How many gifts is too much?

So last Christmas my daughter was only 3 months so I only got silly stuff for Christmas. This year I’m trying to figure out how many gifts is to much? How many does everyone give from them and how many from Santa? I know she won’t know yet but trying to get an idea for years ahead so I don’t start off going to crazy
11 Likes

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How many gifts is too much?

At that age she wont really know what its all about she will almost certainly get gifts from relatives and friends…i would get her a main present and half a dozen small things from Santa…

My daughter turns 1 about 10 days after Christmas. She has 5 gifts from Santa (Want, Need, Wear, Read, Play) and about 25-27 from us. Most of them are smaller toys and she actually barely has toys. My son is getting about 30-33 presents and the Santa presents. For my daughter’s 1st birthday she is getting 4 things.

1 Like

I have 2 little girls that I try to at minimum get 5 gifts each… atleast 1 box full of clothes,3 fun gifts, and one gift from Santa (plus stocking) we do more if we can afford doing more but santa only gives one and stocking

3 Likes

Js that is so smart to be thinking ahead because I have my five year w very high expectations and the older they get the more expensive the presents. I have no advice but good job at looking into the future even being a new mom !

1 from Santa and the rest from us. 5 things to play with and a few things he needs. He has way too much toys. I regret doing presents when he was so much younger he didn’t understand or care lol .

They are only little once so nothing is to much in my opinion :woman_shrugging:

4 Likes

1 or 2 things from Santa (not really expensive big items) and 5 things from us.

We do one gift from each person in our home, seven of us so six gifts. We didn’t do Santa with our children but my daughter has chosen to do Santa for our granddaughter. She gets about five smaller things from Santa crafts books a Barbie or what not. Nothing expensive and then stocking. I think it’s up to you. Do not worry about what others do. Everyone has different beliefs and also different financial means.

2 Likes

She still won’t comprehend much so just get her what she needs, and a few fun things.

I only get 5 or 6 things (he gets a lot from family too) santa gives 1 or 2 things & a stocking full of a couple dollar tree toys and stuff he needs…All expensive stuff is always from me since kids dont understand why santa gave their friend an ipad and them a pair of pants or a little toy…

2 Likes

We do small, inexpensive items from Santa. Just the stocking suffers. Everything else is from us and we try to stick to the want, wear, need, read list.

3 Likes

We celebrate christmas and día de los reyes. We get our daughter 4 xmas presents and 1 gift for reyes. My mom and inlaws get her a gift too.

I usually get my kids one huge expensive gift each around $200 and my family usually gets them 20+ not so expensive things (from grandmas, grandpas, great grandparents). My kids are 1 & 4. Since they are so young and don’t understand santa we just do their stocking stuff from santa. :heart:

Only 1 from Santa and 5/6 toys from you guys

Been doing this for years!

6 Likes

I’ve always done and how I was raised but I give 1 big gift that is from Santa and then 8-9 smaller gifts

1 Like

My niece will be 7 months on Christmas Day. I know they don’t know the difference in quality/quantity at that age…but I loooove shopping more when it comes to buying for babies/kids. It’s more fun. So regardless of how young they are or how much/how little they know I’m buying them gifts

7 kid’s in this house to do. They got about 8 things each . Part from the older 2 … 12 and 13 they picked there things and then I will be giving them some cash

I had a formula so all mine got about the same. They got they wanted so bad that if it was all they got they would be happy. They got 2 other things they wanted that were age appropriate. 1 gift of clothing and some years a nice towel set or nicer sheet set that what I got to replace worn out sheets. There was a game of some kind that had to be shared to use. A book or set of books they liked. Then several color books crayons and/or paints and sticker books to keep them busy over the off school time. I kept these extra things about the same amount by getting each something when I purchased them. When they got to be about 9 or so, 1 of the 3 main gifts was sometimes clothing or they got an extra gift of clothing or child’s radio or lamp for their room and the non toy gifts slowly got more to replace the toys, as they got into their teens but they always got a game of some kind and a toy or craft kit for their age. I wanted my kids to always have the feeling of Christmas until they left home. They got a stocking every year they were still home.
When I was 12, all I got that year was some clothing not even a book or a craft set. It dudn’t feeling Christmas fkr me because if the complete change if gifts so my kids akways got q ir 2 fun things as teens with the clothing and other non toy gifts. They don’t need 20 to 50 things, but a few nice gifts and some fun things. A baby don’t know about Santa or gifts so a few things they will like and play with and a new outfit for the day so mom has nice photos.
Keep it simple so you aren’t overwhelmed by so much.

