Average amount of presents you get your child for christmas

[richmond282]

My DD is 8. She still believes in Santa, but I'm kind of hoping one of her friends will clue her in before Christmas. We try to give her about 8 gifts of varying costs and sizes. I try to stick with a budget of $300 or less, although it will be higher this year since she's getting a laptop. Her other gifts so far this year are:
books from a used book store
clothes from Justice
Brave Bluray
Password Journal (probably from Santa)
AG cat Ginger from Barnes & Noble
Scooter for her AG doll from Kmart toy clearance sale
AG doll Kailey (eek! found it on my FB yard sale group for $50, My DD's name is Kaylie)
Laptop

She recieves 1 unwrapped gift from Santa. I just choose something from the list she sends to Santa. Sometimes it's a "bigger ticket" item, some times not. Last year she got a fijit friend (which she played with for all of 1 day); the year before she got a trampoline.

I, too, don't like to give Santa too much credit for several reasons. 1) As a PP said, My DH and I work hard to be able to afford things for our family and would like some credit, 2) I put a lot of effort into choosing gifts my DD will love and would like for her realize that, 3) I am hoping once she realizes Santa isn't real, it won't be so crushing since she is only recieving 1 gift from him, 4) It's difficult for little kids to understand why some kids get tons of gifts and expensive gifts from Santa while others don't and I don't want to put too much focus on it.

 

[Julia M]

Typically my kids get 8-10 gifts. This usually includes 1 or 2 bigger items and 1 or 2 smaller inexpensive items. For example, this might include a video game or two as higher end and a book that was $5-$10 for ds. Dd last year got a Victoria's Secret GC, a pair of Toms shoes and some cake decorating items (all bought with craft store 40% or 50% off coupon). I typically get each an iTunes GC.

I typically spend about $200 per kid. But it can vary. Last year youngest ds received a robotics kid that was about $200 alone, but he's on the team at school and I felt it was important for him. Theres no way around the price!! He still received other gifts as well.

They are 20, 18 and 15 this Xmas.

Julia

 

[maggs1035]

This is a very interesting thread! I love reading peoples take on xmas.

We usually do a lot of gifts, and not a lot of gifts during the year. This year is going to be different (haha, my kids 19 and 17 laugh because I say that every year) but really it is going to be less this year.

We are going on a 10 day Disney/Sea World trip and then we are boarding the Disney Fantasy for a 7 day Caribbean cruise in May. Therefore it will be light and related to the trip. Disney gift cards, trip clothes, I can't even think of what to get the 2 older one (we have a DS6 too) Ds6 will get legos, and trucks etc on top of gift cards for trip, etc. But when I ask the two older ones what they want for xmas they don't know? None of them NEED anything? I will give DD19 a mall gift card to spend in april to buy cruise clothes but other than that I just don't know what to get and feel that with the trip it doesn't need to be much!

 

[monorailsilver]

We have 3 kids:

Girl-11
Boy-9
Girl-6

All gifts come from Santa. DH & I were both brought up like that. All gifts are wrapped-stockings & under the tree. They each have their own wrapping paper & they know which gifts are theirs when they look at their stocking.

I usually get them around 15 gifts for under the tree & another 10-15 for their stocking.

I don't have a budget which I wish I did but I just get them what they need. I do like to keep it under $1000, heck, under $500 if I can but it isn't always feasable.

My kids don't get a ton of things all year long. We go to the store they beg for something (a new toy when they were younger, etc...), I say no. I love to watch them open gifts & as a kid I remember getting lots of gifts.

One year all 3 got a ds (2 got new ones since they didn't have nerf armour & they broke) & 1 got an ipod touch (via points so it was free). But the rest of their gifts were on the cheap side.

One year my youngest (I sort of feel bad for this one) was either 1 or 2 & we didn't need any new toys with her being the 3rd. Well we got her the loving family doll house & I wrapped each room separate. I had to buy them separate but those were pretty much her whole gift.

This year I said I am going cheap but I already spent $60+ on 2 gifts-baseball cards for my ds for his stocking (and darn those things are pricey) & an Under Armour sweatshirt for my oldest.

Mine still count gifts for the most part.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've been reducing the amount of gifts the kids get each year. They were getting way too many and we have too much "stuff" around here.

I'm thinking about 8 gifts total for each this year unless they want really expensive ones. My kids are teens now so there aren't Santa gifts - just stockings.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Last year I changed my mind about how Santa should work, he brings one special gift and a couple small things but the rest come from my husband and I. I decided that we work really hard to provide for our family and that we should get credit for bringing the majority of the gifts.

My exhusband and I frequently argued about this. He thought santa should be giving the cool gifts, while the parents would give smaller gifts. Ya right!! So in my childs eyes, his parents are cheapo's? he only got a shirt or pjs from his parents while santa gave him a shiny new bike? I dont think so! I told my ex i want the credit for the cool gifts. LOL! Santa would give a bunch of stocking stuffers. But thats all.

Anyway, maybe I spoil my kid cause i generally give him about 4 - 5 gifts.

 

[Fueledbycoffee]

We started doing 3 gifts for Christmas to represent the 3 gifts that Baby Jesus got. QUOTE]

Started doing that a couple of years ago and really like it. Reduces the impulse purchases and reminds of the Reason for the Season. I will combine things (DS's nano was wrapped with the case) but only if they go together not to break the rule. This year I really want to dig into the story of the Three Wise Men to learn more about the tradition.

