I don't think it is wise to give too much at christmas, when you lavish them with lots of presents or money they find it hard when they leave home and have to earn a living for themselves. As long as it is something they will appreciate it doesn't matter. Thats all your children really need lavished on them is love.

Very,very good post there and well said.Some kids just expect more and more every year,I'd like to know how they cope when the parents one year can't do it anymore coz it def happens to some poor unfortunate folks,xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I have seen the results with a very good friends of mine. They were always going overboard at christmas and always gave her everything she wanted, plus cash to spend on herself. Now she is married, has been for a few years. Her partner doesn't earn the money her father did so he can't buy her everything she wants, so she still asks mummy and daddy. And I can tell you it is not going down well at all with her husband, and it is causing a lot of problems.

Awwww thats so sad,he must feel awful.xxxxxxxxxx

Well I guess im gonna seem tight. We will spend around £120 on our 5 yr old this year. Itd be more if we had it tho. Her bday was in Nov which doesnt help the xmas fund either, she also gets from other family members so I dont think she is too hard done by.

Better than I did I can tell you
Dont worry you arent gonna get a paragraph on my childhood

I think at five years old, the amount you spend is not an issue,,,they make houses and dens out of the boxes at that age,,, I know I did, lol, x

my three get around £500 each
they are 21,16 and 13

and i always spend around that much, and a couple of friends have commented that is far to much, but like i say if we can afford it they can have it,if we cannot they cannot have it, and all my kids understand that.
my eldest has lived away from home for a few years (she came back 3 weeks ago) and we have always helped her out with money (£100 per month) and i would also do the same for my other two when they move out
the way i see it is life is hard enough as it is and because we can afford to help our kids out we do, but if one day we couldnt i know my kids would understand

We made a pact within the whole family that we only buy for the kids, as there seems to be so many of them now My oh has 7 grandchildren so it's getting very expensive! The older they get the more expensive their presents seem to get!

thats not mean at all mine are getting £100 each cash a £30 pressie and a few bits and bobs my boys now 16 and 18 have never expected anything or asked for anything at xmas not even when they were small

I'm probably going to spend around £200 on my (almost) 5 year old this Christmas. I don't have a set amount really I just get him whatever is on his Christmas list (not much) and then some extras.