I honestly think “too much” depends on your personal and financial situation. My love language is gift giving so I go overboard for everyone in my life, including my son. I only have 1 kid and financially can kinda go crazy lol. He’s only 4. But i usually make most stuff from us, and pick something that looks cool when it’s set up, along with some filler stuff from Santa. Like one year I set up a big car track and made it from Santa. My parents never wrapped my stuff from Santa. It was set up and ready to use. So I pick a bigger but not super expensive item to do that with. And then I got him bath toys, some smaller toys, etc. Along with a stocking from Santa. I’m struggling this year because he has so many toys and I don’t want to buy him a ton of small stuff this year. I think however you decide to do it is totally fine. If you want to gift a little? Awesome. If you want to go crazy and can afford to? Do it. I love giving gifts. It doesn’t matter as much now, but my only real “rule” is not getting them anything super expensive from Santa. That way other kids don’t feel bad once they start school, thinking Santa “chooses favorites”.

2 Likes

Wrap up a few empty boxes because at that age, they have fun just pulling the paper off. As for actual gifts, I would only get about 2 or 3. She not going to remember this Christmas, and besides, babies grow so fast and have the attention spam of a fly; after about a month, they probably won’t even play it.

I’ve only done one from Santa and then w.e I found that I wanted for my kids. I go over board tho. :sweat_smile: 20+ gifts each kid. One year my oldest had 47 just from me before I had my other kids. Idk what I’m at so far. I collect gifts for about 5 months before Christmas.

We only ever do 1 from Santa and the rest from us :blush:I go over board :joy: my partner hates it but I love spoiling my girl. Lol

1 Like

Mine gets one thing from Santa like a doll or rc car something small since most kids don’t get big things from Santa since parents don’t have much then I get them one big gift from mom and dad and 4 gifts to go with it and since I have 6 kids under 7 they draw names and buy for each other which they open up on Christmas Eve

We always do one small gift from Santa and maybe 4 or 5 gifts from us depending on how expensive they are and how good we are off around the holidays some years they only got 3 gifts from us I have never made myself broke to buy gifts and my kids understand that Christmas isn’t all about gifts and they all get what we can afford so they are always grateful for what they get even if it isn’t much

1 Like

I got my son a lot of gifts last yr I want to say at least 11 gifts and it literally took 5 hrs to open them he was a year and a half I only got him 3 gifts this yr

We do one item from santa usually something small and a stocking from santa rest is from mum dad and rest of the family xxx

1 Like

We probably do a fairly minimal Christmas compared to what most people do and even then it always ends up being more than i originally planned because it’s just so hard to keep yourself from buying stuff for them that you know they want lol. But usually we will do one gift each from Santa that is like something they’ve really been wanting but that isn’t a high dollar item like a game system or something. Usually it’ll be some kind of larger toy they’ve been wanting but that’s still under the $50 mark. Then i make a Christmas eve box that is for the whole family to open together on Christmas eve. It usually contains our pajamas, a new movie, a new board game, a Christmas themed book and some popcorn and will put on our pajamas and play the game and everything that night. Then in the morning they get to open their present from Santa, their stockings (which i also have from Santa but they usually just have candy, clementines and maybe a small book, doll or stuffie) and then 2-3 gifts each that are from us. I try to have family give as few gifts as possible and tell them more to give money for college or special experiences or if they don’t want to give money then board games or books or craft supplies

Mine gets to ask for 3 off Santa n then I get whatever I think she will like :smiley: I have no limit as I buy a bit at a time over the year

I’m not financially well off as most people so I feel extremely guilty around the holidays, now rent prices are skyrocketing so I feel doomed

I think about how much I want to spend on each of mine and go from there and try not to go over budget to much , but honestly at that age one or two main gifts would be best it can get overwhelming for them to have so much that they do t know what to do or what to play with first so would worry bout it too much

