How do I simplify Christmas gift giving... - Page 2

I love this thread. it is so much fun to listen to everyone tell of Christmases
We need to sticky this I think!

My DS is 4 and his stocking and one gift is from Santa. Everything else is from me and daddy. He's old enough to understand that now. It's hard because he's our only one and the temptation to spoil is overwhelming. We wait until Christmas Eve night (after he is asleep) and then put all the presents under the tree. His stocking and Santa's gift are on the fireplace hearth. He loves it. He usually gets one DVD, a CD, books, and dollar store items in his stocking. This will be the first year he gets T-shirts, underwear & socks under the tree (a tradition from DH's side of the family). He gets so much from his grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc that DH and I agreed it's time to cut back. He's also started selecting toys to donate this year and I'll have him help me clean them and donate them. We also donate a new toy to Toys for Tots. He loves doing that.

We buy one gift for each of our kids to open Christmas Eve and it is a new pair of PJ's. Usually all other gifts come Christmas morning from Santa. The big gift is put together and smaller gifts are wrapped in different theme paper for each kiddo. Stocking are also wrapped. We are trying to cut back, but I wonder if I will continue to buy as I am almost done...All I have left is stockings and a couple of odds and ends.

We also go pick Angels off the tree for each kid and buy gifts. This way they learn to give to the less fortunate even if they do not completely understand the concept yet.

I think your plan is good. It doesn't matter much how many from you or how many from Santa. They will still notice even if Santa leaves one. Sometimes I like to leave the Santa gift unwrapped and put a big bow on it and the gift tag.

As long as you can afford it, I say do whatever you want.

I don't put anything under the tree until Christmas morning.

I give the girls 3 presents from us, Santa brings 1 gift and fills their stockings.

I'm almost done except for the stocking stuffers. My husband thinks I'm nuts. What else is new ?

I liked the idea of putting the Santa gift under the stocking. That way the gift stands out if you're worried about it blending in under the tree. Our gifts were always wrapped and under the tree before Christmas w/ the rule that if we discovered what they were, they went back. And our stockings would be filled Christmas morning, but we didn't really do Santa even though we would sometimes go to the mall to see him or check out the cool displays.

We didn't do much for DS last year. He was only 9 mo old and of course was more interested in the wrapping paper and pulling ornaments off the tree! We got him two things I believe--a ball popper and a leap frog book. No stocking and nothing from santa. We had a nice quiet evening the weds before Christmas since we are always traveling over Christmas day. I cooked his then favorite meal--potroast w/ carrots :0) and then we did gifts. My husband and I exchanged two gifts each and DS opened his.

I'm trying to keep the gifts fairly simple because his grandparents, aunts, and great grandparents all have gifts for him too as he's the first grandchild and great grandchild. This year I have some gifts that I bought from garage sales--little people type things. They're probably nicer than what I would have bought him if I had to buy new.

A spammer just bumped up this thread and it caught my eye. With the end of summer quickly approaching, I thought I would pass it along to everyone else!

Sometimes those spammers are so dang helpful!

We never get anything expensive (not that we can afford it), my daughter usually gets a present from Santa a present from me and one from my husband. It works so far

(besides the granmmas granda uncles and aunts)

We have a gift exchange between the kids and DH and I. Usually $5-$10 each depending on our finances for the year. We also encourage them to make it a homemade gift. Then we give the, one "big" gift (size is relative, doesn't mean expensive, just means it's usually one gift they really wanted) and a few little gifts (hair ties etc). Since we celebrate Chanukkah I have to spread the gifts out for the 8 days. Instead of gifts for some of the days we'll do something fun like do a craft or I'll get a family gift, like a new game and we'll play that, that night.

My new husband of 7 years is Catholic, and he wanted a tree and all and to give gifts on Christmas. We did it for a few years, but it's a headache (trying to explain to the kids what it was etc, since they are raised Jewish it's very confusing for them) Our problem with Christmas was more than that though. My husband wanted to spend TONS of money and I didn't like that. Over the years I realized why he did it... the only attention DH got and only time he felt "loved" was at Christmas and birthdays when his parents pretty much "bought" their love with gifts. I tried to explain to DH that kids really could care less that they got a lot of gifts or how much was spent on them, they wanted us more than gifts. After a few years and him seeing that one single birthday gift could be as exciting and more appreciated than $500 worth, he's getting "it".

I think the breaking point was when he worked his butt off to buy mini ATV's for the 2 youngest girls, and he was so excited to see their reaction he didn't sleep all night. The next morning, the girls got up and ignored the ATV's sitting in the middle of the living room and went right to the cheap stuffed animal I bought one, and a game I bought the other. (I literally had to point the ATV's out and they took up the whole room and by then DH was in tears)

Yesterday was Sarah's birthday, and we have little money right now. I got her a few used clothes (and most of them were given to us) and a couple of used game boy games and that's all. I think I spent $10 total. DH was really upset that she'd be disappointed, and she wasn't, she was thrilled. I really think he understands now.