How many presents did you get LO?

abbyful · December 2013

This may be kind of an odd question, but when I put the presents out, it didn't look like hardly anything! Then I saw people's posts on Facebook "Santa came!" and the tree was overflowing!

We got DS 6 presents (5 toys and 1 pajamas) plus his stocking. And my parents got him a tricycle. (And he still has Christmas with the other set of grandparents coming up this weekend.) *I* felt like he's had a good Christmas, but then seeing the piles and piles and gifts people posted on Facebook made me feel a little bit like I failed. This year he's not old enough to compare Christmas gifts with his friends, but as he gets older I don't want him to feel like he didn't get as much as his friends. We can afford to do more, but I refuse to be one of those parents that shells out $1,000 per kid! I didn't add it up exactly, but I know we spent less than $200, probably closer to $150.

sdlaura · December 2013

I think you should feel good about your amount of presents not being crazy! No offense to anyone who goes all out, but it's really important to me to not have an excessive amount of Christmas presents under our tree, this year and every year. It has nothing to do with finances, just with keeping DD grounded and our house free of a ton of toys and having material things less emphasized in our lives.

We gave DD two books, a ball that lights up, and some flashcards (since she's obsessed with some sign language flashcards that someone else gave her for her birthday). My sister sent her a play kitchen, so that was the big gift, as well as some play pots and pans and food. Then some other family members sent her books and Duplos. That amount of gifts was totally enough for her, and even then we had to sort of encourage her to open the next gifts so we weren't sitting there all day. I'm sure there will be years in the future where she wants to receive more stuff, but I plan on trying to emphasize that having more stuff is not one of our family priorities!

cedenton · December 2013

You definitely shouldn't feel bad. The presents only get more expensive as they get older. Might as well wait. I didn't count, but maybe 10 presents. That includes books and presents from the thrift store. I MAYBE spent $200. We didn't really do the stocking this year.

CoUnTryBB1 · December 2013

We got her a little kitchen which was her big present, books, two shirts and stuffed Minnie. I only wrapped her shirts in one box and two books together. She was more than happy. We literally have so much stuff from our families for her it is completely ridiculous. We have three sets of the same pj's that I am going to take to goodwill. I really don't want her to think of Christmas as just a ton of presents and there is no way I am spending that much on her presents. We used a gift card to get her kitchen which was still a cheap one. I think I paid more for the books then anything and they were all purchased for $5 or less. Oh and I put some sippy cups and new toothbrushes in her stocking.

thepretzelchick · December 2013

We got him 1 toy, a new blankie, and his Christmas jammies, plus his stocking stuffers. My parents got him two sets of blocks and one toy. He's an only child (for another 11 days), so he doesn't need more toys and we don't have room for a shitton of stuff. Plus, the kid likes playing with my dishes more than his own toys. Give him a cup and a spoon and he'll be entertained! As he gets older, he'll want more stuff...and more expensive stuff. Between us and my parents, we spent $150 on him.

abbyful · December 2013

CoUnTryBB1 said:

new toothbrushes in her stocking.

I put a new toothbrush in DS's stocking too! DH thought I was crazy. Growing up, we always got a new toothbrush and kid's flavored toothpaste in our stocking. (My parents wouldn't buy the kid's flavored toothpastes normally, but Santa did!) DH also thought I was weird for putting a new bath sponge in DS's stocking.

CoUnTryBB1 · December 2013

abbyful said:

CoUnTryBB1 said:

new toothbrushes in her stocking.
I put a new toothbrush in DS's stocking too! DH thought I was crazy. Growing up, we always got a new toothbrush and kid's flavored toothpaste in our stocking. (My parents wouldn't buy the kid's flavored toothpastes normally, but Santa did!) DH also thought I was weird for putting a new bath sponge in DS's stocking.

I kid you not it was her favorate present. She walked around brushing her teeth with both toothbrushes until we left for my Moms.

LindsayDesigner · December 2013

Mina opened up three presents and her stocking. She got a TON of stuff from our families. I feel absolutely no guilt whatsoever.

piphigirl · December 2013

Three toys: FP Little People farm, this lunchbox with plastic food in it, and one of those little benches where you hammer in the pegs.

Also: new shoes, box of crayons, pad of paper, and a two books.

Grandparents, aunts, and uncle totally spoiled her, though: Seven new outfits, a gorgeous LL Bean sled, more crayons and paper, books, puppets, and more.

CourtneyEeps · December 2013

He got one present from us. Extended family got him quite a few gifts that we opened with them, because we had 1,273 Christmases with every side of the family.

I just don't think it's necessary to buy hoards of gifts but I did feel a little bad seeing everyone's piles of presents on FB. Just remember, they may be swimming in credit card debt...you just won't see that status update.

lynde129 · December 2013

Nicholas got a basketball hoop, blocks, a broom, and Cristmas jammies. (4) in his stocking was a banana, kit kat, and aveeno baby bath wash. We are tight on money, and my parents spoiled him, so he did not really need much. I don't want Nicholas to grow up expecting a ton of gifts b/c as he gets older and gifts more expensive- I don't want to put myself and DH in debt. Which now that I am older I am pretty sure my parents did this and were financially strapped!

austenfan919 · December 2013

We got DS and DD each 4 gifts under the tree (want/need/wear/read) plus stockings. And we spent less than $90 per kid.

Now if all the grandparents' presents were also piled under the tree at the same time, that would have been a big pile. But just ours, not so much. And that's OK with me.

zbeesma86 · December 2013

I wouldn't feel bad at all!

