kids get too much for xmas nowadays?

PRE_10_DER

depends on the age of the kid and how many kids you have.. up to 12, i'd say 100e is enough.. if you have more kids maybe a little less.. if it's your only kid then a little more.. 500 is WAY too much!!

I am MAN

Thats absolutely ridiculus spending that much.

PRE_10_DER

i think the best is to get one good present and a lot of little things.. i think a slim PS2 AND a bike for one child is too much, then again a 14 year old won't see it like that.. just get one and stick to books and stocking fillers.. sure bubble rap would keep any child entertained:D..

Iago

Kids get far too much, I've an 11 year old son and although myself and his mother aren't together I still spend a lot of time with him. What he got for christmas was unbelievable. Most of this came from her, and then she complains that she doesn't have enough money! As far as I'm concerned, a couple of presents are enough but look at this list, you have to take into account that there are a lot of people buying for him, but it's still far too much..

4 Xbox Games
A Guitar
Mobile Phone
Trip to Old Trafford
€70 Of Golden Disk Vouchers
4 Cds
2 DVDS
Portable CD Player
DVD Player
7 Football Jerseys
Pair of Football Boots
Pair of Runners

and that's not even counting the selection boxes and other clothes etc that he got...

as far as I'm concerned it's ridiculous, and the pressure put on parents isn't fair. I mean even with all that his mother wasn't happy "but it's not as much as last year, are you sure it'll be ok?" madness

The only consolation I take from it is that he would be equally happy with less. For his birthday this year I decided to buy him an x-box. On the day of his birthday I gave him a couple of decks of top trumps cards and a box of marbles, he was delighted with them and thanked me. I didn't give him the x-box until that night, but he was perfectly happy with what he had gotten before then.

So in answer to your question, yes, they get far too much. The problem a parent faces is that you feel that you want them to have what they want so that they don't feel left out amongst their peers, sad but true in this day and age.

damnyanks

Its has being going like this for a long time now

PRE_10_DER

Iago wrote:

4 Xbox Games
A Guitar
Mobile Phone
Trip to Old Trafford
€70 Of Golden Disk Vouchers
4 Cds
2 DVDS
Portable CD Player
DVD Player
7 Football Jerseys
Pair of Football Boots
Pair of Runners
.

who's the stupid **** who got an 11 year old a portable cd player? is the kid an avid collector of cds? or does he listen to them on the way to work :rolleyes:

I can understand about the boots and jerseys.. i bet they came from the aunts and uncles.. i think the trip to old trafford is a bit much tbh... unless ofcourse you got it for him and you happen to be a BIG man u fan as well

again, i don't understand gettin an 11 year old a dvd player

a guitar is a great present for a kid of any age.. it's cool!! kudos to the buyer of that pressy.. and 4 xbox games are a hell of a lot of money

*edit* and a mobile phone

goin'_to_the_PS

Iago wrote:

Kids get far too much, I've an 11 year old son and although myself and his mother aren't together I still spend a lot of time with him. What he got for christmas was unbelievable. Most of this came from her, and then she complains that she doesn't have enough money! As far as I'm concerned, a couple of presents are enough but look at this list, you have to take into account that there are a lot of people buying for him, but it's still far too much..

4 Xbox Games
A Guitar
Mobile Phone
Trip to Old Trafford
€70 Of Golden Disk Vouchers
4 Cds
2 DVDS
Portable CD Player
DVD Player
7 Football Jerseys
Pair of Football Boots
Pair of Runners

and that's not even counting the selection boxes and other clothes etc that he got...

as far as I'm concerned it's ridiculous, and the pressure put on parents isn't fair. I mean even with all that his mother wasn't happy "but it's not as much as last year, are you sure it'll be ok?" madness

The only consolation I take from it is that he would be equally happy with less. For his birthday this year I decided to buy him an x-box. On the day of his birthday I gave him a couple of decks of top trumps cards and a box of marbles, he was delighted with them and thanked me. I didn't give him the x-box until that night, but he was perfectly happy with what he had gotten before then.

