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OK, DH and I grew up very differently with regard to Christmas. Mine was almost obscene in the amount and cost of gifts I received - my parents spent far too much, and then I received gifts from other family members. He received one Santa gift, one gift from his mom and dad and then whatever any other family members got him.

I absolutely do NOT want my children to have the same Christmases I grew up with. I recognize them as being indulgent and probably in some sense an attempt to make up for other things that were lacking in the parent-child relationship.

However, DH wants to give our kids one gift from us and one gift from Santa and then whatever other family members get them. I don't want to do that either.

I think there's a happy medium. We have adopted the one-gift from Santa rule, but I don't think it's bad to have 4-6 gifts from Mom and Dad plus a stocking for the kids, do you? I'm not talking extravagant gifts.

What do you think? How does your family do it?

2006-10-09 06:12:29 · 11 answers · asked by tagi_65 5 in Pregnancy & Parenting Other - Pregnancy & Parenting

11 answers

Well, the way our house does it...

1) the kids get one or two decent presents from mom and dad. It's usually the most expensive item.

2) everything else under the tree (usually about 8 each, and not very expensive items, $5-$10 each) comes from Santa.

3) the only other people they get presents from are their grandparents and my mom sends money. Usually around $20-30 per kid. Hubby's mom takes me with her shopping and we get what we can for $50 each. It may be one big present or lots of little stuff.

When we grew up, hubby and I never got much for Christmas. My mom was too poor with 5 girls to do very much. Hubby's dad was the grinch in the flesh.

We decided our kids would have a nice Christmas, but I don't spend much. Our kids don't get hardly anything toy wise during the year and they don't have lots of aunts and uncles and other family members to give them anything. Their gifts come from us and the 2 grandmas only. If the other family members got involved, ours would be scaled back a little.

2006-10-09 07:00:21 · answer #1 · answered by Jessie P 6 · 2 0

As a kid, we had a stocking filled with what Santa left, a gift or two from our parents, and everything under the tree from Santa. The majority of our gifts were from Santa. I agree with you on the happy medium, and I'm afraid I'm going to have a terrible time figuring ours out as well! I keep thinking I don't want to overdo things, but at the same time, Christmas is the major time of year when you get a bunch of new things, not just things you need, but stuff you actually would just like to have. Other than a birthday. As far as what's from me and from Santa, I haven't distinguished yet cuz my daughter has been too young yet too understand it. But I'll be doing pretty much the same as our family did.

I think your idea sounds very reasonable, compared to the Christmases I've had as a child. Anything less, and it's no different than a birthday!

2006-10-09 06:55:16 · answer #2 · answered by angelbaby 7 · 2 0

Sounds like our family.
My parents went overboard with more gifts than a kid could count. DH's family was more reserved and only did a couple of gifts.

Here is what we have done so far with our three kids (ages 7.5 years, 5.5 years and 3.5 years) -

They get a pair of pajamas and a nice hardback book with an inscription from mom and dad on Xmas Eve. The book is usually a copy of something that they have checked out from the library multiple times in the past year and come to really love. They put on their new PJ's and we read their new books before putting out a plate for Santa and heading off to bed.

On Christmas Morning, Santa has stuffed their stockings full of little stuff - always an ornament for the tree and some candy, then some little toys, hair prettys for the girls, foamy soap for the bathtub, Pokemon cards, Dollar store finds, stickers, box of crayons, etc.

Santa also leaves three bigger gifts for each child under the tree. (3 gifts for the 3 Wise Men) Occasionally Santa messes up and something doesn't fit into the stocking like it was supposed to, but we usually shoot for 3 gifts each under the tree.

2006-10-09 07:39:32 · answer #3 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 2 0

Me and my DH give our two children about 5 gifts each, we include in that a couple from santa and the rest from us. We dont do stockings, we have like 1 or 2 yrs but thats it. Then we let whatever other family members get them. I think u should go in between u and your hubbys ideas. Since he says 1 from you and 1 from santa. how bout negotiating with him. 1 from you,1 from daddy, 1 BIG toy from santa and 1 small toy from santa. The big toy can be something like a bike or a really cool video game nothing that expensive and the smaller one can be a doll or teddy bear etc just something little. That way u get in your 4-6 gifts but in a different kind of way. I dont think stockings are all that important, kids dont really care about them anyways when they have bigger and better things in front of them on christmas morning. So,have fun and Good Luck! =)

2006-10-09 06:31:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 1

We give 4-6 gifts for birthdays and Christmas, per kid (3 kids). We do not do any santa gift. Between those and what family gives them, its plenty. A friend of mine has a strict 4 gift rule (4 kids). Something to wear, something to read. Something you want, something you need. My parents went overboard too. I plan to make sure my kids have a much more realistic idea of giving. And I don't allow anyone to go overboard on giving. There is just no reason to.

2006-10-09 06:19:40 · answer #5 · answered by Velken 7 · 2 0

My husband and I grew up not receiveing a lot of gifts, so when we have christmas we give about 4 gifts each to our children and then they get showered with a lot of gifts from the family members. I believe that it's all about giving the gifts to your children and see their eyes lighting up. 4 to 6 is just perfect, just two gifts at christmas I'll say this from a child's aspect, that sucks!

2006-10-09 06:22:08 · answer #6 · answered by fourcheeks4 5 · 3 1

My christmases were always extravagant, as well. Now, I am a divorced mother of 2, engaged to another man with 3 kids. Now, with 5 kids, Christmases have to change. We are going to spend about $100 per kid on Santa present, then about another $100 on presents from us.

2006-10-09 07:23:47 · answer #7 · answered by JENNIFER G 2 · 2 0

In our family, we have adopted a "homemade" Christmas rule. Everything we give eachother must be homemade by the person who's giving the gift. Basically each person gets 2 presents, plus a stocking. In the stocking we put things like fruits, or homemade cookies/candies. Then we get whatever family memebers choose to give us. We also make the presents that we give to other people. Doing this helps my son to appreciate what he gets because he realizes that someone took the time to handmake him a present.

2006-10-09 06:23:06 · answer #8 · answered by Mrs. MP 3 · 1 1

the only time I even have heard of something like it truly is while the little ones are too youthful to appreciate the belief of birthdays and provides. My neighbor gave her 3 a million/2 365 days old daughter a bracelet on her toddler sister's first birthday just to make her experience specific and remembered while she replaced into too youthful to hold close why all and sundry replaced into paying all the attention to her toddler sister. yet to nonetheless be training this at age 10!? no longer in basic terms is it pointless, it quite is definitely risky! Siblings could learn how to share the spotlight. What do they do while one newborn gets a trophy? Make a pretend one for the different newborn? loopy!

2016-10-16 00:18:03 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

My wife and I have 2 beautiful little boys 2, 5 and Come x-mas Time our house is flooded w/ Toys to the point where you can't even walk in the Living Room unless you move Toys around. Probably around 600-1000$ when X-mas is over..Whew! but seeing the look on the kids faces is PRICELESS!

IMO try to set up a different tradition for your kids

2006-10-09 07:09:50 · answer #10 · answered by Humility 2 · 1 1

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