How much do you spend on birthday gifts for your children? - Page 2

[artgoddess]

The first few years we didn't get my DS anything. He's birthday is 3 weeks after Christmas and he didn't know the difference, plus he's got grandparents buying him gift. Last year, his 6th birthday we gave him a Thomas Train he wanted and his 2 year old sister gave him a new sigg bottle, so about $35 total. Like a pp, we have a party at home. With just the family, both sets of grandparents an aunt and uncle and two teen aged cousins. Feeding them all costs about $200.

[Red Pajama]

We spend under 50, and usually closer to 30 on birthdays. Parties are family parties as of yet, so while there is an added cost of food it's not as expensive as it could be.

Growing up, Christmas was always the bigger gift event (although still not lots-- my parents always spent around 100 on kids) and birthdays were small, family events with a modest present. My husbands family considered the birthday to be the "big gift" event. It's just interesting to see other traditions.

[Just1More]

We go for "special", not price. Just a "let's have a fun day because we are so happy we have you" kind of thing.

Party and all, though, total is usually around $100. (That includes all food, gifts, and this year, a rental of a bouncy house.)

We also try to pick things that will really grow with them, and are "classic" toys, and, if possible, "educational." Not junk.

[LaughingHyena]

We don't usually end up buying much for birthdays, last year I think they both got a game and a couple of books. DD had a party with a few of her school friends and I expect DS might want to do that this year too. We usually have a meal out as a family too.

We do buy things through out the year though so I think that makes a difference. I sometimes think it a bit odd that the "big gifts" are the ones we get whenever. When I was a kid bikes and so on were birthday gifts but those are the things I prefer to get used so we get them when they crop up.

I imagine things will change (and cost more!) as they grow and start wanting more specific things.

Personally I don't worry too much about spending the same amount on everyone, so long as everyone gets something that they want it's all good.

[honeybunmom]

I'm with mama to 3 and Just1more. With my daughter's 3rd birthday, we had kind of a big party. With all she received from the attendants, I put away our gifts! No need to pile on. For her second birthday, I wanted her to have a kitchen. It was over $100 and now both she and ds play with it.

Ds's first birthday is coming up. He doesn't need a darn thing. He's got all of her toys to play with. Plus, we gave him a push toy and a pull toy for Christmas. And he's not walking yet. LOL! Oh, and a rocking toy. So, mama is making him some plush, wool felt balls with bells inside, a baby doll and a pillow (he loves laying his head down on a pillow, so, I'm going to use the bamboo velour from a baby shirt and fill it with wool for a nice pillow for him and probably embroider something on it, too). I hope that these will be very special to him.

Now, as she's becoming more aware, I'm starting to scale back - not in dollars spent, but in quantity. I want my kids to have toys they cherish rather than focus on how much they have (and subsequently want).

[MtBikeLover]

I do big parties that usually cost around $350-400 so I don't spend a lot on b-day gifts. This year, it was $15 each. But never more than $50. Plus, their b-days follow quickly after Christmas where they have just been inundated with gifts. And they invite 15-20 kids to their parties so they get inundated with gifts from that.

[Jessy1019]

Depends what I think they'd enjoy, what they say they want, how much I have to spend, etc.

This year, we took my daughter to Great Wolf Lodge for two days. Split with my mom, it cost about $200 for my portion. She also got a small present on her actual birthday.

My son, we took to see Monster Jam on Saturday night for his big birthday present . . . it was $125 for our tickets, plus about $60 on shirts and food there. He's also getting a present that I picked out before we decided to do Monster Jam (and so he'll have a present on his actual b-day, since this was a week early).

We go overboard, but we can sort of afford it (I'll put stuff on credit card if we can't) and I like doing it.

[2xy]

Originally Posted by Jessy1019

We go overboard, but we can sort of afford it (I'll put stuff on credit card if we can't) and I like doing it.

Same here. In my previous post I said I try to keep gifts at less than $100, but we almost always have a party. So we end up spending $300-400 by the time everything is done. I know that sounds like a lot, but nobody ever made any sort of a deal about my birthday when I was a kid, and I want to do things differently for my kids.