So in answer to your question, yes, they get far too much. The problem a parent faces is that you feel that you want them to have what they want so that they don't feel left out amongst their peers, sad but true in this day and age.

what the fu'ck. i got two games, a CD, a dvd and a couple of books
Thats enough i was happy, the above must have cost e1500+

BrianD3

Doesn't surprise me that someone would spend 500 quid on presents for one kid. Irish society has gotten so extravagent in recent years. If people have the money and want to spend it on stupid ***** at christmas then let them. However it bugs me slightly to hear people complaining about having to pay back the LOANS they take out so they can splash out on expensive christmas presents. Feckin eejits.

It's not just christmas either. What about all the fuss that's made for birthdays, the debs, valentines day, easter and even halloween. Then you have people hiring stretch limos for their kids' first communion and confirmation. Crazy.

BrianD3

PRE_10_DER

avmedia wrote:

guy just told me by pm he paid 120 for nike shoes for his 12 year old
.

i wouldn't even spend that on myself!!!

rymus

not only is it beyond madness, it's absolutely horrifying. I was watching the TV on Christmas eve, and some bored interviewer was asking some kids what "Santa" was going to get them. One that sticks in my mind is one kid that replied something along the lines of

Err, a mobile phone
A gameboy advance,
A playstation game
and a "BIG surprise"

If I was that kids parents, the "big surprise" would be a one way ticket to the nearest boarding school.

Surprise ya little ****. See ya when youre 21.

I'm off to sit on the microwave in the hope that it'll completely steralise me, lest I ever have any kids like that.

Agent Smith

i was in my aunts yesterday morning after christmas mass,

the amout of stuf her 8 year old twins got was sickening,

when i was 8, all i wanted was a train set,
and i got it, and it was the happiest day of my life





(just to prove sleepys law)

lil_miss_perfec

i think it just seems as if they get more because as you get older you get less...

or maybe they're all spoilt brats?

Ste.phen

nope, they're just spoiled brats

mike65

rymus wrote:

I'm off to sit on the microwave in the hope that it'll completely steralise me, lest I ever have any kids like that.

If I could only give rep...!

Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor the Catholic top dog in England and Wales was wittering about all the money wasted on Iraq invasion etc no doubt looking for brownie points, he should have looked into the camera and told us to stop blowing all the dough on Christmas tat, but that would'nt have gone down nearly as well.

Mike.

samo

I spent €250 on both my kids who are 5 and 3 - bike for the 3 year old boy and small train set (that broke and is to return to santy in argos!) and few little things. For daughter who's 5 a (regular) scooter and a few dolls/soft toy's etc - they asked for 4 things each off santa that werent much in the great scheme of things but to look at it on christmas day it didnt look much for the money spent.

Still having said that, they were both happy! Was at their cousins today who got remote control cars at €150 a go each (3 boy's aged approx 6-10), watches at €60 each and then golf clubs each and alot of other stuff - I felt like scrooge looking at the stuff they got but am glad my kids were happy with what in comparison wasnt much!!

I remember as a kid being 7 and being given a tape of 'The Bangles' and thought it was greatest christmas ever!!!!!

It's easy enough to get carried away as a parent and go a bit over the top and am DREADING my kids starting school and wanting what their mates want!!!

maccydoodies

Iago Id hate to be the one trying to please him for his 21st birthday!!

PRE_10_DER

samo wrote:

I spent €250 on both my kids who are 5 and 3

do you mean 250 each, if so, more fool you.. you do realise an envelope would be sufficient enough for a 3 year old..

if not then,,, meh

samo

PRE_10_DER wrote:

do you mean 250 each, if so, more fool you.. you do realise an envelope would be sufficient enough for a 3 year old..

if not then,,, meh

thats why i said I spent €250 on BOTH of my kids unless you get a staff discount out of argos or smyths or something it aint easy to get a lot of change out of 80 0r 90 quid for a cheap bike!!

I'd love to see you give an envelope to a 3 year old by the way and savour the look of delight on their face!!!!!!!!

NotMe

I never got a present worth more than about £40 when I was a kid. Boo hoo.

The most expensive thing I ever got was a lego technic car, which would have been nearing the 100 punt mark. That was very rare - usually I'd get a small lego set plus a jumper or a book or something like that, throw in a selection box, and I'd be well happy. And to whoever said it above about the wooden train, I got one too one year and it KICKED ASS!