I use this poem to keep it in check.

something they want
Something they need
Something to wear
Something to read

And Santa gives them something to share board games sports stuff, lego etc and a stocking filled with little things think crafty stuff, bath toys, hair ties

3 Likes

None from Santa. (this is still up for debate with my husband and I. Our girls are 3 and 6 months and I hate how commercialized Christmas has become so I stear away from Santa as much as possible.) Maybe 3-5 gifts total. I don’t give my kids clothes or shoes for Christmas. Family members do that and I feel that it’s my job as their mom to buy those things as needed. Giving them as gifts is unnecessary aside from their Christmas eve jammies. They get some cool books and some cool toys that aren’t something we’d just go buy them anytime like their beanie baby collection. Lol.

I gave my son one or two from Santa and the rest from me

I do one big one and a few smaller ones. My daughter is almost 3.

What ever you get her she will want the boxes to ay with

2 Likes

We do 4 from us. 1 they want, 1 they need, 1 to wear and 1 to read. Then a couple of Santa gifts and little stocking stuffers. Santa gifts are not the biggest or most expensive, either. That’s not what it’s about to us. Plus, I feel when kids talk together and one gets this big expensive gift from Santa and others don’t, then they feel like they weren’t good enough. Just my opinion. My cousin does 3 gifts for her kids, to represent the 3 wise men. I agree with above comment that it’s getting so commercialized.

2 Likes

Trust me she’ll want the box more than anything my daughter was more interested in wrapping paper and boxes at Christmas :joy: Ours will be two next year, we’ve gotten her a play kitchen with all the bits and that’s her only Christmas present bar stocking stuff. It’s imaginative and I know she’ll sit and play with it. No need for loads of presents at Christmas.

Stocking is from santa and one or teo presents under the tree. And the rest from family. I dont do present number… I do what I can afford to spend and what they would like.

3 Likes

I shopped all year so mine got lots… Not necessarily expensive stuff…they always got clothes, books games and toys when they were younger . later on when it was phones etc they got less.
My one rule was never to get in debt.

2 Likes

Im a bit of a mean mum. I have a budget of 50 each (between me and my partner we have 7 children so it still adds up to 350) we went down the route of saying there are so many children in the world that santa can’t afford to give presents to everyone so sends us a bill for what it costs. We spend slightly more on birthdays.

2 Likes

We do 5 each & stockings. 1large, 2medium and 2 small. My children are spoiled all year so I really dont need to go overboard.

Mines 3 now & I have always done the bigger one from me & smaller ones from Santa & her stocking. I don’t think she really cares or understands what’s from who yet anyway but I read somewhere the smaller ones from Santa was a good idea so when kids talk they aren’t comparing what Santa gave to who etc so I thought that was a good idea

1 Like

I like something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read

3 Likes

Girl, never too much. Do what you want to do. But always teach kids to be grateful as well. :sparkling_heart:

1 Like

I only do 1 gift from Santa. He has a world of kids to get gifts for you know and only does a small gift for each kiddo. The rest come from mom and dad. That, we base on budget. Obviously the smaller the child the more items cause they are cheaper. The older they get the more expensive the items get so they might not get as many items. Based on money not items

2 Likes

At 1 they won’t care, I’d only get a couple

We do 1 big present, 4 little ones and a stocking. My daughter was almost 1 last year and after 3 presents, she didn’t care anymore. Completely uninterested lol

I used to spend thousands of dollars on Christmas & birthdays but now I do it different…

Something they want.
Something they need.
Something to wear.
Something to read.

An experience

4 Likes

In our house we do 3 gifts from santa (representing the wise men’s) and of course the stocking, and a few from us and then family does what they want.

With Santa gifts it’s always something to wear, something to read and something to do. Never expensive from Santa, as then the less fortunate families struggle to give 1 gift and the kids don’t understand how Santa doesn’t love them as much

2 Likes

We have 5 children, so we set a dollar amount each year and keep each kid’s gifts in that price range. My kids know if they’ve asked for a spendier gift they’ll likely have less to open Christmas morning.
We do stockings from Santa, and Christmas Eve boxes with new jams, a movie, popcorn and treats… but those are separate from their Christmas gift budget.