Christmas isn't about the gifts- it's about being with family and making memories (so very Hallmark, I know haha) but it is true! I want DD to be grateful for the things she receives from us and extended family. I don't want her to expect anything.

I shop sales throughout the year and hoard stuff in my closet. All and all I spent about 200 on DD (clothes, shoes, toys, and books) and my parents got her a couple bigger things.

drunkindonuts · December 2013

I noticed the same thing in my facebook feed, too. Caroline only got two gifts from Santa, a kitchen and an American Girl Bitty Baby. Husband and I also bought her a few books for her sock, a new pair of Christmas jammies for Christmas eve, crayola magic paper and marker, and a leapfrog teaset.

She got spoiled from everyone else though (WAYY too much), she got a little tikes crazy coupe, a beanbag chair, tons of food for her kitchen, a radio flyer trike, leapfrog toys, two dolls, little people farmhouse, sleeping bag, a bookshelf, toybox organizer for her closet, tons of pajamas and books! ugh, i don't know where to put it all. but we're very thankful our families were so thoughtful!

NeneCakies · December 2013

I was ok with two gifts from us (cabbage patch kid and LL Bean sled). Then DH got Amazon happy and ordered 4 kiddie chairs, books, a book shelf, duplos, a movie and a What's the Fox Say onesie. Granted some of the furniture stuff we wanted for the house anyway and weren't wrapped. But then the Grandparents added more toys, books and clothes. We are gonna have to reign this in next year (DH I mean, probably not the grands).

shakinros · December 2013

Ready? LO had a grand total of ZERO presents from us under the tree!

We only bought her one thing: a pottery barn kids chair that was shipped to our new house. She'll see it when we move there January 11. But from her grandparents on both sides and my brother, she got a puzzle, 3 books, a bunch of winter clothes, a snowsuit, a coat and a doll. Her big present from my folks is a rocking horse that she's scared to death of. She also got some toy cars (plastic with a handle on top) a few days before from me when I was trying to keep her entertained.

I know future years we'll have to have at least two things under the tree for her, but we knew she was getting so much stuff from the grandparents that she didn't need any more.

I think it's greAt you're not overwhelming your kids with stuff.

SBmomma · December 2013

Ya, we don't want to get the kids in the habit of expecting tons of gifts.

We got DS I think 4 or 5 little gifts. But honestly he doesn't "get" it yet anyways. He ripped a few pieces of wrapping paper and then was over it. LOL Although he is enjoying his new toys. :-)

piphigirl · December 2013

I wanted to add that I noticed the same thing on Facebook - friends' kids got TONS of stuff. I mean, entire rooms full of stuff. So much so that you could barely see the tree or furniture.

One girl I know from high school got all three of her kids (ages 2, 4, and 6) iPads. I mean, really? Do all three of them need tablets? Or any of them, really?

vic8504 · December 2013

I got DD 4 things. A stuffed cookie monster, a hankie whale and two little balls as stocking stuffers. My mom and dad and in-laws went over board... I think between them they got her 30 things ranging in size...
I moved all her old toys out of the living room for now. Will need to put some away

ccam · December 2013

Santa brought 5 gifts plus his stocking and he got clothes from us. I saw the same kind of pictures, but I don't feel bad at all. I still spent a good amount on him. And then he got a TON of stuff from family.

Msbean22 · December 2013

Oh lordy, if I had had ANY idea how much both grandparents and aunts/uncles were going to spoil her, I might not have bought her anything. I think I spent under $150, and the biggest was the LP Farm which I was adamant she have. She otherwise got four books, blocks, a tub of plastic animals, a cheapie tea set, and that's about it.

The back of my Escape was packed when we drove home from WV yesterday. I mean this kid got at least $120 in snuggly footie pj's. Not even kidding. I mean literally, my mother in law doesn't understand taking price tags off. I think I'm donating some to a church.

JayandEmm · December 2013

We got W one big gift and 4 small ones, and some stocking stuffers. We only spent $70. We got him a little chair, a big toy truck, 2 books, a hug and kiss Elmo, and a pirate ship bath toy. He got plenty!

I saw a conversation on FB that someone admitted to spending $3k on her 2 children. The picture of the gifts under the tree were insane. H said this is the way he grew up, even though his parents were broke. They just took out a loan! He still feels we didn't get W enough, but I think we got him plenty. He cared more about the gift wrap and bags, anyway.

HoneyBunn24 · December 2013

I don't feel bad about how much Jacqueline got, but I feel like she got more than enough from us. Her big gift from us was a portable DVD player for the car, she got a spring coat covered in Apples (I'm so excited about it and I waited until it went on sale!) and she got some clothes, sippies, a purse, a set of keys with a key fob that makes noises and she got a stocking with socks and a new toothbrush and a hair brush (she never needed it before).

I don't see the need to buy a ton of things, I saw one picture on FB and the kid was sitting on a chair in the middle of the livingroom and he is absolutely surrounded by wrapped gifts and its entitled "Santa came, all for so-and-so". It's just ridiculous!

PaisleyRuth · December 2013

They each got 2 presents from us... DS got a coat & pajamas and DD got a hat/mittens and a set of 4 little books. They get enough from family members.

MoFree · December 2013

DD received gifts for the eight nights of Hanukah, among them socks, a musical toothbrush and a new sippy cup. The major gift from us was a Corolle doll. She has extremely indulgent family on Dh's side and I see no reason to buy gifts for their own sake. I hope to impart the message that he holidays are about family, tradition and giving, not about receiving the most expensive gifts.

piphigirl · December 2013

@BPaws - We said the same thing about toning it down next year. We got what we felt was an appropriate amount, but add to that aunts, uncle, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, great-grandparents... It's a lot!

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