I have three little kids that are really into toys and santa. How many gifts do you think I should get for each of them? I went to target today and threw stuff into the cart because I know alot of stuff gets sold out. So, I figure that I'll go through it later and can always take stuff back. How many gifts per kid? We have Santa bring the gifts Christmas Eve, and he also puts stuff in their stockings. I am interested in hearing what you guys do for your kids.
Well, we've learned from experience that if our boys get too much, they're overwhelmed and wind up playing with only a few of the things they get anyway. Plus it's a little much to deal with for a little kid: open up one gift, gets to look at it a little bit (after mom/dad take the 10 minutes to open up the thing with some pliers and a blowtorch), then go on to the next thing. We've had to actually "break up" the gifts across several days before because they got so much from friends and family.
Knowing the amount they'll get this year, we've decided to go for three Christmas presents each, plus a couple of stocking stuffers. My youngest has a birthday on the 17th, so he kind of gets a little more, but we make a point of making those gifts separate occasions.
Another thing we've done is encourage family members to consider what I call "experience" gifts. That is, gift certificates to places they like. In St. Louis we have The Butterfly House, The St. Louis Science Center Planetarium, The City Museum, The Magic House...etc.
Are these your kids? I usually see what they need clothes wise and get them that, usually a matching scarf, mittens hat set and I really plan out what I get my kids. I have them take the flyers from the newspaper starting after Thanksgiving and circle what they would like to have. They get their share of electronics too but it's what they want not what I think they might like. I also got them each a set of golf clubs. Stockings get stuffed with movies and small electronic things, candy and small gifts too that will fit.
I've got 4 boys and have gotten them a variety of things. The two youngest are getting lion head rabbits. The two older ones will get a lump sum of cash in addition to the gifts I already have. I always buy a family gift too. This year it is the Wii Fit and another Play station III, hubby broke the other one in the move. I sort of overdo it at Chirstmas compared to the rest of my siblings and their families. I'd list everything I got them but I might get embarrased 
Yes, they are my kids that I am buying for. I have a just turned five year old boy and twin boy/girl three year olds, plus the baby(who I am not getting anything for because she'll never know!). They want EVERYTHING! I showed them the toy catalogues we get in the mail and I give them a pen to circle what they want the most. They circle pretty much everything on every page. When I ask them what they want the MOST, the answers are always different! I always go overboard and this year I was hoping to curb it a little, but that is hard to do!
Your kids are at a hard age. I remember those days, my youngest is 8 and my oldest 21. I would get them things I wanted them to have, I still do that now lol, but anyway I'd get them things they needed like closet organizers, clothes and some toys they might want too. I have taken stuff back that they didn't play with after a few days and let them pick out what they wanted with the money I got in return. I remember an animated dinosaur that my youngest never touched. I think he got WWE wrestlers as a replacement.
I like the educational video games at those ages too. You could always wrap a box for the baby, that's what they end up playing with anyway. lol
Does it help to just make a budget instead? Or are you thinking "I've got $100 per kid, should I get 1 present, or 10?"
I don't have kids, I just buy a few for my nieces and nephew...totally not the same as the parents. If you're trying to increase the number of presents, obviously shop the ads. I've used the website www.shoplocal.com to compare store prices. Also, it seems to me that the kids grow out of the toys so fast that I don't know if it's worth it for the ummmm premium toys. I guess it depends on what kind of toy and the kids themselves.
We always got 1 big gift each and then about 12 smaller gifts. Dad was in charge of the stockings and he put some weird things in there. It was always fun to open those.
Merry Christmas
I have 3 kids from almost 14 to 5 1/2
this year since funds a bit tighter, they get their stocking, 1 santa present and one from mum and dad.
In the past they have had presents from mum and dad separate and one from the siblings and 1 from santa
this year instead of 4 presents they get 2.
These gifts usually ranged from $20 to $45. Their stockings I try to keep under $25.
Every year when I get my tax return, $1,000 of it is ALWAYS set aside. $500 is for her birthday which is in October and $500 is for Christmas gifts. Now, the birthday I realize in the past I have OVERDONE by far with gifts. So, this year she got a more expensive party and a new bike from mom.
