? about Christmas gifts for your kids .....

[scrappin4mygirls]

Ok I am pretty sure I suffer from "working mom guilt" lol... I have realized that I am falling into the "commercialized" Christmas syndrome... I want my girls to know what the holiday's are really all about but I think it's almost too late... they are 7 and 4. My questions are this : First how many gifts to do get each child ? and secondly how do you talk to your kids about what the holiday's are really about ? I want to start scaling back on the gifts each year so they concentrate more on traditional stuff like putting up the tree.. going to Grandma's etc instead of the gifts.. .

Any input ?

Thanks
Joni

P.S. I'm attaching a pic of my youngest Kassity.. hope I do this right ! lol.. gotta scan in some of Kayla yet......

[devlina2u]

Joni,

I am sorry I can't be of much help with the gifts but just wanted to say that your daughter is soooooooooooo adorable and cute!! Looks like me when I was young except for the blond hair!

Hope someone else is able to help you out.

[buckeyemomma]

SHE IS ADORABLE

[kat]

Joni,

I don't have any rule as to how many presents per kid - one year we go overboard here & another we scale back. It all depends upon finances, how many sales I find and what they really want/need plus what other people are sending.

As to traditions, since we no longer live near any of our family, we've had to come up with some of our own. One is our annual "decorate the gingerbread men" night. I bake a ton of gingerbread men & then we take one night decorate them together after dinner. Since we couldn't possibly eat them all, the kids & I take them to the retirement home the next day.

Another thing we do is to help our elderly neighbors decorate their house the day after Thanksgiving - they're too old to do a lot of the outdoor stuff and it gives my kids a chance to have some people nearby who are like grandparents.

We also do work with charities in town, but that's a year round thing with my family. All of these things help my kids put things in perspective. Don't get me wrong - they love the presents & make entirely too long lists for Santa (and ask for outrageous gifts that they know they have no hope of getting), but they also know that it's a season of giving.

[iluvcoupons]

I don't have a set limit on what to buy each kid. I figure it's the one time of the year you can go all out and it's okay. I just hope they remember the true meaning of Christmas

[aprilgail]

This is just her second Christmas but I probably got her about 15-20 gifts to open on Christmas plus all her stocking stuff, she wanted a new toothbrush so thats going in there and a CD of kids songs, some dollars (she loves putting money in her piggy back) by the time we finish with Stocking stuff its about up to 50.00 just on the stocking....A few of the gifts were freebies though, like the power wheels jeeps (pampers) pooh chair (huggies) and the rest are things like the leap pad, the leap pad imagination desk, some puppets, drums, games, bob the builder stuff, Dora the explorer stuff, a Dragon Tales computer game and a few other things I am sure are up in teh closet that I have forgetten about! Plus Grandma buys her alot and her uncle gets her usually one toy and a nice check for her college savings plan. Then all the neighbors come over with gifts for her and then we can't forget Christmas eve with Brittwomans family and some other friends of our so MORE gifts....We added on a 11X20 playroom for my daughter and now I am working on straighting out the basement (which is already finished) to make another playroom area for her and her toys!

[freesurfer]

Nice picture and way to go posting it!!!!!!!

[lilmixedgirl]

You know, I agree with iluvcoupons. Christmas and birthdays are special. Right now my kids are a little young to understand what it's all about anyway.

[scrappin4mygirls]

Thanks everyone for your input I really appreciate it ! I don't feel so bad now LOL.... I have the same theory that this is a special time of year to spoil them and I feel sooo blessed to even have children to spoil so I'm gonna do it !


Thanks again !
Joni

[Brittwoman]

Your daughter is so cute

[dancema]

I enjoy buying things for the kids for Christmas....since there are three of them....all close in age...I have to be fairly even.....10 stocking stuffers , 5 or 6 under the tree from Santa, and one big gift from Santa (this year all three are getting game boy advances and a few games-a big splurge which I hope will entertain them for a few years)....Santa always brings a few practicle things (like backpacks) and Santa also leaves a present for mommy and daddy (something fun).....
For me, the most important thing is to make sure that Christmas gift giving isn't just for them....Many of my relatives wanted to just have gifts for the kids....I insisted that even if we only exchange something small, I wanted my children to know that Christmas is meant for everyone not just the them. We make sure they buy things for there grandparents and we give something to the aunt and uncles as well.....
We also donate gifts to toys for tots ( a great way to use up some of those bargain toys you got over the year and don't know quite who to give to)

[kells3]

I have 3 children and last year they all got 15 to 20 gifts each. Most cost very little because of the great deals I got, but it was really too much. This year I will probably spend more money because I got very few good deals, but will buy less gifts each. Just trying to find a place to put everything drives me crazy. I have already told them that they will not be getting a lot of toys this year and none of them have complained. I am going to try to get each of them 10 gifts at the most. They really don't need all that stuff, and end up not playing with at least 1/2 of it.

[lilmixedgirl]

That's true. My son has so many toys and never plays with them, but I like to get him eduational toys and videos. Also things like Hot Wheels. He loves those and they're like $1 each.

[Ttulipss]

It's soooo hard not to spoil them!! We're supposed to be scaling back as we're building a new home right now, but when I see all that I've already picked up and know there are other things I'd like to get them...well, let's just say their Christmas will be a little more abundant than we originally planned.

As for the meaning of the season, my girls are little yet, but we're working on getting them to understand the spirit of giving. Our new house will be down the street from a Senior Center and I want our girls to learn the importance of giving of our time as well as respect for their elders. As for traditions in regard to the meaning of Christmas, each year we make a "Happy Birthday Jesus!" cake. First and foremost, my girls know that we celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus' birthday!

[miriama59]

We don't have a set number of presents. It is always difficult with the two girls being ten years apart. It is so much easier to buy for Sadie, 6, then Sarah,16! Sarah likes clothes, makeup, clothes, makeup, clothes, makeup.......LOL

But each have a big felt wall hanging on the wall with pockets---the 12 days before Christmas. This way they get a gift every day, it has to be inexpensive but fun. They love it. Lots of times it is free things that I have gotten thru the year.

I let them open presents off and on thru the last couple of days before Christmas. I know that for Sadie, sitting and plowing thru a HUGE pile of gifts is overwhelming for her. She doesn't even realize half of what she gets. So splitting them up works best for her.