What you buying your kids for xmas?

[number1kitty]

Well my kids are 8 and 6 and although they havnt asked for anything yet I have already done my christmas shopping back in July!

I bought them pretty much what every other kid there age is getting these days.

So far they have been bought a Nintendo Wii, Wii games and DS games, x factor concert tickets, Mobile phones each, MP3 players each, High School musical stuff & make up!

When I was there age I got a cassette player, and board games lol!

Luckily my sons only 6 months old so hes just getting the usual toys lol!

What you getting your kids for christmas? I am curious if its just my area that kids seem to buy technical items so young! Not only that is sooooo blinking expensive!

Kate

 

[Dinkydot]

Hi Kate,

Im sure your kid's will be chuffed to bit's with that amount of xmas goodie's..!!!

My daughter Hollie is 13 and has asked for a pink laptop, clothes, playboy bits and pieces!!

Thankfully she has the wii, playstation etc etc!!

I think we should have christmas....once every 5 year's its too bloody expensive!! LOL

X

 

[zoealana]

getting my 6 yr old madam a ds just looking for a good deal.
i got a bike i think when i was 6 and that was it. and the year i got a sega megadrive it was the biggest thing ever. oh when christmas was cheap hey

 

[1999judy]

Boys nearly 16 and 18 £100 each (already given to my SIL so I don't spend it lol)
My babs...ok she's 7... still my babs though lol...2 DS games and loads of bits and bobs mainly to do with animals as she's obsessed by them.
They all get pressies from dad too so they do pretty well tbh. And from other family members.
That's basically all I can afford but today I asked the boys are they with me Christmas Eve or their dad...we alternate it for their other little sis...and they're here.
So I said "do you both want stockings at the bottom of your bed like Rach?" and they looked at me like I was an idiot and said "Hell yeah!!"
I simply draw the line at the fact that they both asked for advent calenders like their sister though...:smack:

 

[number1kitty]

Hey I still have advent calender and Im nearly 30 lol!! Your never too old haha!

It gets sooo damn expensive dosnt it! My kids also have the benefit of me and dad being seperated so they get two christmas'.

I do make them all give up some of there old toys to charity though so they get to think about those kids less well off than them. They still destroy everything though, my youngest is on her 3rd DS! The first she dropped down the stairs, the second went in the bath with her!!!!!

I used to look after everything I got. And I do remember also getting a sega master system two and it was second hand as well. My mum scrimped and saved to buy me that!

I have cut back loads this year though as christmas usually costs me about 3 grand. I love christmas but think a lot of people have forgotton the true meaning of just gathering and spending time with family and friends a shame really!

xx

 

[1999judy]

You know what I really like is making the Christmas dinner and we all sit together for a while and chat...this year it's gonna be a bit hard without mum but we will have a lovely dinner in her memory!! And I like to see all the kids together with all the family laughing and joking....especially as my sons grow older.
I take the tree etc. down on boxing day though....enough is enough.
There's too much hype.

 

[Zo Zo]

Kids get so much stuff they don't need and don't really appreciate. When they get loads of stuff in one go, they simply don't have the attention span for it. I only get my daughter one present, and a bit of a stocking. Last year it was a keyboard and this year I think it's going to be a DS. She will get all manner of cr*p from friends and relatives though, except from the ones who ask me what to get, then it's clothes and book tokens, because a kid really can have too many toys.

 

[shell28]

My son is sooo in to power rangers now that he wants anything and everything to do with them!!

 

[number1kitty]

My son is sooo in to power rangers now that he wants anything and everything to do with them!!

lol I have all this to come! I have two pre madonnas at the moment!!!

MMMM Christmas dinner!! Its going to be great this year as I am moving back home after 3 years away!

Yep I agree kids can have far too much. xx

 

[hippy-chick]

we've never gone mad over christmas, it can be a bit vulgar buying such a lot.

Last year my 9 year old got a wii and a game as part of the package. he got old season football shirt and a stocking.

this year he has asked for a new mobile phone and a gold chain, so under £100.

My hub and I get each other 1 present each, he's asked for a dressing gown.

I get 3 other presents all under £5 (its the rule) for my 2 sisters and a close cousin. I give them the same so its not so hard to think.

I have 2 nephews that I still buy for, the other neices and nephews (5 of them) don't get anymore.

My MIL has asked for an umberella.

 

[number1kitty]

we've never gone mad over christmas, it can be a bit vulgar buying such a lot.

Last year my 9 year old got a wii and a game as part of the package. he got old season football shirt and a stocking.

this year he has asked for a new mobile phone and a gold chain, so under £100.

My hub and I get each other 1 present each, he's asked for a dressing gown.

I get 3 other presents all under £5 (its the rule) for my 2 sisters and a close cousin. I give them the same so its not so hard to think.

I have 2 nephews that I still buy for, the other neices and nephews (5 of them) don't get anymore.

My MIL has asked for an umberella.

Im coming to live with your family! Can you adopt me I am house trained lol!

 

[Bagpuss]

I cant say what i am getting mine cos my eldest daughter Ria (13) often pops on here and reads threads...:lol:....Ria..find ya own forum site !!!


What upsets me is the pressure that xmas can bring...parents can end up feeling guilty if they don't get everything the kids ask for...or they go into debt for it and spend the next 12 months trying to pay it off...and for what ??? its over and done with after an hour.