Christmas...I basically spend until I reach $500. My mom had me and my sister to buy for and she ALWAYS had a Christmas club account, that way she never had to worry if we had a good Christmas or not (she was a single mom almost the whole time I was growing up). We had a rather large amount of gifts. We always had those few that we REALLY wanted and then she would always get small stuff and stocking stuffers. All in all I think we would each have 20-30 gifts. By no means was my mom 'well off' when we were growing up. She probably made $35,000 a year at that point.
I make even less than that but good thing I do make that little because I have more discipline that way. When I get it my tax return it is a lump sum and I do not touch it for any reason (unless a medical emergency of course but that hasn't happened).
So far I have spent $400 of the $500 and actually plan on keeping the other $100 for special occasions that I have with my daughter like trips to the movies. I take a day off from work every couple of months and don't send my daughter to pre-school and we have a mommy/daughter day. Those can actually range up to $100 depending on what we do so it's nice to have that set aside.
My daughter is 5 by the way and so far this year I got (can't remember all of it but I will try to list a few): Karaoke Machine (she loves to sing), walkie-talkies, a hello kitty water cooler, hello kitty digital camera (she is constantly taking my cell phone and loading it up to the max with pics so this one is great), 1 Wii game, a lot of princess stuff, a drawing projector thing to trace pictures and color them, board games, a couple DVDs, more crayons and markers, pajamas, puzzles, mini candy canes, Littlest Pets. Now...out of all of this she asked for only one thing. She told Santa she wants a camera. I keep asking her if there is anything else she wants and she happily says no. So...the LEAST I could get her was a camera. I've been so lucky that every single year I have asked her what she wants and she always says, "Nothing." Therefore I just get what I think she will like and use and go from there. Now, she is approaching an age where she will start asking for more things so I am fully aware that this is going to change very soon. I have also said that since she was able to talk though.
Sorry, I rambling. I think it is all individual preference on how many or how much money worth of gifts to get. I also only have 1 child and I do not get gifts for anyone else (except something small from my daughter to my nephew and something sisterly or religious for my sister). So there...everyone knows what is included in Christmas this year, haha!
This year Christmas Eve dinner is being hosted at my house though for the first time. That is my gift to everyone. A house big enough to hold everyone comfortably and an incredibly talented fiance to cook all the food!
This is making me feel all jolly and Christmas-y. =)
I would say one or two "big" gifts and a handful of small "fun" gifts (i.e. under $10 or thereabouts - socks with their favourite cartoon character, a bar/bag of their favourite candy, funky hair clips, a "make your own jewelry" or "make your own makeup" or "make your own stuffed animal" kit, a soccer ball, a card game, that sort of thing).
Kids are only really going to remember a few of their gifts anyway - after that, they get overloaded. I *love* the idea of the experience gifts if you really need to do the "lots of gifts" thing (or if there's lots of family that want to give gifts). That spreads out the fun over more days. Or you could do a "twelve days of Christmas" kind of thing with twelve gifts for each kid (mostly small ones), building up to the biggest/most exciting on Christmas day. Way more fun to get a present every day for 12 days than to get 12 all in one hour. Hmm... I really like that idea. I'll have to try it if I ever have kids.
I make up more of a budet then number of gifts.
She's a little older now, (9) so she's not quite as demanding. I have her give me a list of the things she wants and buy the things that she wants the most and isn't just insane.
Santa always brings one big present a year. (A bike, The Wii, A new Scooter, etc) plus stocking stuffers.
I don't have kids, but my mum always made a budget and she said she'll buy something like $100 a kid. So even if the gifts don't work out evenly in numbers, at least she has a guideline of how much to spend.
If you can, factor what you spent last year. Divide by three. What is the total? Just subtract from that what you think is reasonable for this year.
And try to buy some creative gifts with a long lifespan. Paints, crayons, etc. Those are what I always loved the best!!
Biggest mistake I made was giving my child too many presents when he was little -- not that I spent a tremendous amount of money, just made sure there were lots. Two problems with that: 1) topping it every year becomes untenable, and 2) expectations grow each year. Fill the stocking and get 3-4 good presents.
my $.02
