inyour opinion
O
ne from Santa, one or two from
Mom and Dad, and one from
baby/big sister. Then a stocking full of
fun little things! –
Sherry
S
ince we are a simple family who
always strive to give value to the true
meaning of Christmas or birthdays,
we only give one simple gift to our child
and never fail to remind him how lucky
he is compared to other kids who never
received any toys at all in our hometown
in [the] Philippines.
–Aileen
M
y kids receive one present each. When all the other
gifts from family are added, they have a mountain of
toys.
– Meagan
B
irthday and Christmas presents
in our house = one major present
and then three or four little filler
presents. –
Pamela
We asked: How many presents should you give kids at big holidays, such as Christmas or their birthday?
I
usually prepare a special gift that I hope
they’ll cherish and a snack that they can share
happily with friends.
–Memphis
W
e give them one present,
and they receive other
presents from friends
and family. There’s not enough
space for lots of toys in Hong Kong
apartments.
–Gillian
P
resents are something we really try to manage
in our household. My three- and five-year-
old ask me to buy them stuff almost daily. My
response is, “Is it your birthday? Is it Christmas?”
and hopefully one day they will realise that presents
only come on special days. So, for Christmas we do
buy many gifts, but luckily, at this age, we can keep the
monetary value low.
–Rilla
O
n their birthday party invitations, I’ve suggested
that people give money instead of presents. The
money collected will be donated to a charity
that helps low-caste children in India. I do this for several
reasons: I don’t want my daughter to associate birthdays
with getting lots of presents, but rather with having a
good time of fellowship, celebrating with family and
friends; also, she doesn’t need more toys and clothes, so
why not direct the money that would be spent towards a
worthwhile cause instead? But we (the parents) will give
her one present for her birthday and one for Christmas.
–
Vicky
F
or my child, it’s two presents
and a Chinese red packet with
money per occasion.
–Elaine
U
sually, we give one present
from us and one from
their sibling. They are old
enough to know now what
they like, and we ask them for their
Christmas/birthday wish list. They
think about it, tell us, and excitedly
anticipate that gift’s arrival: it
makes them feel regarded, that
their opinion matters. –
Jasmine
I
think there should be one present, but
a very thoughtful one. Children should
know why parents have chosen this
present. Surprise is all very well, but
discussing various presents with children
and then choosing the one that meets
the parents’ and children’s expectations
the best will result in a far greater
satisfaction for a longer time. Presents
should encourage independence and
responsibility in children and should have
a long-term benefit. It takes me a long
time to think about the presents that I can
discuss with my children to choose from.
Most of those presents have been used to
death and then sometimes bought again
in newer versions. –
Dureshahwar
M
y children
don’t receive
many presents
from relatives, so I tend
to overcompensate
for this. For Christmas,
I normally buy one, or
possibly two, big presents
and then lots of smaller
presents, hopefully some
of which they'll like! For
birthdays, it’s typically a
few presents, but nothing
over-the-top. –
Alicia
W
e give one gift per occasion
that offers a good mix of fun
and educational purpose. I
will tell my daughter that it’s not about
the number, but rather about the
meaning (and purpose). –
Eunice
