Post by DarcyLongfellow on Dec 20, 2014 22:31:28 GMT -5
Way, way too many.
Easily 15 for each kid. They're not all big things, but it's a lot. But they don't get new toys except for Christmas and birthdays, so it works for our family.
We do probably 5 or so from Santa -- always the big things. The stuff they asked for or that they'll be really excited about is from Santa. Other stuff is from us. Also, anything I'm too lazy to wrap is from Santa because Santa always leaves a few presents unwrapped.
Post by redheadbaker on Dec 20, 2014 22:33:01 GMT -5
We do "want, need, wear, read" from us, and then other presents and stocking stuffers from Santa. Santa usually leaves between three and five presents, not including the stocking.
Then later that night, he also gets gifts from my parents, my brother and SIL, my aunt and her family, and sometimes my dad's assistant at work. Plus the two or three gifts he gets at my aunt and uncle's Christmas Eve party the night before.
This year each kid is getting 2-3 Santa gifts and 10-12 gifts to open from us/their brothers (some of those are clothes, books, or small things). The grandparents are out of control and will go way overboard, but I can't seem to do anything about that.
So far the only thing we really have is a Cozy Coupe that I'm unsure if I want to assemble before Christmas or wrap and watch him (hopefully) tear the paper off of it. I know H's grandparents got him a huge dump truck and H's dad got him the B. Zany Zoo. H also got him giant building blocks. He's only 11 months, so he really has no idea what is going on. And his birthday is 2.5 weeks after Christmas and I really don't want to drown him (and out house!) in stuff. I am unsure how we will handle Christmas in the future. Depends on how we are doing financially or not I guess.
We celebrate Hanukkah but I went way overboard and he has 38 gifts! Most big things including a bike, trampoline and ikea kitchen. We've done 4-5 things each night. My house looks like a toy store. :/
Suffice it to say, too damn much because I buy things forgetting I've bought and stored other things and it spirals out of control.
I'm going to assemble the "definite" gifts (playhouse, little people car ramp thingy, and one of the little people sets) then DH and I will go through and decide which of the rest to give now and which ones to hoard for later to pull out on a rainy day. I'm not going to give her all the books, either, because I know they won't capture her interest if there are like 20 books under the tree. I'm going to just pick 2 or 3 to put under the tree.
C has four gifts from us (train table, doctor kit, cash register, dump truck) plus his stocking which has some small wrapped gifts from Santa in it (and normal stocking stuff).
We got her a plasma car, play food, 3 books, Frozen, and stocking stuffers (tegu blocks, a toothbrush/toothpaste, some pouches, a flashlight toy, some other little stuff).
ILs (well, I delivered to their house, lol) got her a shopping cart, other play food, a book, some stuff for her baby stella, and a toy broom set.
I'm not sure what my parents got her. I know she said she got her some clothes, and she brought over a baby trampoline that she got at a resale store for $20 a few weeks ago.
We have so much crap here (and I have a pretty good-sized house!), and her birthday is in March. She doesn't know the difference at this age so I'm not going overboard.
This year, 6 wrapped gifts each, which are from us.
Santa leaves his stuff unwrapped and ready to play with. They usually get 3-4 things each from Santa.
Honestly, even though I know that they lose interest after opening 3-4 presents I still buy more year after year. I did scale back this year though, and am quite proud of myself
DD has 1 gift from Santa and 6 presents to open from us. Some of the presents from us have more than one thing in them though, one present is a box full of books and another is Christmas PJs and the night before christmas board book. She also has a stocking full of boring things.
We talked to my parents and DH's about wanting a more modest Christmas from here on out. I think we half-succeeded? Still a bit more than we wanted, but much less than the RIDICULOUS amount last year. He easily had 30 last year.
From Santa: 1 (train set) and stocking (5-8 little things).
From DH and me: 3. Tunnel, toy lawn mower, and movie.
My parents: 3, (2 puppets and an indoor tent) PLUS who knows how many DVDs and books. I told them those "don't count" as gifts and they could buy as much as they wanted.
DH's parents: 2, a set of books for his LeapFrog Reader and a HUGE lightening McQueen toy, it's like 18" by 8".