I'd guess the important (though easily said) thing to do is to not set a large precident when you give your kids prezzies. Books, an item of clothing, and a selection box would do grand...

DublinWriter

agent smith wrote:

when i was 8, all i wanted was a train set,
and i got it, and it was the happiest day of my life(just to prove sleepys law)

...and it's all been downhill from there I bet.

Unfortunately shoving them up chimneys, beating them and making them work a 16 hour day are all illegal now (well, in the Western World anyways).

The only consolation we have is that their kids will be even more fat and demanding. As grandparents we'll be totally out of the loop at that stage and will stand back and snigger.

The_B_Man

i spent, i think 115 on presents this year.
45 on me mas necklace
25 on two boks for me da (DaVinci Code and Eats, Shoots and Leaves)
25 on 2 DVDs for the brother (Saving Private Ryan and Billy Connolly),
20 on a book (Ross O Carroll Kelly, Miseducation.....) and voucher for the little sis.

actually, it was 2 for 2 on the books so it was 105. they were all absolutely delighted. not that pretend happy when u say its great but dont care but actual happiness.
when i was younger the most expensive thing i got was money. me and the brother got the same amount of money so we could ad it to our joint savings to buy a megadrive between us. it came with Sonic 1. it rocked. we got a few mandarins aswell. happy days. im 21 btw. but in all fairness, if i was a kid and i knew i could ask for that expensive stuff, i'd ask for it without a doubt. my parents just said NO to me. never did me any harm. cant even remember the stuff they said i couldnt have. doubt the kids will remember the stuff they DID get either.

PS that trip to Old Trafford being the exception. they will remember that and its also for more than one person. great gift IMO.

edit:
just remembered a story
when i was young, i was just growin out of believin in santa. i couldnt get asleep, so i was awake when the parents were doin their rounds. wen me da came in i pretended to be asleep. all i remember is him complainin to me ma how i get too much. i think i got a fake man u shirt, a selection box and a CD. might have got something else aswell, cant remember. its funny though, compared to wat ppl have sed above about wat kids get these days.

RainyDay

I heard of one 3-year old getting his own TV/DVD player for the bedroom - Seems crazy to me, not just for the expense - but for setting up the 3 year old for hours of isolation away from the family.

Doodee

Ireland is just as commercial as America or England, and the price of stuff is more expensive than most other countries.
changing times i guess, do remember that people earn more nowdays than they did back then.

On to this christmas, so far I have gotten loads new clothes which is exactly what i needed, HMV gift voucher, €100 from me gran (Used to pay off College loan) and electric skrewdriver and a Beanie hat.

So Far on friends and Family i have spent near on €400 - €500. Financially crippling but well worth it if it makes some of them happy.
It just means i shall not be spending money on them for ages

mad m

Well seems to me that most on this thread dont have any kids(and still are kids)so wait till you have them and you will know what it is like!

As far as a 3year old getting a dvd player for his room i dont believe in that for starters.Ill agree that some parents go mad for there kids at christmas like buying mobile phones and some expensive stuff,but i can understand how they get roped into it.My kids are 6 and 9 and i think between them we spent 600euro(not including clothes) plus it was there birthdays at christmas time well its my sons todays.

A work colleague has 6 kids and i asked him how much he has spent for the christmas he said without fail for toys and clothes its was 3000 euro!!!!! i nearly choked.So when your having kids people have one or two then get the snip

pickarooney

mad m wrote:

A work colleague has 6 kids and i asked him how much he has spent for the christmas he said without fail for toys and clothes its was 3000 euro!!!!!

Any jobs going where you work?

mad m

pickarooney wrote:

Any jobs going where you work?

Hehe im not sure,but he takes all the OT when he is offered it.

pickarooney

mad m wrote:

Hehe im not sure,but he takes all the OT when he is offered it.

Understandable, considering the alternative of facing 6 greedy feckers when you get home

Canis Lupus

I think that when we were all young in general no one was all that well off and I reckon alot of todays parents being the kids of the 70's/80's do what I do (I'm not a parent but buy for my young brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews) that is to relive Christmas by getting real good expensive presents because they can afford them better now. (Altho there are limits and I'm a firm beleiver that books are one of the best presents to get)

mad m

Canis Lupus wrote:

I'm a firm beleiver that books are one of the best presents to get)

Agreed 100%

Chick

After visting loads of spolit brat cousins/family over the past few days, I honestly think that kids get too much. Too much, too young. You'll never appreciate anything if you just get handed everything you ask for. You'll never look forward to anything, or value anything if you know that you can always get everything you want.

