kids and Christmas

[dreamcometrue]

I am always told that I spoil my kids for Christmas. I really don't think I am THAT bad...They are 11 and 7 and still believe in Santa, and my theory is...they are only kids once, so why not spoil them a little?

How many gifts, on average, do you get for your kids? And do you make sure you get the same amount of gifts for each child? I know mine are counting and GOD FORBID one gets more gifts than the other....Christmas is over. I get them each about 12 gifts...

 

[blue_river]

We usually buy each DD around 10 gifts and then they also receive a few from Santa.

 

[frndofpooh]

Our kids get three gifts from Santa (think of the Wise Men) and 1-2 gifts from DH and I. The stocking is well stuffed too - that's always their favorite part!

 

[kimmikayb]

This year....due to a poster here....we've decided that Santa will bring three gifts because the wise men each brought a gift. Love that idea. Plus they get a bigger gift from mom and dad, dad gives one gift and I always give pajamas and a book. The stockings are stuffed too. Then there are gifts from my parents, my sister, my DH's family and my older kids get gifts from their Dad and his family too. I can't even imagine if each of my kids got 10 to 12 gifts from just us....our house would burst at the seams!

I keep the number of gifts equal for all the kids. But it seems the older kids have a little bit more money spent on them because their gifts are more expensive. The little ones don't realize that yet.

 

[Nicolepa]

I don't really have a set # of gifts. Some years I've gone way overboard and other's I'ved tried to contain myself. Last year I was going to do 3 gifts for each child. I think I ended up with 8. That was my best year yet. The year before that I went way overboard, I won't even say how many I got!

My kids are still at an age where they don't understand $$ so I get them the same number of gifts. I think I am done shopping for them. I've just started my wrapping, when that is done I may have to buy one or two small things for my son if he doesn't have as many. If my daughter is under then that will be fine. She is getting a Lego Mindstorm and she understands that she will get less gifts this year because that costs so much. (But daddy really wants one too and couldn't wait until her birthday in June.)

Other than books and clothes I rarely buy my kids things thruout the year so I tend to go a bit overboard for Christmas and birthdays.

 

[ndelaware]

My girls get about 20 presents each. I also buy my wife 10-15 presents.

 

[aprilgail2]

my daughter ends up with about 25 under the tree between gifts from me and Santa and then grandma and her uncle Christmas morning give more gifts. Around 10 or so the neighbors start coming in with more gifts for her-the couple next door comes, their grown kids come all with gifts, lady across the street, couple across the street and other couple next door. Christmas eve we have a get together with my friends and she gets gifts from all them. Then at some point we get together with my cousins-more gifts usually 5 or so....then the week after Christmas we get together with my sister and her family, more gifts....oh and don't forget those that come in the mail- 2 or 3 of those too (her other grandma, my brothers ex girlfriend and an aunt)....and now is it any wonder why for her birthday this month she chose to donate all her gifts to sick and needy kids, she gets enough for Christmas!! Oh and her birthday plays out the same as Christmas with the gifts (other than the big santa stack) plus add on 20 from the kids that come to her birthday party!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We hover around three. WE do have a budget--so I may go crazy with the stockings to fill them up to fill the budget (it's a small budget anyway).

But we go for good quality toys they will enjoy...not try to load the base of the tree so they can have the joy of opening 20 million presents. That by itself limits our quality.

We do "Christmas" with hubby's family Thanksgiving weekend...so they rack up when at that time as we still gift exchange with everybody.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Some presents are small and inexpensive, i love to shop
they get about 15-20.
DH gets about 10-15.

 

[mla2177]

I was wondering this same question...........................as I have a 2.5 yr old and I think I bought him about 25 items and I am not done yet!

Honestly though, it's mostly books, DVD's and activity stuff. I probably spent about $100 so far. Do you that is overboard? This is my first child, I really don't want a spoiled kid!

 

[mudnuri]

it's really never 'even' here number wise. Generally it's about the same amount $ wise...but now they're getting more expensive presents..

