Gifts
 

So...I have always given toys or gifts appropriate for the child. Hobbies....activities....characters that they're interested in.....I'm just wondering how you all do gifts. Do you give everyone the same thing, or books, or what?

I give them things they are interested in. I try to keep it around the same amount for everybody. We just had a birthday last week and I spent $25.

I have a fairly small group, though. If I had a large group, I would probably just give a book or something to each child.

For their birthdays I try to think of what they like or would fit their interests. At Christmas, I usually give each dck a book or puzzle with something the book(puzzle) might pertain to, again thinking of their individual interests.
One Christmas I gave a little girl an undersea puzzle and a Folkmani Hermit Crab puppet. Dcm said that was THE hit of the whole season. Lol

I don't :lol:

I will give each child a copy of "oh the places you will go" at graduation but that's the only gift i do.

Currently we are invited to most of the kids birthdays or I should say my boys are, if we are going to the party and cause the gift is coming from 2 kids and me the provider I'll spend around 30ish. For kids that we dont go to or have not come to my boys I spend closer to $10. I did spend around $20 on one kid this year who was not doing a party but he and his big brother have come to both my boys parties.

I useally get them something I know they like if I'm picking it out, like the boy I talked about above I got him some hero capes cause he loves the ones I have. For a birthday in a couple weeks my son picked out some board games for the kid. Another one the weekend after I'm doing some ABC stamps and a book. My oldest without direction would just choose Lego for all presents.

I speak $10-$15 on a birthday and get them something small specific to the child’s interests. Christmas I usually do all the same or similar, ornaments, books, pjs.. something not too expensive but meaningful.

Originally Posted by TwinMama:
So...I have always given toys or gifts appropriate for the child. Hobbies....activities....characters that they're interested in.....I'm just wondering how you all do gifts. Do you give everyone the same thing, or books, or what?

Sometimes I give everyone the same gift if I can find something that's appropriate for all. For Christmas one year, I bought all of the kids a Rudolph the Reindeer book and a pillow, that when folded, looked like Rudolph. Another year, I found a Snowman Kit that was on sale so I bought one for each of the kids and added a Frosty the Snowman book to go with it. Other years, I get different gifts for the kids that coincide with their interests. For birthdays, I have a Birthday Box that I fill mostly with books but also include a few small toys, coloring books and crayons or markers.... relatively inexpensive things that I pick up here and there on sale. The kids get to pick their gift from the box.

I spoil a bit more than I should.

Christmas $10 limit. This year I did a puzzle each (chunky wood ones for younger & jigsaw wood for older), last year princess dolls or action figures for older kids and some baby toys for baby.

Bdays $20 limit. Something that interests them and usually a book with it. I have 2 one year olds turning 2 this month and I got them both a whale bubble machine with extra paw patrol themed bubbles.

Easter I give them a $1-$2 activity pack. I used to do a sand bucket with bubbles and chalk but decided not to spend that much anymore.

Halloween I give some snack bags with pretzels, a juice box, maybe a rice crispy bar or playdough.

Valentine's I do some kind of Valentine for each. I did juice box robots last year and applesauce pouches this year.

Originally Posted by storybookending:
I speak $10-$15 on a birthday and get them something small specific to the child’s interests. Christmas I usually do all the same or similar, ornaments, books, pjs.. something not too expensive but meaningful.

I like the pjs idea! You can find some pretty cute PJs for a $10 limit!

I usually do Scholastic books because you can get them for $2 a book and then I will pick up little things here and there if I see it on sale and think a kid would like it. But I have about 20 books waiting on standby for birthdays and Christmas :D

I have a child leaving to start kinder so I have a kindergarten book and will give her a small photo album with some pics of her day with us! I try to do something a little special for kids who are leaving.

I do books for every occasion - birthday, Christmas, graduation. I am a kids’ book fanatic, and can usually judge which book they would like based on what we have read here.

I keep 4 or less. When I first started, I would spend $25/ child on a birthday present. They were my first 4 though. Now, I get a cool character card that usually has a hair bow or bracelet or something and some matching stickers. Probably spend about $10. That's only if they've been with me for most of the year though...and if I want to. It goes home with the parents anyway so no one feels left out.

For birthdays I give a personal gift worth about $20 and throw a small photo op party.

For Christmas, I give one toy per age group also around $20 (ex. wooden toys for infants, building toys for toddlers, art supplies for preschoolers, etc), and throw a small photo op party.

For graduation, I do the standard book, grad cap & gown photo op (they wear them home) and a small bookbag with the supplies listed on the kindergarten supply list for our public school. No party as I put the funds into the bookbag of school supplies, instead. ;)

Originally Posted by jenboo:
I don't :lol:

I will give each child a copy of "oh the places you will go" at graduation but that's the only gift i do.

Same here.

....and I don't always give that last parting gift either.
Depends on the family and the circumstances.

I usually give the same thing to each child. Books are my favorite thing to give them. My end of the year gift is usually a book and a goodie bag with candy and either crayons or a tub of play dough. I do try to pick out books that I think the child will be interested in.

I don't do gifts.
I have 18 kids on my books. I would never stop shopping/spending.

Originally Posted by Meeko:
I don't do gifts.
I have 18 kids on my books. I would never stop shopping/spending.

:eek: If I had that many I would not do it, either. ;) My absolute max is 6. ;)

I don't give goodbye gifts to kids who are not aging out.

The gift I intend to send to my little ones
 

For me, I prefer to make a gift with my kids together and send it to them. Like a handmade toy or card, so they can learn how to make their own gifts when they wanna send presents to their friends. Also, through the whole handcraft experience, they can learn to be patient and thoughtful which is beneficial for their future growth.

At birthdays, I go to the Dollar Tree and buy them the character things they like, puzzles, books, chalk, coloring stuff, etc. I usually spend about $20. I do this for my toddlers. My SA kids will only get a gift if my kids are invited to the party since they’re only FT during breaks.

At Christmas, I buy every single child a gift, doesn’t matter if it’s for the toddlers or SA’s. I buy each age group/gender the same gift. My SA girls got slime, my SA boy got Uno cards (a game he and I play a lot) my toddler boys got Hot Wheels and when I had infants, they got the Fisher Price stackable rings. I think I might’ve spent $100.