Christmas excess!

I entirely agree with you, Luckygirl. We also received one 'big' present and a few 'little' ones in our pillowslips, including a coin and an orange. I expect we are just old gits, however! Times change and not always for the better.

I know someone who gets their children to write Christmas lists and then proceeds to buy them everything on the list. My parents certainly could not have afforded to do that.

I agree Lucky. I hate how Christmas has become so materialistic and some people want more and more 'stuff'. The things that bring real happiness are free.

Same with my children, one big present, a stocking, and a few smaller things. They also has presents from their grandparents.

It doesn’t leave much to buy next year and doesn’t make the children any happier.

I agree with you Luckygirl, not a good life lesson to receive so much. Our boys had one main present, a few bits under the tree like books and slippers and then a stocking with the usual apple, orange, some school stuff in a pencil case, socks, undies and a few fun things. Always a little pack of chocolate money attached.
Our grandchildren seem to get so much more and they all have a dedicated playroom for all the stuff.
We just give each family a hamper of edible goodies and money towards the presents the children want. At least that way we're not contributing directly to the the toy mountain.

I gave up on Facebook because I was sick of seeing peoples excesses plastered all over. No wonder there is a mental health crisis from social media at the moment. My ex daughter in law loved to brag about how much her mother spent on her and her sister even though they were grown up expecting we should do the same with with our son and our other two. I’ve no problem with treating the ones you love. It’s lovely to see a beautiful Christmas tree with presents underneath with childrens happy excited faces but not too much.

We didn't even get one big present from our parents! Just a sock with an orange or nuts inside. Patients would hand in gifts for us like diaries or annuals but any sweeties would be taken away and gradually disbursed over the next few weeks.
Luckily, we had a very kind Gran who always tried to give us toys or things that us children actually wanted. Other Gran gave us sensible clothes.
This makes me so appalled at what children expect and, apparently, get these days. I tried to give my own children a good happy Christmas with toys etc but nothing like the excesses of today.
It must really highlight the differences between richer and poorer families

My husband loves to do hampers for people Laura but not the overpriced ones from the supermarkets. He loves going shopping and choosing then taking the time to wrap them beautifully.

You would think these people had learned by now that children cannot cope with so many presents, especially young ones. They just open and discard them, then go to the next one. At the end there is a huge pile of things and they don't know which way to turn. Nothing has any value to them because the more they have the less they value them. When they have very few things the items become hugely treasured and appreciated.

Maybe I am not such a stingy old git then!!

Totally agree - and as I've said on other xmas-related threads, I think part of the issue is that some people seem to feel the need to outdo one another on social media. They'll buy and wrap endless piles of tat to stack under the tree just so they can go one better than everyone else. The kids probably won't even look at half of the stuff, never mind play with it or actually appreciate it.

Luckygirl3, of course you are quite right, one main present and a stocking is quite enough.

People who overdo things have a problem and/or need to show off. One friend used to go into debt every year, trying to make it 'the best Christmas ever' for her five children. It would take her the rest of the year to pay it all back. She always had anxiety so worried herself sick about Christmas - such a shame.

It makes me feel a bit sad - it is almost as if there is a feeling that material things equate to love - that this is how some parents feel they should show their love for their children. The idea that spending time with them and listening to them might also be "presents" seems to have gone by the board.

I am probably one of the least religious people on the planet, but even I get the message of Christmas - the one about recognising the importance of the poor and weak - and this present fest seems to miss the point completely.

I am not a puritan - I love giving and receiving gifts, but there comes a point when it is has gone too far and becomes an end in itself rather than a true way of showing love for someone, or thanking them for what they have done for you during the year.

The idea of people going into debt to feed this buying frenzy is nothing short of shocking.

Like many, we got one main present, often clothes, and bits and pieces, hankies, knickers, soap and hair ribbons. My children got one main present and bits and pieces, partly because that was what we could afford.
Many presents now seem to go back to the idea of, “Children should be seen and not heard” but extending it to “children should be neither seen or heard” by giving them something electric and letting them play in their bedrooms.

I would like to think that the tide is turning on mountains of Christmas presents. Our family have cut down already this year. We give experiences rather than unwanted items. And we have reduced our budget. Perhaps it came from the excesses of 80/90s, I don't know.

Our grandchildren, like our children in their time, get one big present and a small one, like book, plus a stocking of little bits and pieces

Their parents do as we do. When they were very small they got a lot of presents, not from family, but both DS and DDiL are 'alternative', my DDiL is a semi-professional folk singer and they have a wide network of friends, who are into arts and crafts and performing, a group where the majority are childless, so our two little ones used to get overwhelmed with presents. Now they are teenagers, this source of gifts, has died down, but again, these were not expensive presents.

When DS was born 50 years ago our budget was £5 a head. now it is £50

I'll own up to probably getting more for the children and grandchildren than I should.

I grew up having the most amazing time at Christmas with many gifts. Totally spoiled by both parents and grandparents.

I think I'm vaguely following their lead by hosting Christmas's the way I had them.

But I'm nowhere near buying 40 gifts for children or 20 for grandchildren!

To me Christmas was never about the presents it is about family getting together. I always did 1 main present then bits and bobs for my children and I just get the 1 gift for my grandchildren. When I was young I loved my stocking with satsuma, nuts and a small toy . We always had Christmas Dinner and tea with grandparents. I used to love helping mum and grandma bake mince pies, jam and lemon curd tarts and bread rolls ready for the big day. The big day was always full of treats that mum had squirrelled away in her "hamper box" all year, tinned salmon, tinned ham, blancmange, jelly etc.
She didn't have special tableware or fancy crockery and we used to borrow an extra table and chairs to seat all the adults. These were set up in the living room because it was the biggest room. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Christmas to some now is all about the photo's of lavish decorations, families posed for Christmas snaps and the piles of presents they have probably gone into debt for. Definitely not for me.

Our youngest grandchild is 18 months, my daughter is giving him his sisters outgrown farm set cleaned up and wrapped.

What a sensible lady!