At What Age Do You Stop Giving Kids Gifts? (sales, buying)

[JC JC Mom]

in total me and my husband buy a little over 30 people very few adults (just mom, grandma, brother and sister) all the kids we buy for are under the age of 13 so yes they all still deserve gifts but we try very hard to buy gift for 10.00 or under. if they want the expensive IPod of christmas then they need to ask their parents for that. My children know if they dont go and they thier aunts and uncles a thank you hug then that gift will be taken away. I dont care if it is just a card to say merry christmas. It's something that that person is not obligated to do so the child needs to apprieciate the thought... and dont let one of our cousins ect. not give us a thank you i will certainly say something about it. I'm not looking for some special acknowledgement but not saying a simple thank you is just rude.

for an examples of gift that i have recently purcharsed for the kids in our family this year:

Barbie MP3 player - 10.00
Scene it sport trivia - 8.00
Glowing magnadoodle - 5.00
Doodle Bear activitiy set - 7.00

[EEEPNJ]

I agree no thank you no gift. I'm a tyrant with that.

"Cut off" age varies though. Growing up, we didn't have a ton of kids in the family. We all gave each other gifts. I like to give gifts to the adults too, but it does get out of hand. Some of the women in our family just do an "ornament exchange" each year. I like that. I love my ornaments and every year when I open them I remember who gave it to me and why. (I'm sure I'll get OBAMA ones this year. LOL We try to make them fitting for the person receiving it and what time they are at in their life.)

[nat_at772]

I buy gifts for anybody I feel like giving a gift too - regardless of age, but I just don't spend a lot of money I racked up on the 20Q game at Kohls - they had them on sale for like $7.99. I'm a horrible shopper cause I don't have the patience or the money but I think that's just the cutest thing - every time I go in the store I play it and I've never won. I brought the sports one for my nephews, and the television one for my mom and a couple of the regular ones for my friends and family. I know it won't be something the people use everyday but I'm hoping it'll provide a little amusement - something like a Rubiks cube back in the day.

[EEEPNJ]

The 20Q's are SO fun and addictive!

[jenn76]

Speaking of 20 questions...
I bought it for our friends son last year. He's 10. My son told him (though of course he shouldn't have) that we got it for him. So this boy tells my son to tell me that he already has this game, and we should get him something else. I was really annoyed! It's hard enough to find something that kids want these days, since they have everything... Besides, we always put in a gift receipt, so people can exchange... Anyway, we ended up buying him a video game that he told my son he wanted (believe me, I didn't want to, but my husband didn't want to make a big thing out of it).
A few months later this boy was playing at our house and saw 20Q, (which I kept for us because I happen to like this game), and he was so excited to play with it, as though he doesn't have one of his own .
I think he just made up the whole thing about having it because he really wanted the stupid video game!

[Raven1976]

Originally Posted by kimchee

Now I know alot of the threads here are real estate related but I figure we can vary it up abit.

I need some honest opinions from all of you as to when kids should stop receiving gifts. I have 30 people to give gifts to this year. The majority are kids from 1 to 18 years of age. It's becoming a real burden and alot of the older and teenage kids are not appreciating what I give them anymore. I haven't heard a thank you from them from the past few xmas.

Besides, they all want the Wii and the Ipod and other expensive stuff I can't possibility give them. What's an aunt to do?

Let me know your thoughts.

Those are way too many people to give gifts to. I would say stop at age 10. You are not obliged to buy all those people gifts. Think of what you could do with all that money for yourself. I'd say give them a $5 gift certificate to ben and jerrys for the little ones and maybe something else small for the older ones like a container you fill with candy or something cool. I think the parents should buy the other more expensive stff.

[Raven1976]

Actually if they don't even give you a thank you anymore I wouldn't give them squat. Do those families all get you a gift as well?

[sdweisman]

i don't have a large family, and no kids myself. i usually buy them gifts for the holiday and money for birthdays. always keep a dollar maximum and stick to it. this year i'm being extremely careful with my money so i am donating to an animal shelter in the kids names. then for their gift, i'll make a day with them and do fun stuff.

[tandcookies]

Originally Posted by natalayjones

I buy gifts for anybody I feel like giving a gift too - regardless of age, but I just don't spend a lot of money I racked up on the 20Q game at Kohls - they had them on sale for like $7.99. I'm a horrible shopper cause I don't have the patience or the money but I think that's just the cutest thing - every time I go in the store I play it and I've never won. I brought the sports one for my nephews, and the television one for my mom and a couple of the regular ones for my friends and family. I know it won't be something the people use everyday but I'm hoping it'll provide a little amusement - something like a Rubiks cube back in the day.

Someone gave me a similar game when I was in the hospital and it was great for me to play when I was alone... plus my guests enjoyed it too.

[FlyersFan]

I am a single Dad. My oldest is 38 and my youngest is 25.....they still get gifts as well as their husbands......and I still enjoy shopping for them and giving them.