What are you getting your kids for Christmas/Hanukkah?

[Toon crazy]

A hatchimal and Everafter high dolls.

 

[PollyannaMom]

DS's big thing will be a monitor for his computer. (He saved up on his own for all the other parts, and a friend builds them as a hobby.)

He needs a new comforter, so I'll get that, a couple of video games he's asked for, and a few little things. He's easy to shop for.

 

[ronandannette]

i miss the days of buying toys! enjoy, everyone that has young kids. It just gets harder, and more expensive!

This is SO true! We don't even get to buy for DH's grandkids since none of them live local and their parents prefer we just send (large chunks) of cash so they can do the buying and/or roll it into their own holiday budgets. I haven't been in a toy department for years and yeah, I miss it.

We went WAY overboard last year for our three daughters, so this year I'm using this little rhyme:

One thing they want.
One thing they need.
One thing to wear.
One thing to read.

Of course, this doesn't apply to grandma.

Christmas is primarily a religious celebration for us and we purposely kept the gift part reigned in when DS was little. We did something similar to your little poem - generally one toy, one book and one piece of clothing/outfit. We usually give any big gifts for birthdays rather than at Christmas and this year DS is in school studying graphic design and digital media so we very recently had to acquire a fancy Surface Book computer and Adobe software for him. Christmas gifts will be much "less significant" this year because of that. He will, however, still be getting his traditional socks and underwear (a dozen pair of each crammed into his stocking). He loves it!

 

[quandrea]

Fun thread!

DD 12 is getting the American Girl fridge and a Cabbage Patch Kid (eBay) and a novel from Santa. We got her pjs and a puzzle. Santa fills stockings with toiletries, socks, candy, pencils, pens, lip balm, etc.

DD 7 is getting the American Girl kitchen, a book and a Cabbage Patch Kid. Also pjs and a puzzle along with a filled stocking.

DS 7 is getting the Stiga hockey game, baseball cards and a Cabbage Patch Kid as well as a book. Stocking for him too.

My kids love their stockings. I have a blast shopping for them. Dh and I only exchange stockings. Gave up gifting each other about four years ago and don't miss it one bit.

 

[MSLRAC]

We also do the something they need, something they want, something to wear, and something to read and stockings.

Something they need: headphones
Something they want: laptops
Something to read: I went a bit overboard at the book fair and they each have a stack of books
Something to wear: new sneakers
Stocking: favorite candy, iTunes cards, EOS for the girls, etc.

We also let the kids buy each other gifts. They've all agreed to get some new board games for family game nights.

 

[xlsm]

We are going to WDW the week before, coming home the 23rd, so nothing too outlandish....I try not to go crazy anyway.

The 13 year old just wants Hamilton stuff, Pokemon Moon for his DS, and in his words, "a stuffed animal or something at Disney World". He usually gets something Stitch or Oswald related, or something from Mitsukoshi in the Japan pavilion on our trips, and this time we'll let him pick something a little more than usual, since it will technically be a Christmas gift and not just an ordinary souvenir. I ordered him a Hamilton shirt, and bought the book Hamilton's Guide to Life, the Pokemon Moon game, and a couple of blind bags already. Will probably pick up the big Hamilton musical book the next time I'm at Barnes and Noble.

The 11 year old has recently become obsessed with the show The Flash, and binge watched it all on Netflix. He's now really into the DC comic universe. He likes Dr. Strange and Doctor Who. He has asked for a Chromecast for their tv upstairs, but DH decided a roku would be the best choice. He just wants it for Hulu and for YouTube videos, but it's the only thing he's asked for specifically. Well, that and Pokemon Sun for his DS. Both of those things have already been purchased.

So I have ideas for both, but haven't picked up everything yet. They both like Harry Potter, and now Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them...It's just a matter of deciding on what to buy and where to draw the line!

 

[Hikergirl]

I posted previously that I was giving my dd cash, but instead she wants a 3DS XL. It is something she wanted but then kind of stopped talking about it, and then decided she wanted cash towards a trip. I bought the 3DS a couple months ago because I worried it would be hard to find but never got around to returning it. So now she will just get that and a few games instead of the cash.
I thought when they got older they stopped changing their lists

 

[PollyannaMom]

We also let the kids buy each other gifts. They've all agreed to get some new board games for family game nights.

I love that!

I thought when they got older they stopped changing their lists

Me too, but it still happens here.

 

[tcufrog]

Both kids get on Xmas Eve a pair of Christmas pjs and a new Christmas books that my dh and I inscribe. Our family gift is a new Lego set to add to our Lego Christmas village. I unveil it on Black Friday and we have fun putting together the village. This year they're getting a Christmas train.

DS9: an ipod touch if we can find one we can afford. a robot controlled by the programming language Scratch. He's learned it during a few summer camps. I got it during a great sale at Barnes & Noble. Books. Laser Maze which I got during a toy store going out of business sale. I've already filled his stoking except for candy.

DS5: Kindle since he keeps wanting to use his brother's. We had an old ipad which is broken. A kindle is much cheaper and the parental controls are much better. I'll get that at a Cyber Monday/Black Friday sale. Kid Galaxy Claw Climber. I got that also at the going out of business sale. books.

