Why Christmas becomes competitive

[terry1156]

It is always a problem this time of year. People spend more because Christmas has become competitive to some degree. Everyone else is buying this so I have to. Look at this <A HREF="http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2004-12-20-luxo-usat_x.htm">article on high priced toys</A>. It makes it sound like everyone should buy an $80 doll for their kid and $50 matching clothes. I spend less on clothes for myself than that.

It's not only the retailers with their advertisements, but the media also like to play it up. It makes it difficult to get perspective.

[miclason]

Re: Why Christmas becomes competitive

Another thing is also that we all feel that our gift should be the one to outdo all others...

[DivaJen]

Re: Why Christmas becomes competitive

I agree that it is hard to maintain perspective if you are bombarded with ads, etc. I think this is another time when being an extremely TV-limited household comes in handy. DD is almost five but there's nothing she thinks she 'has' to have. She just thinks about gifts she'd like. And DH and I are somewhat free of the not-so-subtle marketing pressure for gifts for her, and each other.

That article spoke to the entitlement aspect of our personalities - I deserve this, I deserve to treat myself. What's a shame is that there are ways to feel worthy as a human without dropping $1700 at Tiffany's.

[amomof4]

Re: Why Christmas becomes competitive

I spent $795 this year, but most of it I would have spent anyway.

[not-a-jones]

Re: Why Christmas becomes competitive

i spent my usual ridiculous amount and as usual the toys were left on the floor and trampled on and broken. yesterday i did a big clean up and she has one toy for her efforts now. a leap pad! they are all packed up in boxes or garbage bags and thrown in the garage. she will be lucky to get anything for her birthday in 3 months, maybe a few books anclothes. i wish i hadnt wasted so much money on her and this is the last year i will ever do it.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Why Christmas becomes competitive

Oh my she doesn't sound like a happy camper, you don't sound like a happy camper! I am guessing something happened, but well no kid at any age has the ability to deal with all that 'stuff' at once, notice allt he adult sudden fame-ers with lots of troubles, to much money availible for waste!

Maybe the toys could make some truly grateful kids happy? I am guessing even the most hardhearted kid could benifit from seeing some very happy faces recieving her toys.

My cousin wrote me and said she was having trouble getting her kids to open all the gifts she got them, they were to busy playing with the first few to even get to the last ones.

My kids managed just fine on the two they had, plus a stocking. They played with the firstone for quite some time before they got around to the second one. That is the way I prefer it.

[terry1156]

Re: Why Christmas becomes competitive

i spent my usual ridiculous amount and as usual the toys were left on the floor and trampled on and broken. yesterday i did a big clean up and she has one toy for her efforts now. a leap pad! they are all packed up in boxes or garbage bags and thrown in the garage. she will be lucky to get anything for her birthday in 3 months, maybe a few books anclothes. i wish i hadnt wasted so much money on her and this is the last year i will ever do it.

I can see that you are very frustrated and probably rightly so, but the best thing is to try and turn it into a learning experience for her.

Were the toys all ones that she requested? If so, you should sit her down and explain that toys need to be taken care of and if they can not be, they will no longer exist and will not be replaced. And in the future she will have to prove slowly but surely she is responsible with the toys. Next celebration she gets one toy. If she can take care of it until her next celebration, then she can get another.

It can be quite frustrating, but it is much more valuable to turn it into a learning experience so it doesn't happen again and the frustration has meaning.