Moms of multiples of the same gender… so we have so much stuff… so many toys, clothes, etc… our second doesn’t really need anything for birthdays but I feel like we are ripping him off… is making a gift idea list appropriate these days? Signed a mom with too much clutter.
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I always do a “clean out” before birthdays , Christmas’s . My girls are only 1 & 3 so it’s easier now to get rid of things.
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Take then on a little weekend trip
Gift cards and a mom day for shopping. I was youngest of 9 kids. I loved going to pick out things
I would make a gift list of ideas.Family/ friends always ask what they want. I have 2 girls and they are older now but they are into different things even when they were toddlers. I always started to get rid of things to make room for the new stuff. I still do that.
Maybe do a fun family activity together instead of buying any gifts to celebrate the birthday
Adventures together just mom and me or the whole family. Maybe a membership to something fun like a zoo or an amusement park or museum one year my son and I did an obstacle course zip line it was physically challenging but we had a ton of fun
We do lists (3 girls, 7,8, &9) but we also tell others if they’re unsure, gift cards are welcome.
Every holiday or bday i would declutter as much as possible and than make a gift list. It wont really bring down the clutter much, but itll keep it at bay and ur second wont feel ripped off. U could also declutter by taking any toys they havent played with for x amount of weeks/months n donate those. Things they wont miss
I try to clean out the clutter before Xmas. If they don’t play with it then it gets donated, also I have them do a list or hand them a magazine and have them circle what they want
I have 2 girls & a boy, I said no hand me downs. My 2nd is 3 in 2 weeks, it’s bad enough being so close to Xmas but I didn’t save anything from first for her, I won’t hand things down from 2nd to 3rd baby either as I feel like I’m ripping them off. I do clear out toys a lot too, once they’re bored of them, they go, that way we don’t end up with so much 
My 2 year got so much for Xmas I have this dilemma now it’s his bday straight after and don’t want to waste money for the sake of it so I’m gna put money in his bank and he’s having a party and maybe a trip out somewhere as I just can’t see myself buying stuff for the sake of it x
Time to declutter!
The biggest question is, how old are they?
My boys are 10 and 8 (born June and July) - I learned several years ago it’s best to go through their toys before their birthdays and again before Christmas. As for clothes, I don’t get rid of much because little brother gets a lot of his big brother hand-me downs (we still buy him some new) - if it’s not tattered and torn or too small, keep and if still too big, pack it away. I have begun to have them start going through their toys first of what they don’t want anymore, and after they’re “done”, I go behind them and finish the job because let’s face it… sometimes they don’t do a practical job of it. Lol. My boys are getting to the age that they’re asking for less toys, and more gaming stuff or things to decorate and style up their room - for the last couple of years, we give them some sort of Gift Card with their birthdays and Christmas. And yes, we still have them do “Wish Lists” for both occasions - you’re never to old to have one; we may not be able to get everything they ask for, but we always get the top few things we know they would enjoy the most. And every year, we make a limit of how many presents we’re going to get (ex. 6 each) and every year it’s the same, we reach the limit and end up raising it up.
Declutter. Have the kids do it.
A good time is always before gift giving occasions (birthdays and Christmas).
Have your children go through their stuff and sort out what they have outgrown and no longer play with/use.
I used this when my kids were younger - told them that since their birthday/Christmas was coming up and they would be getting new stuff, it was time to go through their old stuff and donate it to children who don’t get birthday/Christmas presents.
Once they went through their stuff, I would go through it. I’d make sure that anything that was broken or missing pieces was tossed, old/stained/torn clothes were tossed and everything else was bagged/boxed up. Then we would find a cause and donate it to.
This helped with clearing the clutter, making room for new stuff and it made my kids feel great to help others.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to skip gift giving, but your younger kids don’t really need anything, choose birthday/Christmas experiences. We only throw parties for the milestone birthdays and all others are dinner and an activity of their choosing - last year, my 10 year old chose Hibachi for dinner and Build-A-Bear.