Buying gifts for grandson

My 6 grandchildren all aged 5 and under, will receive either clothing or a book or something they really will use (eldest granddaughter is mad about gardening and will get something like a small trowel or some seeds) Their parents all say they have plenty of toys and don't actually need more 'stuff'. They will get stockings with chocolate money and a tangerine and little things but I do think people are starting to back off showering children with loads of gifts. I think demanding big presents off grandparents is bad manners. Time for a spending limit.

Hi,

I've bought this for my Star Wars mad grandson. Thought it would be a good stocking filler for an 8 year old.

www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Wars-Lightsaber-Thumb-Wrestling/dp/1452125740

Can anyone recommend something a bit different connected to Star Wars costing no more than £30, please? Youngest grandchild, 8, is a Star Wars fanatic, but I can`t afford more than £30 per child.

Milkflake i m amazed you can still get away with fake kits most kids are really hot on that nowadays even at tender ages we have spent hundreds over the years on bloody football kits Mind you my grandson does want football and/or sport as his career and at 15 he has been selected for the county team and is a great all round sportsman so I guess all my poor daughters money might be well spent in the end After his dad died when he was 6 my daughter bless her has stood in all weathers on the sideline every week so I hope her dedication is rewarded in some way

I've recently had a phone call from my DD asking that the DGC receive only one gift for Christmas, they have four sets of grandparents and she doesn't want them growing up thinking that Christmas and birthdays are all about gifts. Much as I love the sentiment I did have to say 'Well, actually..........'

I never asked what to buy people I get something that I can afford and that is nice .If people tell me what they want I say what my mum said to me "I want never gets " A gift is a gift I love to receive homemade gifts .

Thanks for all your replies. I always buy books and little stocking fillers for Christmas and birthdays and add something "fun" along with PJs or pants etc so I was shocked to be expected to spend another large sum. My other DIL only ever requests smaller items and I usually buy two or three . I know the parents would buy this outfit if I don't even though they are not well off. The children are treated to expensive things all year round and I struggle to agree with that. At risk if sounding like a grumpy old woman I think they are over indulged and I suspect my DIL was treated the same by her mother.n

Ebay is great, that's where I bought my GS's football strip. He wears it a lot and at age 9 he doesn't know if it's fake or not. We wouldn't have to buy fake if the football clubs didn't demand ridiculous prices. Kids grow quickly , 6 mths later they need a bigger one!

It's not right that one GC gets more money spent on them than the rest.

Stick to your budget I was horrified at you spending £75 on football gear. Give him some money and tell him to save up for one. My gd age 10 wanted an Arsnel set, saved her money and bought it down the market, a fake, still has it in her memory box and it means a great deal to her because she bought it. A lesson in life skills is the gift you are giving hin.

Not the case suzied my DGS has a couple of strips (Barcelona, Real Madrid....) they are first class quality and I should know as I wash them at least twice a week. (And when I say wash I mean SCUB as they are normally caked in mud ). DGS spends all of his money (birthday, Christmas, etc.) and saves like mad for his beloved strips and team footballs. My son has put a couple of his special ones that are too small into frames and they look fabulous on his wall.

Christinefrance your old town is my town

I see even 'Strictly' has an annual now! Whatever next!!

Books are the best present for me too but sadly think they are falling out of favour now. All my family are readers so the wish list is the way to go. I usually spend the same amount roughly on each grandchild so with eight it needs careful thought.
Waveney are you from East Anglia ? I lived in Lowestoft for many years and really miss the sea.

Or I should say, I never knowingly buy fakes!

We have set an amount for birthdays and Christmas for each of the DGS and stick to it. We always ask for ideas from their parents as to what presents to get, or run our own ideas past them. As they are all just toddlers,we have been asked occasionally just for the cash, which we're happy to give. There'd be no problem this way if we were asked for something more expensive - as the DC know the amount available, they'd know that they'd get this as part payment.

I never buy fakes either, for the same reasons as gillybob.

Find!

I am also grateful for the Amazon wish list, but since my grandchildren all have October/November birthdays I try to Finns something at Christmas that will be suitable for the summer. My great weakness is books - I am always adding one (or more) to the present pile! My Nan always used to buy us annuals but they are pretty rubbish nowadays!

The full price non fake ones are usually a load of rubbish - badly made, horrible synthetic material etc. Might as well buy a fake / knock off one for 10th of the price, probably made by same poor folk that made the "real" ones.

I don't agree with buying fakes and copies of anything. It encourages the black market and you are usually buying a load of rubbish anyway. I agree £75 is a lot of money for a genuine strip (a lot of that is the cost of the licence) but I would rather none than a fake. Sorry just saying. And for the record, I am not well off at all (quite the contrary).

If you want to get ahead of yourself most football clubs have a sale twice a year, you could buy the next size up. Obviously it may not be current but it will still be his team. This is how we get my husband, our ds and dgs shirts every year. Still more than I think the stuff is worth but a good compromise.

I'm 'comfortably off' too, but would be horrified to be asked to splash out £75 for a football strip. You have decided to go with the cheaper alternative, good for you.

I always ask all family members who get gifts to provide me with a wish list. Nobody gets everything, or even anything, if I have a better idea, but DC feel that their children get more than enough toys so I quite often buy clothes. i was always check that the clothes I have in mind will be acceptable.

The only rejection has been when DGD was about 4 and I bought her some lovely (I thought)grey furry boots to wear to school on cold days. 'I am not wearing those, they are grey. I don't like grey.' was her response on unwrapping them. Her parents were mortified, but we swapped them for pink (!!!!!!!) ones and honour was satisfied.

With several grand children you are not being stingy.
My two little grand sons really don't need any more toys. trying to think what to get them is difficult.
I have arranged an annual direct debit for birthday presents into their ISAs. When they get a bit older they will probably what more particular things.

I am in complete agreement that they all get too much. They are tearing off the paper , throwing the contents aside and onto the next one. I feel. Like a grumpy old bag and don't comment but it can't be good for children to be so over indulged.

I am so glad to read your replies and will try to find a copy which I am sure he would love