so my husband and I are in a disagreement over christmas....I have tried to get a list ready of what we are going to get our 8 year old and so far I have a wii and about 4 games and misc things that comes to about 750 so far I said that I made a budget of 800...he went crazy and said that is too much to spend...but its only about 17 presents she normally gets about 30 on average. why is he acting like this? how much do people normally spend on their children?
2007-10-01 05:22:43 · 19 answers · asked by Joe 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
the wii is only 250 not 800....and its not credit cards I only pay in cash for christmas so I dont have bills afterwards. last year her big gift was an air hockey table it huge but she loves it and her and her friends have a great time with it.
and as far as she knows the gifts are from santa so its not me trying to buy he love i already have it.
and we do give to others. we are actually adopting a soldier this christmas and will be sending goodies his way.,
2007-10-01 05:35:06 · update #1
Please adopt me. I promise to be a good 52 year old boy.
2007-10-01 05:29:42 · answer #1 · answered by lunatic 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry but if your income is like the majority of the people-- middle-range, then yeah, I'm with your husband here.
Does your child really need a wii? Does she really need THIRTY presents? What are you trying to teach her? That Christmas is about stuff? That you need to give someone a whole lot of material things to show them you love them? That money is THE object?
What people spend is individual to their budgets, and it's great that you're not having to put it on a credit card. But I think in addition to the money, your husband is objecting to the message you're sending. How will this child ever value something other than money if all you're doing is showing her money money money and things things things? If you're eight years old, you don't need 30-- or even 17-- presents. You need a stable family, and time with your parents, and love. And yeah, you need Christmas presents. But a handful, not a houseful!
Think about your motives here... love can be overwhelmed by cash. Spend half the cash (or even less!) and spend the rest on something you can all do together as a family. Your spending here is out of control. She needs your presence, not your presents.
2007-10-04 16:14:49 · answer #2 · answered by LJG 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
$800 seems to be way too much to spend on an 8 year old. I think the average family spends up to $200 per child, although there are certainly people who do with less than that. Obviously, if spending $800 does not phase you, you must be doing well financially, but think about it... How much stuff does an 8 year old really need? Most kids that are given a lot at Christmas don't really end up caring about (or taking care of) the majority of their presents... Kids unwrap each present, toss it aside and move on to the next until they get to the last one, and then they're usually disappointed that there are no more presents to open. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get your child nice stuff, but children who are given everything so easily often end up being adults who expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter later on, and they have difficulty dealing with life when reality hits (why do you think there are so many young adults with huge credit card debt?)
Maybe you should work out a more reasonable budget with your husband, and then do something with your daughter that will help her understand that not everyone gets everything they want for Christmas... maybe have her go through her toys and pick some out that she doesn't play with anymore, and take her to a battered women & children's shelter to donate those toys. Maybe take her to the mall and spend some of that $800 you were going to spen on her and have her pick out some new toys to bring to a shelter and give them to kids who really have nothing. Help her realize that Christmas is not about getting stuff - that's the kind of gift that will last the rest of her life.
2007-10-01 13:57:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the budget can go anywhere from 50-1000 depending on your income and your lifestyle. Although this is very generous of you, it is not "normal" to spend 800 on an 8 year old. My guess is that it would be more like 200. At any rate, if you want Christmas to be about presents and not family and Christ's birth, than by all means spend what you like, but you should consider your husband's opinion on this and work together for a happy medium.
2007-10-01 12:31:21 · answer #4 · answered by Parkie21 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
well he is getting mad because that is A LOT of money, I would wait on the wii thing, or make it JUST the wii and the games, a good thing to teach your daughter is that christmas isnt all about presents it is about family and celebrating Jesus life.
EDIT: also you might want to think about how long that 800 dollar game is going to last, if you were going to get something i would suggest PS3 or Xbox 360, Wii isn't all that good.
2007-10-01 12:26:57 · answer #5 · answered by dontmesswithheather 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm personally planning to get my kids a Playstation 2. Its about $130 bucks. And a game for each of them (I have 3 kids) plus they will be getting their toys they ask Santa for and whatnot. But, I say a couple hundred per child is probably ok. Wiis are super expensive and right now I wouldn't even consider one myself...
My experience with my daughter is that she isn't hardly at all interested in playing on video games like her brothers are. Do you think your daughter will even bother much with it? That is something to consider...
In any event, have fun and don't let dissagreements ruin your Christmas spirit. :)
2007-10-01 12:35:36 · answer #6 · answered by Lisa 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When I was growing up my sister and I got one present each and one to share, like a wagon. We never suffered and we were happy. Showering your child with gifts wont make them love you more. But it will spoil them and make them more demanding. Give the gift of love and teach the child to be grateful for what she has instead of expecting more and more. Start traditions to make the holiday special like baking cookies together and make it about family, not about gifts. Your hubby is right on this one...sorry. 2 or 3 gifts is plenty! and you DON"T have to pay the credit card bill for the next 6 months.
2007-10-01 12:28:38 · answer #7 · answered by midnitrondavu 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
give a present costs 800 bucks for a 8 yo ??? I won't do that. That kid don't need that much.Why don't you find another game that costs less??
Plus,this kid don't know how much you spend,and maybe the game can be broken easily ( since he's still young ).
I agree with your husband.
At least spend abt 50-100 bucks ( unless you're really rich and don't care abt money at all ). I won't do it !
2007-10-01 12:26:59 · answer #8 · answered by Mine 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
That could just be too much money to spend.
Maybe the kid has too much stuff already, and adding more will just be a waste.
My family works like: we get one big present (2 video games, a game system) and a handfull of little things plus candy
2007-10-01 12:26:17 · answer #9 · answered by devinthedragon 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
200
2007-10-01 12:24:55 · answer #10 · answered by charles d 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
about 2 to 3 hundred dollars per child Christams is not about how many presents you get them anyways and my kids get things they want for christmas but they also know the other parts and appreciate the value of spending time with family and that its Jesus's birthdayand all of our traditions
2007-10-01 12:29:25 · answer #11 · answered by surewhatever72 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