I love christmas...i love the magic we set for our children...the time we spend with family and the food !!...:lol:

I think its all individual....if you can afford to splash out, go for it...if you cant then don't go getting into debt for it and just enjoy it for what it should be...FAMILY TIME

 

[shell28]

We dont go mad tbh we just afford to do it our son gets one main pressie and lots of little ones and me and hubby always just get each other a couple of pressie each :green:

 

[hippy-chick]

what I find hard is that my son is always really happy with his lot UNTIL he compares notes with his friends and then he's always a bit ungrateful after that, but, at least we get a nice christmas day.

I do make fab stockings, I get one (mines always brill!!!!), my hub gets one, obviously son gets one, and the dog gets one. We all sit up in bed and open everything to lots of ooohs and ahhhhhs. the dog rips all of her paper off herself and loves it.

Yes, I will adopt you! you'll have to eat xmas dinner at my in-laws though!

 

[number1kitty]

lol! Bet your in laws are better than mine haha!

To be honest the only reason I go mad is to keep up with the jones'. I dont go into debt for it, I can pay for it all but I must admit I could spend my money on something else that we really need for the house!

So excited now cant wait to my xmas decs up! Already had my christmas pressies though :-(

 

[Jen Smith]

Well this year will be very limited xmas pressies due to our holiday in Florida.

I did used to do the 'big' xmas and like Ann said ... it can become vulgar when buying too much. I remember when my girls were 9 and 14 and I always spent the same on them. This one particular year we were having all the family over for xmas and my elder daughter wanted a stereo system which cost back then £350. One item... but it seemed a lot of money and like I said I always spent the same on each of them... so the younger daughter had £350 spent on toys... and you can get a LOT of toys for that amount of money... the house was filled with black bags full of pressents... under the bed, up in the attic .. just about everywhere.

Xmas day came and my younger daughters pile was massive... I felt quite embarrassed at the amount she got and the dissaproving looks and tuts from my mother. Just before lunch, I noticed that there were some things missing .... then I realised I had left two black bin bags of toys under my bed... I should have left them but I didnt... and that is when it turned vulgar.... I was totally embarrassed and vowed never to do that again. And guess what... half the toys were never even played with. It made it worse with having her birthday on xmas eve so you could hardly move for the mountains of boxes.

I would try and limit it to £150 per child nowadays... but for James its one large toy and a few bits and bobs. This year he is getting some Playmobile things from us.... and probably half of the toys at Disney ... sigh!

 

[Zo Zo]

Most kids have no concept of money, so I don't think it matters how much you spend. I have always tried to look for things that have play value. A few years ago I spent £9.99 on a toy musical instrument and my daughter was over the moon with it. I told some of my friends and clients and jaws literally dropped, people couldn't believe how little I spent, but she loved that toy and she did not, and does not, go without.

 

[number1kitty]

Most kids have no concept of money, so I don't think it matters how much you spend. I have always tried to look for things that have play value. A few years ago I spent £9.99 on a toy musical instrument and my daughter was over the moon with it. I told some of my friends and clients and jaws literally dropped, people couldn't believe how little I spent, but she loved that toy and she did not, and does not, go without.

And you still had change for ear plugs lol!! I always pray for the batteries to die hahahaha!!

Kids dont know about cost etc, but I always think there would be sibling rivalry if one gets more than the other. I've only bought my son 3 things as he is only 6 months old and my 2 daughters at his age had the entire contents of the argos catalogue for their age group! I felt embarrased one day in argos buying a kettle as my kids were sat on the floor saying ;'got that' 'got that' 'yeah got that as well'!

I wouldnt mind when me and there dad split up I had 50 plus boxes of their toys that they had hardly played with. I dumped most of them at the childrens hospital to their disgust!

Like most kids mine still prefer the box their toys came in!!!

xx

 

[becki x]

I agree xmas can be vulgar,and i refuse to get into the play ground discussion of what i have and haven't bought,tbh neither does Bailey.

I have always tried to keep his presents age appropriate,there's nothing i hate more than seeing little ones with teenage presents IYKWIM.

I have had a nightmare this year trying to spend what we allowed as he gets £100 off my mum,£50 of my sis,he then has three more sets of grandparents and 5 aunties and uncles ....... so he does get way too much. My problem,i still spend because i can't bear him getting up to one or two presents until everyone gets here

This year he's getting a wii fit ( a joint prezzie for him and his dad pmsl),a little one's digital camera (he loves being in his aunts studio) a big tranformer thingy and a cd player with the Leeds UTD album for his "new grown up bedroom" lol Stocking fillers will be a disney classic dvd (he collects them) arty bits and pokemon tat

This year he'll get £150 from us,that will include new pj's for xmas eve :green: but there' no way i'll spend that one the baby next year Bailey's will go up as he gets older but until the baby is old enough and understands i'll spend about £40 ....... they get sick of unwrapping anyway :smack:

 

[hippy-chick]

did I mention son's birthday is Dec 15th!!! oh what joy!

I am going to keep my eye out for a wii fit as think it would be a good family present.

Its definetly going to be the dog's last christmas, the vet says her kidneys are failing and she will deterioate as her kidneys start to poison her.....bless her!