Is it possible for a 5 year-old to get TOO much for Christmas?

My kids got too much too, oh well. We gave away a bunch of their old toys to people that needed them. Your kids will be OK, don't worry about it. I got too many toys for Christmas when I was young and I turned out fairly normal.

You may have given too many gifts. We try to space out throughout the year stuff we give to my step daughter (age 8). She finished opening her gifts and said something like \"Are you sure this is all Santa brought?\" We told her YES. She has 4 sets of grandparents, 7 sets of uncles/aunts on our side of family alone. I doubt she will want for anything.

We give a little of each:

Stuff you asked for on your Xmas list (not everything-she had duplicates on there of things she already has, also I think she selected some stuff that would not be fun)

Stuff you need (pajamas, pencils, erasers, etc)

Stuff you didn\'t think of (art supplies, toiletries, etc)

We do NOT buy electronics for her. Once you buy a game boy, it\'s all over. LOL.

Also, the day after Thanksgiving I made her go through all her personal belongings with me and we gave a huge box away to Salv. Army of stuff she no longer plays with. She got a little hesitant-she likes to horde stuff, but I told her she has to make room for new stuff, or else if we see her toy cabinet (a tv armoire) is full, we will think she doesn\'t need anything. It works! I just heard a colleague saying she allowed her kids to choose what old toys to give away, and each room of the house has toys in it. ??????! Duh, of course they will choose nothing. If you give too much control to a kid, they\'ll use it to their advantage. Ha, ha!

Balance is important. A few electronics, a few games, some clothes, a few books.......

Don’t go demonizing video games. They do not make you a slow runner or a lazy stupid student. Though who am I to speak I’m “obviously not a parent.” I am college level runner with 4.0 GPA and yes in the past and occasionally I play video games.

I understand that a five year old does not need a game boy. Tell me how you are protecting them. Do you expect them when they in high school with their friends playing the latest version of Halo to refuse participation because Marie Winn says they’re the devil. Yeah Right! When he reaches 10 years old trying to only allow him to play leapfrog won't buy. You will be that over protective parent. The kind that of superstitious parent would allow their child see Harry Potter because it portrait magic which is the devils work.

I live with and not so long ago was a nine year old.

"live simply, so that others may simply live" - a good lesson to learn early on.

yes, it's waaaaay too much and you have on your hands the beginnings of creating a snob, as another poster mentioned. of course it all depends on how YOU, the parent, handles it. it's not the kid's fault he's got lots of presents, but it;s clear he's gonna expect the same next year and may look down on other kids who dont even take in half of his loot for Christmas.

im no parent, but im an uncle of four and it's ridiculous how many presents they all got this year. you have options. you can donate some presents to less fortunate children (eg toys for tots, church, school, etc) and teach your child a lesson about the haves and have nots. you can also suggest to your relatives to knock it off with all the excessive gifts, and let them know that you will donate some gifts to charity.

YOURE THE PARENT. YOu should do what you think best to keep from raising another snob or over-priveledged kid on your hands. None of us need another one of those in the world.

Dr. Ruth Says wrote:

Your solution is simple....you and your husband need to make more babies and then divide this year's Christmas gifts amongst them. Make love not presents I always say.

I am concerned that you are raising the next generation of "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" TV hosts.....parents who give their young son an "Easy Bake Oven" are clearly sending their boy full speed down the Hershey Highway heading for Hollyweird.

Please stop raising spoil brats.

Thank you.

Dr. Ruth has got it right.

The rest of you are ovbiously "NEW parents".

It's funny how many non-parents seem to have the whole parenting thing figured out, ha.

Um... you gave your son an easy bake oven?

Seemskindagay wrote:

Um... you gave your son an easy bake oven?

As I wrote in an earlier response, I'm a chef and my son loves to cook with me. There are really valuable educational lessons that can be learned from cooking, as well as an important life skill that far too many kids (and adults)are lacking. Plus, there's nothing more attractive than a man who knows how to cook. So if it has to start with an easy bake oven, so be it. And if he ends up being gay, it won't be because of a Christmas gift...

Consider reading Juliet Schorr\'s new book:

Born to Buy, Scribner, 2004

This will give you a handle on what you\'re up against.

Consider reading Juliet Schorr's new book:

Born to Buy (Scribner, 2004)

This will give you a handle on what you're up against.

Always someone looking for a chance to sell you something.

By not buying this book think about who is the smart one.

Were just pulling your leg...still i like to cook, love to eat. :)

Grow up, live in the real world. Parent=Perfect

Non-Parent=Genius, They could acutally use the birth control correctly.

My mom has always tried to give me lots of gifts. Now that I'm older I HATE to spend her hard earned money. I told her not to get me anything for Christmas this year so I got one present from my brother. I think 20 gifts is somewhat overboard, but hopefully in a few years he will be grateful that so many people care about him.

If Christmas is the only time he really gets presents, then a little indulgence once a year shouldn't be too harmful.

Just thought I'd add...

I had an e-z bake oven when I was little! I got it for christmas. It was kind of hard to make anything in it, though, since it's basically a big light bulb. I had to give up making edible food with it.

And regarding the Leapster, there's nothing wrong with it! Don't listen to the others! I used to play with educational toys all the time as a toddler so I had a good head start in grade school. My brother and I also played a LOT of SNES and Gameboy as kids and we are far from braindead zombies.

Sounds like my Christmases back in the day. I have nothing but absolutely fond memories and would not consider myself spoiled at all. KEEP GETTING YOUR CHILD BOOKS AND DONT FORCE THEM TO READ THEM, BUT READ TO HIM/HER. I hope your child had a great Christmas.

Thank you Walter, fo summing up what I was thinking. Giving a car to a sixteen-year old is not "well-chosen". Sounds like Two-Cents should be A Couple of Million Cents. Nothing wrong with being affluent, but don't start on how your above Soup Kitchens. There are people that need Soup Kitchens, no sixteen-year old needs a car.

this guy is funny. i'm not spoiled, my parents just bought me everything i ever wanted or needed, but if you do the same thing, you will have spoiled kids. p.s. don't take your kids to soup kitchens.

i exagerrate, of course, but come on. this parent clearly has her child's best interests in mind. she is NOT spoiling her kid with these presents. i'm pretty sure she said that the presents were from everyone - three sets of grandparents included. that only leaves 12-15 gifts from the kid's own parents. that is not at all excessive.

day-to-day parenting is going to matter a whole lot more than the number of gifts given at christmas. this parent clearly has values that she hopes to instill in her child that will limit the spoiled brat behavior that some of you are concerned about.

educating one's child over time about wealth inequality and about the responsibility of those who have to help those who do not is much more important in my mind than whether you give 10 gifts worth a total of $150 or 20 gifts worth a total of $250 at christmas.

i would, however, see it as a problem if you were telling the child that he is the greatest thing in the world every day and that he deserves/has earned this abundance because of his greatness. (this is, of course, not the real situation). in that situation, the child would grow up with a sense of entitlement, rather than having the sense that he is fortunate, with loving parents.