A lot of times, they get 'used' toys from Santa- meaning...last year they got an entire town, I can't think of the name of it, but it had 2 floor mats, and 15 buildings- plus a bucket of cars, people, etc... I found it at a thrift store for $15.00. Christmas eve after they went to bed, we set that up on the floor around the tree. Then they had their gifts from us to open...

This year, DD9's gamecube will be unwrapped, as if it was from Santa- and that we bought used at gamestop...her new controllers and games will be unwrapped.

DD10 is getting a tracfone, that will be unwrapped somewhere in the tree, and I will call it from my phone she will have to find the phone thats ringing

Generally- i'd say about 25-30 gifts, plus the stocking which is my favorite part. I wrap everything in the stocking so they really enoy that part

Brandy

 

[CEDmom]

We have 1 child and I could go crazy but she honestly doesn't ask for much. Also, we'd rather do things throughout the year than lavish her with gifts on one day. That being said she's getting about 10 gifts - 2 or 3 will be from DH and me and the rest from Santa. Overall though we'll spend under $200 for her. She's only 7 and not into the big ticket items so we'll save our $$ and she'll still have a wonderful Christmas. I'm not counting other family members.

With my DBs and I my mom still makes sure she spends the same amount on all of us . She's nothing if not fair.

 

[Barb D]

Another vote for 3 because of the wise men. We've done this since my older kids (15 and 13) were little after another friend suggested it. It's a great way to keep a limit on things.

This year the big kids are each getting one expensive gift, so two of their three will probably be boxes of animal crackers! DD7 will get three toys. They'll all get full stockings, plus a few books and maybe some clothes.

 

[ADisneygirl]

I love the idea of 3 for the Wise Men!

When my kids were little we really went overboard. I know I did. There was never any present counting, but my mother would take one look at the tree on Christmas Eve and say "oh my, did you buy out the store?" I guess I started shopping early and I would forget how many things I had already bought!

Now that they are much older I rarely go over 10 a piece. Especially since the stuff they want now is so expensive. We do still overstuff the stockings! I love the stockings, but it is hard to fill them for a teenage boy.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We used to do alot of gifts....now they are older the gifts are more personal for that year. So it may be 1 or 2 and sometimes more, depends.

This year we are staying home and it will be us and the puppies....I am planning on some Christmas fun for just the 4 of us.

 

[Luv'sTink]

I have one DS and we buy him whatever we want to buy him. It depends on what he asks for and what we want to buy. I say between 10 and 25 or so. DH and I LOVE Christmas!

 

[paigevz]

They had been getting around 7 between Santa and parents, not counting the stockings or relatives' gifts.

This year, it'll be 4, not counting stockings, IF I manage to be able to get even the money for that together. They don't count, and they'll still have plenty and be thrilled as long as I choose carefully.

 

[DaisyD]

No set amount of gifts. It all depends on their age and what they want. I have kids 7, 18, and 23. The 7 y/o gets maybe 30 or more gifts just from Santa. The older ones get maybe 10 with a wad of cash to go with it. I try to stick around $500-$750 a kid. So the amount of gifts vary. My mom spends the night Christmas Eve and puts her gifts under the tree too. Little DD probably gets another 20 gifts from her so our entire family room floor is covered with gifts when the kids wake up. I say spoil them. They are only young once and I love to buy for them!

 

[PixiePop]

I have one son and he gets about 8-10 gifts. We also do stockings.

 

[EEYOREMAMA]

Okay call me a sucker, but I love that my boys (13 and 14) still humor me. They "should" and are old enough to "know," but they still talk about the Santa gifts they are going to get. Heck I still talk about the Santa gifts I'm going to get. Luckily, we live with a true-to-life Santa right in our very own home. Dh is the most generous fella in the world. He is our very own St. Nick. We can all expect 10-12 presents, easily.

Now that the boys are getting older and the presents are more expensive, we may cut that back just a little. Who am I kidding? Christmas comes once a year and we love opening gifts.