: a book and a small toy, plus fruit and chocolate coins. They get roughly the same for birthdays, and no other gifts through the year.

 

Laura

[prairie rose]

Many many years ago when I first started thinking about homeschooling and wandered on to these boards, someone posted that they gave 3 gifts to each of their children based on something Biblical (can't remember exactly off the top of my head what they based that on, this was like 10 years ago :lol: ) We are not religious but I liked the idea. I always struggled with how many gifts was "enough" and what was "too much". So I adapted it to us, one gift from Santa, one from Mom and one from Dad. Kept things simple, made Christmas shopping much easier, everyone is happy. I have them make lists of at least 5 things they want and I have them prioritize them, from the most wanted that they would be disappointed if they didn't get it to what they could most live without. If they have some crazy expensive item on their list, we talk with them about it. If they really really want it, we discuss ways we could do it, maybe a shared gift with a sibling (my boys both want a $100 lego set so it will be a shared gift to both of them), maybe just one big gift from both mom and dad so they will only get 2 gifts instead of 3.

 

Now, there have been years when dh was unemployed that only Santa was able to bring gifts. The kids understood completely that mom and dad couldn't give gifts that year but Santa at least brought them something. Stockings are usually just candy, a very special treat since Halloween and Christmas are about the only times we have candy. Some years they get new jammies and a book on Christmas Eve. Some years we allow them to buy their siblings a small gift each or some times it's just one gift from all their siblings each. They get a gift each from my dad, dh's grandmother always sends them a Walmart gift card which we give them the option to either spend at Walmart or if they want something from somewhere else, they can give us the card and we will give them the cash value. If my mil comes to the states just before Christmas, she will Christmas shop for them while she is here and have us hide her gifts for her and put them under the tree. If she doesn't make it to America (like this year) she sends money.

 

So I guess, all totaled they get 5 - 6 gifts to open and one or two gift cards or cash gifts. I try to keep it to $100 per kid but usually it works out that one child wants less expensive gifts so we spend less than $100 on them and it makes up for the child that goes a little over $100.

[prairie rose]

I don't see the point of wrapping socks or underwear.

 

We always got new toothbrushes in our stockings when I was little. I really didn't like that little tradition, it wasn't even a fancy toothbrush usually :lol:

 

I try to avoid socks, underwear, toothbrushes and the like at Christmas. I will buy clothes at Christmas if a child would like clothes I usually take them window shopping with me and I let them show me what they like, no matter the price, and then I either go back and get it (if I can afford it) or get something similar that I can afford.

[Mama2Three]

Three things -- a toy or game, a book, and something they need. Plus some small things for their stocking (gum, chapstick, etc). I like the idea of something that they want from Santa, I always struggle to figure out what's from Santa and what's from us.

[LaissezFaire]

We do:

 

Want

Need

Wear

Read

 

and a stocking.

[Pretty in Pink]

We do a stocking and then a few gifts for each child. Some years it has just been one gift (the year they got a Wii + games + accessories, that was the only gift that year). This year they will probably each get two or three gifts. We are going shopping tomorrow I think.

 

We also make gifts for one another, and there is no limit on those. Last year I got several dozen sheets of paper with the word MOM printed in crayola on them. They were all folded neatly (or as neat as a three year old can fold a sheet of paper anyway, which isn't all that neat actually) and piled under the tree amongst the other gifts. So cute!

[NineChoirs]

We celebrate all 12 days of Christmas. On Christmas morning the kids open a big and a small present. They also get their stockings on Christmas morning. Then they open a present every day ending with another big present on the 12th day. It is a bit tricky because we don't have a big budget. But on one of the days they open a gift from their grandparents (who send money for us to buy gifts from them). Board games and/or movies are given as group gifts. And books & small craft sets are an affordable way fill up the rest of the days.

[NineChoirs]

Oh and we don't give clothes or necessities as gifts. This is because the only thing we really buy them throughout the year are clothes and necessities. Birthdays and Christmas are reserved for things they would usually have to buy themselves or receive as gifts. Although we are getting my oldest son his Letterman jacket this year for his big gift. He lettered in Soccer and is disappointed that he doesn't have (can't afford to buy) a Letterman jacket to put it on. He will after Christmas, but he just doesn't know it yet. ;)

[caitlinsmom]

We changed our gift giving a few years ago. Now I kids get three presents each; one to read, one to play and one to wear. It covers just about everything they want in a year. I jot down reminders when they mention something and then come Oct/Nov. I go over the list and see what is still applicable.

 

It works for us, simplifies the gift giving and the kids are much happier without to smuch stuff.

 

This year we are also going to give a gift as a family and buy another family in our area dinner and/or gifts.

[ProudGrandma]

we do more gifts...about 7 each..but not super expensive...maybe one gift is about $25ish...but the rest are more like $10-$15. I have never given "needs"..outside of a toothbrush....but even then, that was a electric toothbrush...so it was still cool.

[journeytolily]

Thanks for all the replies! It seems that many of you do something similar to what I'm thinking, but there is a lot of variation - I guess whatever we go with (more or less), there's a big range of what people do about gifts, so I don't have to feel too badly if their friends get more than they do!

 

I mentioned that I got tons of gifts as a child - I rarely if ever got any toys or special items during the year. Christmas and birthday only. My kids do get occasional items that they really want thru the year, so that's part of the difference, I guess.

 

Veronica

[alpidarkomama]

We're Jewish. The kids get a little bag of chocolate every night for 8 nights, and a special book. That's it! :) But channukah is kind of a simple holiday in the great scheme of the Jewish calendar...