11 Responses to “Have You Ever Gotten Your Toddler Little To Nothing For Christmas/birthday Because You Already Have Too Much?”

1. K M
   September 29th, 2009 @ 4:35 pm

   The good news is this kind of overabundance from the relatives doesn’t last forever! The bad news is it doesn’t help you much now. To answer your question…
   Yes, in years past I have limited my own gifts because I knew what others were getting. I’d actually give them the “good” list of toys so I wouldn’t have to buy them! I also had a regular schedule of selling or giving away the abundance of unused older toys right after birthday and holidays. Never felt guilty about it. now that they are older the gifts have become more “normal” and sometimes wish I could ask for things the way I used to without seeming rude and greedy!

2. Becky B
   September 29th, 2009 @ 9:32 pm

   Instead of blowing tons of money and adding to the piles of toys he already has you can do his Christmas and Bday the way I did for mine he was younger, and what I do for my grandson now (He’ll be 22 months at Christmas). Buy a couple small toys so he has presents and new toys to open on Christmas day but take the bulk of the monies that would have gone to adding to the toy collection and spend it on something for his future ~ big boy furniture, a Savings Bond, large scale items that will either provide him money in the future or that he will actually use when he’s older.

3. Lori H
   September 29th, 2009 @ 9:55 pm

   Yes, and you can ask the grandparents to get a savings bond or something that will benefit him when he wants to go to college or something. I did this several years when he was small, then renewed it later and by the time he was 20 he had quite a little bit ready to use for school.

4. Mrs.Sors
   September 30th, 2009 @ 1:48 am

   Yes I have. Generally I get them things they need since everyone else gets them toys and they dont really remember anyway. Her first christmas she got a winter coat, socks, teething rings, a rattle, a baby tooth brush and one new toy. And the toy was educational.

5. James Oscar
   September 30th, 2009 @ 6:54 am

   Kids will loose interest in most toys in a short time due to thier short attention span, I suggest you him a toy that calls for his attention since it is very similar to a pet for instance. Try going to http://www.gogopets-chunk.com
   and get them one of those new so called zhu zhu pets or go go pets

6. Busy Mommy PM
   September 30th, 2009 @ 9:16 am

   My two year old has everything, musical toys, babies and baby crib, stroller, high chair, the kitchen, the bike, the outside toys, etc etc etc. I’m just getting her small things for christmas

7. Anna
   September 30th, 2009 @ 3:56 pm

   of course you dont have to get them anything else… you can always get something a donate it to a child that doesn’t have as much.
   *your son is sooo cute!

8. tragicki
   September 30th, 2009 @ 4:36 pm

   Have a little yard sale and sell anything he doesn’t use anymore, and use that money to go towards new things at christmas time.

9. lillilou
   September 30th, 2009 @ 9:06 pm

   Yes - or so my husband recommends I do - then I keep getting 1 more thing.

10. ♥ Inked Mama ♥ Peace on Earth PM
    October 1st, 2009 @ 3:24 am

    My son will be 2 three days after Christmas and he does already have a shed load of toys, but rather than adding to the pile I’m going to donate all the things he no longer uses (which is probably about 90%) and replace with new toys suitable for 2-3 onwards, especially learning toys and roleplay toys which he’s beginning to enjoy more now. I think it’s always good to declutter and replace because young kids get bored of things so easily - so that might be your best bet. Unless money was a major issue I couldn’t imagine going a birthday/Christmas without giving my son presents even if he is too young to remember just because it’s something I love to do so much - and I don’t want to be giving him big presents constantly throughout the year as I don’t want him to be spoilt so I see those two occasions as the times for that. But that’s not to say YOU should, as you say he’s too young to remember so it won’t matter at all, and as some people here have said it’s a great idea to put money in savings instead so if that’s the road you want to go down that’s also great!

11. legallyr
    October 1st, 2009 @ 8:44 am

    Wow- I am so proud of you! Not only are you pratical but you are also (without even knowing) going to teach your son to be content!
    I have a blended family- 8 kids in all. Both of our exes are remarried- so our kids have their biological families and then stepfamilies. So they have 4 sets of grandparents instead of 2. Then there is the uncles and aunts! Financially there has been times when we were unable to afford the Christmas dinner and presents. We had to decide- a few Christmas- not to purchase any presents since they were going to get them from our families. We feel the dinner (or breakfast-depending on how you celebrate it) is more important than the presents.
    Eight years later and our children are content with what they receive. They only pick 3 things to get for Christmas with the understanding they might only get 1 out of those 3 things. Therefore they put it in order of importance.
    I also go through all the existing toys around November and we donate all toys that have not been played with in the last 3 months. I discuss with them how there are helping a child who does not have even a mother or father, or a child that does but whose parents can not afford even food.
    Your child is too young to even notice whom the toys are coming from. And honestly- most of the time my kids ended up playing with the boxes! If you can get them something- even 1 thing, then get it. Also, I even rewrapped a toy that they had that was from a previuos Christmas that was put away in the closet!

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