1 Like

Last year we did about 6 gifts. Santa only gave him what was in his stocking. This year we are doing 5 big toys form us. 1 small toy form Santa. Then stocking form Santa.

One from Santa. One stocking.
300$ worth of gifts from us. But they are 6-8 and 100$ each is clothes they need anyways

We set a $ amount /child, and we do 1 or 2 smaller gifts as well as stocking from Santa and the rest are from us

1 Like

Big gift always from me but for the amount of presents it’s up to you, I have one so I always buy a lot for her but I know I’m not the norm, it’s Christmas in my mind so I tend to over spend but the big present is always from me and Santa doesn’t bring electronics

1 Like

I’ve done both…I’ve done an absolute ton of presents…And I’ve also done only a small handful for each.

Here’s my…“thing” at least in my experience. Kids outgrow toys pretty quickly. Not only that but they often only really play with a few at a time.
I can’t count how many toys are in our garage that they just stopped playing with…within a year of getting them.

So I’m extremely reluctant to go crazy with buying them toys.
This year…
They’ve got two HUGE presents to share (one is from Santa and one is from us) which are a trampoline and a swingset.
Which will hopefully be several years before they outgrow those.
We bought my youngest a $30 robot and a blue’s clues magnet board thing.
We’re going to buy the oldest a couple things in those price ranges.
We bought them each a new set of PJs.
We’re going to buy them each a new outfit.
I may buy them a couple other things as well as stocking stuffers.

3 Likes

Something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read from Santa.
Then 1 or 2 from us so 5-6 total

5 Likes

I usually buy my son too much… he gets about 10 gifts

Big present from us which goes into want, need, wear, read or activity.
Small things in stocking and one Santa gift that’s never a big ticket item.

1 Like

I only do 1 from santa and one from us because we don’t know what tomorrow brings and it’s never promised and money sometimes is low and you might not have it. Get them used to little stuff so when they grow up they appreciate the big stuff… just my 2 cents

3 Likes

I’ve always done at least 5 gifts for my kids however I do budget them to 100. Sometimes I can go cheaper but when they are teens it’s more expensive my budget goes up Sometimes.

There is no “right amount of gifts”. What ever YOU decide to get is the right amount for your home.
Related is we don’t all have the same amount of money to spend on Christmas.

I know even in our home it verys from year to year. Some years they get more, and others they may not.

1 Like

I have 3 boys so I started just setting a set amount per kid and then bashed on their interests I get as much as I can in that budget. Toys are more expensive than they used to be so it can be hard sometimes to get very much. Stocking I do the same in each - a DVD, some bath related (slime, bath bombs, fun foamy soap) box of favorite snacks small stuff tailored to each kid. And Santa in our house does only small group gifts to encourage sharing and not leaving each other out. So a board game like hungry hungry hippos or a big box of Legos to build together.

There is 15 in our family so I spread the money between six adults and seven grandkids. (I don’t buy gifts for myself) The grandkids get ten each and adults five to seven each with one big present each. I love to spoil everyone!

I’m not here to preach as I have no children of my own but I’m an aunty to 11 and please do take this into account x

10 Likes

I do 10-15 presents. Half from me and half from Santa with the largest gift being from Santa

1 Like

I’ve got 3 kids. We do one from Santa. Normally something not to expensive but means alot. This year we did personalized name blankets. Then 1 expensive gift each. 1 gift for the family, board games, family outing. One year we did new bunk beds. Then about 5 smaller gifts each that includes books, clothes,gift cards to there favorite restaurant. I realized when the were younger that 90% of the toys end up at the bottom of the toy box🤷🏻‍♀️

I do like 10 to 12 each but small things are from Santa. Only 1 or 2.