We are doing want, need, wear, read plus stockings from Santa. The big gift is a play kitchen. I also bought him snow boots, art for his room. I keep giving him books I buy. Whoops!
Post by SpartanGirl on Dec 20, 2014 23:27:53 GMT -5
Each kid is getting about 12 gifts. Quite a few of them are small gifts though. DD3's "big" gift from Santa is a new water bottle. It's adorable how excited she is about a water bottle of all things.
My parents bought them each kid one big item. Their uncle sent them each two gifts. I have no idea what the ILs bought them. DD1 is also getting 5 birthday gifts from us, a few from my parents, and one from my ILs.
The number of gifts really varies year to year. It depends on what they ask Santa for and what they need. I would say this year is larger than it has been in past years.
We usually label most things as being from Santa. We may choose one or two that are from us.
Post by scribellesam on Dec 20, 2014 23:39:27 GMT -5
I guess we're not the norm, only one wrapped gift for each boy - a truck for DS1 and blocks for DS2. Then stockings and 5-6 other gifts total from extended family. I thought that was a lot but now I feel grinchy lol.
We bought about 8 to 10 gifts for each kid plus 1 from Santa and stockings. Growing up this is what we usually had at Christmas. My parents gave them 3 each and I'm not sure what they will get from the ILs yet, probably another 2 or 3.
Post by charlotteandwilbur on Dec 20, 2014 23:49:07 GMT -5
We did one big gift (train table) plus stocking stuffers. My parents also got him one gift. My ILs went way overboard but I already snuck some of those gifts away to the children's shelter and put some up in a closet for later in the year. DS's birthday was earlier this month so we're already on overload.
Post by katebeckett on Dec 21, 2014 0:17:42 GMT -5
This thread makes me feel super grinchy. We haven't and aren't planning to buy DD anything from us or Santa. But, we already did presents with the in-laws and she got 6-8 things and I know my mom has gone way overboard on buying her gifts which she will open xmas morning. She's also getting presents from her aunts and uncles. And she's one, so it's not like she's keeping track of who gave her what.
This thread makes me feel super grinchy. We haven't and aren't planning to buy DD anything from us or Santa. But, we already did presents with the in-laws and she got 6-8 things and I know my mom has gone way overboard on buying her gifts which she will open xmas morning. She's also getting presents from her aunts and uncles. And she's one, so it's not like she's keeping track of who gave her what.
Don't feel grinchy. This was us for DS's first two Christmases. His first (6 months old), he got a couple of board books, new pacifiers, and an outfit from us. Last year (18 months), he got a couple of board books, and some puffs. Everyone else went overboard, so we did not.
This year, I'm the one going overboard, but I'm going to hold some stuff back for Valentine's Day or Easter. DS is 2-1/2 and is getting a Rody (awesome CL find), Magnatiles, Tegu blocks, M&D 12-piece puzzle set, and some books. Plus paintbrushes, paint, color wonder markers and pages, and play doh for his stocking. He doesn't get the Santa concept, so I'm not designating anything as from Santa this year.
It's normal for us to all have 2-3 "good" gifts (from us/Santa) then a handful of little things like clothes, dinky cars, books, plus a stocking. Nana and grampy will probably load up our tree
DS is getting: Brave movie Dusty Crophopper bike Windlifter (from Planes Fire & Rescue) Blade Ranger (from Planes F&R) Chug (also from the movie) Dusty Crophopper with pontoons Lego board that DH built him Some Wild Kratts stuff So maybe 7-8 things?
DD is getting: B Toys "Meowsic" keyboard Anna doll (animators doll from Disney store) Elsa doll (animators doll from Disney store) Frozen figurines Tangled movie Some accessories for the little people klip klop stable (my sis got her the actual stable) So maybe 6 items but she's 18 months so she doesn't fully get it yet
Everything is from Santa. We never do mom and dad gifts, it's all from Santa.
The kids will also get stuff from my Mom, my sister & family, and the ILs (who go sooooo overboard each year) so I TRY to keep this in mind each year and try not to go overboard.
Post by yellowbrkrd on Dec 21, 2014 7:22:33 GMT -5
M has four gifts from us. A hooded towel with bubble bath, and three Usborne books. Santa is bringing the FP Skyway and the LON chair along with his stocking full of crafts and bath stuff.