How much will you spend on each child?

wexhun

Hi, Just wondering how much will you spend on each child this christmas, I don't buy toys for them throughout the year so I tend to splash out at Christmas and get them what they need but I have other friends who don't beleive in 'spoiling' their kids at Christmas and only get them something small so what about you?How much is too much?

Nevyn

My two brats are the only grandchildren on either side of the family.
So needless to say they get a hell of a lot of presents and clothes from
grandparents aunties, uncles, grand aunties, grand uncles and friends.
They will get one big present, one small one and assorted stuff in thier stockings
from thier parents.

ArthurDent

4 and 6 year old boys (4 year old 5 over Christmas too, so he gets second round of pressies then!)

Stole an idea from friend of a friend this year and armed with Argos and Smyths catalogues we say down last night and cut out all the pictures of toys they wanted and and then arranged them, in order of preference 1-10.
Stuck them on some paper and put each kids name on the top.

This is now definitive list and Santa will pick ONE of top three pressies (the big ones) and two smaller pressies. I expect to spend about €150-200 each. Any pressies not delivered by Santa will be offered to grannys and aunts and uncles (should they wish).

The kids know they won't get everything off these lists, but will get one of the top 3 and some of the smaller ones. Hopefully this'll work - my friends frien swears by it (I'll let you know on the 26th)

We grew up being told that Santa had to be paid for making all the toys -so we couldn't get mountains of stuff - don't think it did us any harm in knowing there is a limit to what you can get, intend doing the same with my kids.

lisa.c

ArthurDent wrote:

4 and 6 year old boys (4 year old 5 over Christmas too, so he gets second round of pressies then!)

Stole an idea from friend of a friend this year and armed with Argos and Smyths catalogues we say down last night and cut out all the pictures of toys they wanted and and then arranged them, in order of preference 1-10.
Stuck them on some paper and put each kids name on the top.

This is now definitive list and Santa will pick ONE of top three pressies (the big ones) and two smaller pressies. I expect to spend about €150-200 each. Any pressies not delivered by Santa will be offered to grannys and aunts and uncles (should they wish).

The kids know they won't get everything off these lists, but will get one of the top 3 and some of the smaller ones. Hopefully this'll work - my friends frien swears by it (I'll let you know on the 26th)

We grew up being told that Santa had to be paid for making all the toys -so we couldn't get mountains of stuff - don't think it did us any harm in knowing there is a limit to what you can get, intend doing the same with my kids.

great idea will do this next year have santa done now spent 420 but i felt it was worth it!!!
spend witin your means i think is the wisest way to go....im sure santa would'nt like parents to be in the red for one day of the year

deisemum

My 2 boys are 10 and 8 so I reckon this is the last year for the youngest actually believing so I want to try and make it special. I'm fairly sure the older one knows but lets on that he's a believer even though he hasn't said anything outright.

The older lad is getting a mobile phone (I got a good deal over the weekend), playstation or psp game or two, stocking fillers such as Ireland rugby calander (they don't do posters, I wouldn't mind drooling over Ronan O Gara) pyjamas, socks, DVD/CD. I picked up 3 Roddy Doyle books today.

The younger lad will get playstations game, pyjamas, socks, Manchester United poster, I picked up a commodore 64 thing you plug in to TV for €10 in Tesco and another plug in TV game - soccer skills for €15 in Dunnes. I'll probably get something else.

I haven't set a budget but read an article today that claim the average household will spend €1,270 on gifts, food and luxury goods. I won't be spending anything near that as we only have DH parents and 1 sister and 2nephews to get something for.

Slutmonkey57b

Irish parents amaze me every year with what they consider "normal" spending on christmas toys - then they spend all of january marvelling at "sure, and after all that they hardly play with them".

That's because your kids are spoiled rotten and don't appreciate what you've done for them. If you're spending over 100 per kid you're going overboard. If you're going to get a Playstation or something split it between all the kids.

mayhem#

I "offered" my three oldest kids to buy them a PSP console each for Xmas but the reply was that "they weren't really interested"....
They're also the only kids I know that also quite often say no to ice cream after dinner when eating out....
Sometimes I really wonder if they're mine....


E.

Squirrel

My parents are pretty well off, and I know how much my main present is costing me this year, €181, it's a good watch. Due to the fact I'm allergic to Stainless steel i've always had crap watches which I was replacing 2/3 times a year. I think they felt sorry for me. There's 6 kids that they buy for, between 12 and 26, but my older brother I might see twice a month usually if I'm lucky so it's always a true special occassion at christmas.

I'll admit that we are most definately spoiled at christmas, but we also know that we don't always get what we want. And for the rest of the year, if you want anything, get it yourself, well, me (16) and my 20 year old brother anyway