And it means nothing when it's just thrown at you.

wellies

The country's gone mad. Peer pressure is forcing parents to buy loads of expensive pressies for their little ones.And the parents cave in 'cos they're caught up in the rat pack too. Keeping up with the Jones's and all that crap.
My cousin spent 800 euro on his 2 kids, aged 8 and 11, new bikes, ipod etc.
I sat there on Smas morning and watched both kids open their pressies from myself and other relatives only to discard them as soon as another pressy was given them.
No word of thanks, no appreciation. Their parents didn't even have the manners to tell their 2 kids to thank me and the other relatives who spent our own money on them.
And if that's bad enough...they are flying out to their Apartment in Marbella tomorrow for a few days. Parents complaining to us all about the cost of flights etc. I told them jokingly that they don't have to go.
It really cheeses me off the way some parents splash out on presents for their kids at Christmas, birthdays, Communions, Confirmations and any other lame excuse that rears its head during the year.
I'm in my 40s and remember my birthday consisted of a sponge cake with a few candles and a few quid from my parents. No major fuss was made. Christmas consisted of a toy, selection box and a shirt or something. And I was the happiest guy around.
I've lived in Dublin until 2 years ago when we sold up and moved to County Cavan. My wife and I became totally sickened at the impact of commercialism on people's lifestyles in Dublin. We bought a lovely 4 bedroomed house on 2 acres of land overlooking a lake. Having accepted an invitation from my brother to spend Xmas Day and St Stephen's Day with him and his family, it is with delight that we've arrived back here at 11am this morning. Dublin and all the fatuous pretense is behind us for another year, maybe even longer.
By the way, we have 2 little girls aged 2 and 4. We spent a maximum of 250eu on them. That included clothes. As I write this I'm looking out the window at 2 delightful children happily playing in the garden without a care in the world. And there isn't a technotoy sight.
Ah I lament the age of innocence.

Redleslie2

mike65 wrote:

Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor the Catholic top dog in England and Wales was wittering about all the money wasted on Iraq invasion etc no doubt looking for brownie points, he should have looked into the camera and told us to stop blowing all the dough on Christmas tat, but that would'nt have gone down nearly as well.

Mike.

It wouldn't have gone down as well because I suspect that only very very stupid people would think that buying bikes, books and games for kids at christmas is worse than spending billions slaughtering people and robbing their country.

Chick

You really hit the nail on the head there Wellies... *tear* :rolleyes:

shelly04

i spent over 500 yoyos on my lil neice, buying her stuff since august... went to wrap em all a few days before xmas and couldnt believe how much stuff there actually was :rolleyes: ,sometimes people just dont no when to stop buying

goin'_to_the_PS

wellies wrote:

The country's gone mad. Peer pressure is forcing parents to buy loads of expensive pressies for their little ones.And the parents cave in 'cos they're caught up in the rat pack too. Keeping up with the Jones's and all that crap.
My cousin spent 800 euro on his 2 kids, aged 8 and 11, new bikes, ipod etc.
I sat there on Smas morning and watched both kids open their pressies from myself and other relatives only to discard them as soon as another pressy was given them.
No word of thanks, no appreciation. Their parents didn't even have the manners to tell their 2 kids to thank me and the other relatives who spent our own money on them.
And if that's bad enough...they are flying out to their Apartment in Marbella tomorrow for a few days. Parents complaining to us all about the cost of flights etc. I told them jokingly that they don't have to go.
It really cheeses me off the way some parents splash out on presents for their kids at Christmas, birthdays, Communions, Confirmations and any other lame excuse that rears its head during the year.
I'm in my 40s and remember my birthday consisted of a sponge cake with a few candles and a few quid from my parents. No major fuss was made. Christmas consisted of a toy, selection box and a shirt or something. And I was the happiest guy around.
I've lived in Dublin until 2 years ago when we sold up and moved to County Cavan. My wife and I became totally sickened at the impact of commercialism on people's lifestyles in Dublin. We bought a lovely 4 bedroomed house on 2 acres of land overlooking a lake. Having accepted an invitation from my brother to spend Xmas Day and St Stephen's Day with him and his family, it is with delight that we've arrived back here at 11am this morning. Dublin and all the fatuous pretense is behind us for another year, maybe even longer.
By the way, we have 2 little girls aged 2 and 4. We spent a maximum of 250eu on them. That included clothes. As I write this I'm looking out the window at 2 delightful children happily playing in the garden without a care in the world. And there isn't a technotoy sight.
Ah I lament the age of innocence.