We also do stocking with pretty good gifts (like ITunes gift cards, movie tickets, etc.--not just candy and dollar stuff)
We dont do the Santa gifts in our house. We enjoy Santa, but have never pushed the issue and put more focus on Baby Jesus and the reason for Christmas

Santa has his own paper in stockings but I don't stress about leaving treats. If they kids want to I play along. If we forget, it means our Christmas Eve was special enough to worry about it.

BTW: Easter basket? Yes. Bunny? No.

 

[disneychrista]

Now that they are grown it, depends on what they want. I have a budget and if I can I get them what they want, if not then I tell them and give them their options.

When they were little they would get their big present from Santa and maybe a few smaller gifts.

Then they would get 3 -5 from me.

 

[cheap traveler]

I want to reduce the amount of "stuff" this year, but it's hard! At nearly 9 and 6.5, they know that it's more/less than last year.

I the past, Santa has always brought 1 gift each, price varies. Last year, they got a wardrobe for their AG doll clothes, and it was a joint gift from Santa.

This year, both girls had Julie's car from AG - have you seen it? NOW WAY their doll's car was going to cost more than my first car!

So I told my DD8 that Santa can't make all these toys for free, parents have to pay for the materials, so she can't ask for something so expensive. She argued about that for days.

I always try to keep the number of gifts even. I shop through the year, so I get very good deals. Usually, they have around 15 gifts from me, and one un-wrapped from Santa, along with stockings. This year....I have around 10 each right now, and I think I'm going to stop after I get their ipods. Santa will leave one of the things I already have, the ipod will be from me.


I really wish I could just tell them the real story about Santa, but DD6 is only in first grade, and I know she would be the awful little kid in class telling everyone things their parent's don't want them to know.

 

[Angeni11]

For Hanukkah our kids get a small gift on each the first 7 days (usually something that costs $3 or less each day) and one larger gift (in the $10-$20 range) for the 8th day.

For Xmas they get 1 present from us and 1 from each other.

Last year one of their favorite things were the $1 Cars socks I got each of them as one of their Hanukkah gifts as well as the Target Legos that came free with the gift cards.

 

[teacup princess]

My kids, ages 11,8,6,1,get maybe 10- 12 gifts total. On Christmas eve they open an ornament to hang on the tree. (My goal with this is for each kid to have 20 or so ornaments to take with them for their first house.). Then Christmas morning they come down the stairs to 1 large unwrapped gift from Santa and maybe 1 or 2 smaller wrapped Santa gifts under the tree. The rest are from us. I don't try to keep the costs even at their ages, only the number, but probably will switch to an even dollar amount when they get older.

Last year the baby only got 1 gift. This year I'll probably make it even so the total number of gifts everybody gets will probably come down. A budget can only stretch so far.

 

[libinatorsmom]

IT varies but we spoil our daughter I think she is the only one we have and we like her to have what she wants WE still do Santa so thats fun for us too I would guess a number 30 or more for a number...

 

[jmac323]

Wow I can't believe the number of gifts some kids get. For us, we don't do a certain number of gifts but we do a monetary budget we set. Typically they will get a "bigger" gift from Santa and then some stocking things. They tend to get a few from us (clothes, games, etc). That's it. We have a ton of toys and stuff already and they get more from family too so I don't see the need for more.

This year we decided to do Disney in January so the present from us is the trip and I got a couple disney tshirts to help surprise them with. They both want new dolls from Santa so we are thinking they each get a doll and we tell the family they want doll accessories. Typically grandparents don't listen anyway LOL. We still have 4 gifts from last Christmas that have never been opened. We are donating them this year.

 

[Snowflakey]

I'd say an average of 30 or so per child. We have 2 DD's 19 & 16 Plus they each have a really big stocking

 

[julieanddanny]

We do full stockings + 1 gift from Santa then 7ish gifts from Mom & Dad - most of those being inexpensive. The last couple years it was about $180 total per kid.
3 kids (8, 7, 2)

 

[CammelleandBre]

I'm so glad someone else posted that their child gets around over 30 gifts from Santa. My dd is an only and right now she has 37 gifts and that doesn't count the clothes, her stocking stuffers, or the presents from my sister. She also still believes in Santa and she's in the 4th grade and will be 10 in January. Her birthday is the 7th 2 weeks after Christmas. And I fully admit to spoiling her.

 

[ehough]

I'm also one who aims for dollars, not numbers. This year I spent about $150 and we're at about 12 gifts each. I do them all from Santa. Honestly, I feel like I only have so many years with them believing in Santa so I want to make it as magical as I can WHILE I can! It also makes wrapping easier. Each kid gets their own wrapping paper (like princess for DD, Cars for DS) and that way I don't have to label them.

 

[Irishdisneylover]

My DD is 4. I don't really have a set number of presents but there is usually around 4 or 5 under the tree and I try to keep Santas budget at around €500. I love Christmas!

 

[janey99]

My DSs are very far apart in age, so it's hard to do the exact same amount of gifts, but I do try for similar dollar amount between the two.

Also, this year I'm going for thoughtful experiences rather than high value "things" after way too many years of watching stuff get played with for only 10 minutes on Xmas day and then never again.

"Santa" brings everything at our house (14yo plays along) - worrying about a split between Santa and parents is a little too "George Costanza and the Big Salad" for me.

Jane

 

[LuLuO]

2-3 gifts from us. 1 shared gift from Santa. Chocolate and a small gift card (maybe $10) in their stocking.