1 Like

I’ve stupidly spoiled my daughter her past 5 Christmases. Now that she’s older all the Toys she wants are crazy expensive. Santa NEVER brings electronics or expensive gifts in my home. Christmas is also the ONLY holiday I can spoil my daughter and nobody gives me heck for it :see_no_evil::see_no_evil: last year she had at least 20 gifts (including clothing, books and educational games/work books and things that were gifts for both her and I to do together.) It’s not the amount under the tree, but the memories made with the loved ones for me. She knows I can’t spoil her like I used too when we were a 2 parent household :woman_shrugging::woman_shrugging:

Whatever you do, please make the cheap gifts from Santa. Some parents can’t afford much, so their kids are left wondering why Santa brings so much to others but not them. Have a merry Christmas :santa:

5 Likes

I give my kids what I feel they deserve. No budget no limited number. It’s what I can afford. No one else pays your bills and no one’s buying these gifts for you. Do what you want😊

3 Likes

Honestly Christmas is my time to spoil my kids I have 7. Age 14 down to 5 days old. All my kids (not including my 5 day old this yr) get 40 to 45 gifts including one big gift pluse stocking. We do what we can afford. We start Christmas shopping in may/June. And we put money up out of each r checks we work for starting check after Christmas. Literally save for whole yr. I get judged alot but it’s mine and husbands money. Only thing from Santa r stocking and 2 small toys. Rest r from mom and dad.

1 Like

Santa brings the biggest most wanted gift at our house and then usually 20 more gifts

1 Like

I spend a $100 per kid. As far as stockings I just get them like 2 cheap things like from the dollar store and some candy. They r 2 and 8. That budget may go up once they r teenagers and items get more expensive.

I have an almost 2 yo and I plan to do the bulk of gifts from me, with Santa doing the stocking, and a Disney hoodie with his fave on. Family gifts from them. I won’t be giving any laptops or tablets from Santa ever, because not everyone can afford to and I don’t ever want any kid to feel unloved by Santa.

2 Likes

1 gift was always from Santa the rest from mom n dad

Santa brings clothes, mum and dad bring the fun stuff

My family, always just one from Santa and it was always something more frivolous that I thought was dumb but she wanted. Everything else was from whoever bought it so she could be thankful to the correct person. Plus then it didn’t look like Santa liked her more than other kids who got less.
I also never bought tons because others buy for her too. 16 years later she is grateful for everything and has never expected too much. We are not poor and not swimming in money. She always has everything she needs and much of what she wants. But not everything because some stuff needs to be saved for and worked for

2 presents from Santa usely someing crafty qnd a small toy 4-5 from me and partner

Let expensive presents be from you, and cheap be from Santa. Idky parents give all the expensive stuff as Santa. He’s NEVER depicted giving expensive gifts. It’s just so mean to the less fortunate kids.

Right now though spoil away. Now is the time to do it. All the memories are really for you until age 4 or 5 anyway. If you don’t want to spoil them later I say do it now before they grasp the concept.

2 Likes

I’m the way over board mom but Xmas is my fav. I have a budget for my kids that’s pretty high for 4 of them. But I save and buy all year to help especially since two bdays a couple months before. I normally buy the more expensive items and family get clothes and the less expensive easier on their budget items. So yes bugger budget but more in the range of 2-10 presents ranging in price. But because I have always done this I don’t actually have much I can buy the younger ones as we have one of everything. So they get furniture dress up stuff or things they need like new carpets beds. Oldest 15 younger 2 months.

We overdo it but idgaf tbh lol it’s how I grew up and if you can I don’t see why not. It’s Christmas man :slightly_smiling_face:

We always did one gift from Santa, not big or expensive, and not normally the “thing/gift” they wanted most, and also something small in the stocking with a few treats from Santa. The “thing/gift” they wanted the most, and any other gifts given to the kids came from us or relatives.

1 Like

We TRY to do “want, need, wear, read” from us (so 4 presents including their big WANT) and Santa brings one and fills the stocking. :woman_shrugging: Do I buy way more than they need, yes. But I try and get the odd thing (like books) on a buy/sell to save $$

In my home we set a budget, this year it’s $250 per person. Whether that’s one gift or 100 gifts. We also celebrate St. Nicolas, each person gets a new ornament, holiday pajamas and roughly $25 gift in their stockings. Last year we made the budget $500 person and omg never again… It was wayyyy too much.

We always tell them that mummy and daddy, grannies, aunties…… send the money to Santa. They write the letters and Santa see what he can buy with the money we send him. That way they have fun because Santa took the time to read the letters and choose the presents but at the same time, they know that Santa uses our money so not all dreams can be fulfilled sometimes as Santa is on a budget