This cc...cc..... cavan place you speak of. Is it another name for heaven

PHB

4 Xbox Games
A Guitar
Mobile Phone
Trip to Old Trafford
€70 Of Golden Disk Vouchers
4 Cds
2 DVDS
Portable CD Player
DVD Player
7 Football Jerseys
Pair of Football Boots
Pair of Runners

Thats almost what I got in my entire childhood, crikie, and I was spoiled!

ionapaul

Parents getting loans to pay for their bratty kids' extravegant Christmas gifts?

This is why I invest in the Irish banks - we may be earning more than ever, but most of the idiots will never be wealthy, as they don't know how to control their spending. I'm not one of the idiots, so it doesn't bother me too much...keep on submitting those loan applications, unwashed masses of Ireland!

Of course kids get too much nowadays. I'm 19 and when I was in primary/secondary I remember everyone else getting ridiculous amounts of presents. I never got that much because my parents purposely tried not to spoil us, but also because they had no idea what other kids got. I remember when I was 12 or 13 my dad saying we could have 30 pounds (sterling) worth of presents and calling me spoiled when I said that wouldn't buy anything, and could I please have 50. Our relatives live abroad and we only get presents from our parents so that 50 quid of presents was all I got. I remember being able to ask for quite a bit though, on Christmas Day I had a few CDs, books, a few small gift vouchers, a few surprises, selection box etc. I was perfectly happy with that and then I went back to school and everyone else had a Playstation, TV with video, games, a new bike etc. The point is that most of this stuff is unneccessary and bad for kids. It all encourages them to sit around in their room and not doing any exercise or 'getting fresh air'. I feel really sorry for kids these days in lots of ways. Even when I was a kid, we were playing out in the street, on bikes, going to the park, we did things which didn't require spending a penny and they were some of my happiest times. Nowadays kids need to be entertained 24/7 with all kinds of expensive junk. It's really sad. I sound like an old codger but I would hate for my kids to be like that.

billy the squid

I can understand when loads of people buy the same child loads of different things. I would spend 50 euros easily on one of my nieces or nephews as the likes of PS2 games are that price. Now 58 was 30 euros ffs. it is when the parents buy like five or six items worth more than a hundred euros each it becomes obsene.

there were fifteen kids in my family i dont remember getting anything that big, it wasnt until the older brothers and sisters went out to work you started getting slightly bigger presents. If you got the likes of a games console or a TV it was all you got because two or three brothers and sisters chipped in to buy it, depending on how many of them were in work at the time.

Was in my sister's house for christmas, and it was not the parents who baught the most stuff, it was uncles aunts friends who baught most of it. it was still an unholy amount to be giving children though. Unfortunately though parents don't really have much control over what their reletaves and friends buy for their child. you can't exactly tell your best friend to take a present back on christmas day because you feel your kids have enough now can you.

shelly04

wellies wrote:

.
I'm in my 40s My wife and I became totally sickened at the impact of commercialism on people's lifestyles in Dublin. By the way, we have 2 little girls aged 2 and 4. We spent a maximum of 250eu on them. That included clothes. As I write this I'm looking out the window at 2 delightful children happily playing in the garden without a care in the world. And there isn't a technotoy sight.
Ah I lament the age of innocence.

wellies.. ive just read your public profile and it left me all confused... 1975? in your 40s? single but married?

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Stephen

Whoever mentioned getting the playstation2 from new york cheaper than here: Bad idea, unless you're going to be importing all your games too (or paying to get it chipped), as ps2's have region-protection similar to DVDs.

EU games won't play on a US ps2 unless its chipped.