The big gift is a puppy. We pick it up as a family on December 23rd.

 

[robinb]

I thought when they got older they stopped changing their lists

Mine just adds to it. The latest is a "Jolyn Swimwear Trunk Show" she'd like to attend. I told her she can go but with a strict budget. The suits are pretty expensive but all the swim team girls love them.

 

[powellrj]

My kids are grown now so I do gift cards and cash for them. Grand # 1 is getting a Lego City police boat along with cash and gift cards and grand #2 is getting a mermaid blanket along with cash and gift cards. I was able to get lots of gift cards at this years charity auction for activities like the zoo, childrens museum and the bounce house.

 

[Sarah'sMomfrom PA]

My DD is 26 so it is usually just buying her gift cards which does seem so impersonal but she likes them so she is easy. Needless to say, I miss not being able to buy toys. At work, we pick 3 children who put requests into Santa sack (poorer children who may not get many things from their parents who can't afford to buy anything but maybe food for Christmas dinner if they can afford that.) Wouldn't you know that we have a little girl who wants pajamas and slippers and a Hatchimal (have no idea what that is but apparently, you can't find this anywhere) and we feel so bad that she asked for so little and the one thing that she really wanted, we can't find anywhere. Hope she isn't too disappointed.

 

[robinb]

My DD is 26 so it is usually just buying her gift cards which does seem so impersonal but she likes them so she is easy. Needless to say, I miss not being able to buy toys. At work, we pick 3 children who put requests into Santa sack (poorer children who may not get many things from their parents who can't afford to buy anything but maybe food for Christmas dinner if they can afford that.) Wouldn't you know that we have a little girl who wants pajamas and slippers and a Hatchimal (have no idea what that is but apparently, you can't find this anywhere) and we feel so bad that she asked for so little and the one thing that she really wanted, we can't find anywhere. Hope she isn't too disappointed.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/black_friday_2016_how_can_you.html

 

[DawnM]

They have given me no list and say they really don't want anything.

My kids are weird.

We are planning to open bank accounts for them and put some $$ in there to start their own account funds.

That is all I got.

If they come up with some ideas, we will work with that.

Youngest is 12, older two are teens.

 

[PigletsPal2]

DD#1 is getting a zoom lens for her camera. She's a freelance events photographer and her 75-300mm lens cracked.

DD#2 is getting In-Copy, an editing program for her computer. She's a freelance editor and has been getting a lot of work lately and said In-Copy would be extremely helpful.

DGD and her new DH are getting a really good quality outdoor games set - badminton and volleyball. They just moved into a house with a great backyard, and they do a lot of outdoor entertaining.

All four of them are getting their AAA memberships renewed. We got them the memberships for the first time last Christmas and they ALL said it was the best gift ever.

Queen Colleen

 

[monorailsilver]

I just began last week pretty much:

DD15- to much so far, shorts and shirts from Nike, I think 2 total outfits. A few shirts from American eagle, LL bean slippers, nike lumisomething sneakers she was begging us to buy her 2 nights ago and I told her no.

DS13-4-5 lego sets, some clothes from aE, Yankee stuff to put in his room.

DD10-clothes, 1 lego set and I can't remember what else.

They all got PJs and will get underwear and socks (oh yeah I ordered socks on Thursday).

They each get about 25 gifts under the tree and about 15-25 stocking stuffers, all wrapped, all from Santa

 

[richmond282]

My oldest dd is getting cash in a Alice in Wonderland wrislet, Harry Potter make-up brushes, Fortune Cookie soap HP advent box (great idea found on budget board thread), and some things for her room.

My daughter's advent calendar came today! So excited!

 

[kimblebee]

Did all my shopping today. Her stocking will have some paint canvasses, make your own soap kit, slippers, candles, socks and a few other things. She's a good kid and doesn't ask for much so her major gift this year is $$. That way, she can buy whatever she wants. Her other relatives have her list covered..

 

[Hikergirl]

My daughter's advent calendar came today! So excited!

My dd's came the other day. I'm not giving it to her on the 14th, I wrapped it and she will get the whole thing Christmas morning.

 

[Vicki926]

Kids get stockings, one Santa gift and 7-10 gifts from us. Always the same number of gifts for each, not the same dollar amount.

DS15:timberlands(Santa gift), windbreaker, sweatpants, NYGiants T shirt, leggings/tights for under his basketball shorts, cologne.. I think that's it so far. I just have to get him a couple more gifts, nothing big-clothes.

DD17: MK purse that she wants, that I told her was too expensive-but I have zero ideas for the Santa gift(the best, most wished for gift), so I bought it out of desperation. GNR T shirt, Kiss T shirt, sketch book and watercolor pencils, sweater..I have to get a few more things. Clothes and she wants a choker necklace.

For both: PJs and a game(Telestrations) for Christmas Eve.
I'd like to get tickets to something for the whole family. Comedian, Broadway, hockey game..I'd get Knicks tickets but they're so stupid expensive.

I thought about getting DD and her boyfriend season passes to Six Flags, but I'm not sure..