kids get too much for xmas nowadays?

wellies · 27-12-2004 02:22PM

The country's gone mad. Peer pressure is forcing parents to buy loads of expensive pressies for their little ones.And the parents cave in 'cos they're caught up in the rat pack too. Keeping up with the Jones's and all that crap.
My cousin spent 800 euro on his 2 kids, aged 8 and 11, new bikes, ipod etc.
I sat there on Smas morning and watched both kids open their pressies from myself and other relatives only to discard them as soon as another pressy was given them.
No word of thanks, no appreciation. Their parents didn't even have the manners to tell their 2 kids to thank me and the other relatives who spent our own money on them.
And if that's bad enough...they are flying out to their Apartment in Marbella tomorrow for a few days. Parents complaining to us all about the cost of flights etc. I told them jokingly that they don't have to go.
It really cheeses me off the way some parents splash out on presents for their kids at Christmas, birthdays, Communions, Confirmations and any other lame excuse that rears its head during the year.
I'm in my 40s and remember my birthday consisted of a sponge cake with a few candles and a few quid from my parents. No major fuss was made. Christmas consisted of a toy, selection box and a shirt or something. And I was the happiest guy around.
I've lived in Dublin until 2 years ago when we sold up and moved to County Cavan. My wife and I became totally sickened at the impact of commercialism on people's lifestyles in Dublin. We bought a lovely 4 bedroomed house on 2 acres of land overlooking a lake. Having accepted an invitation from my brother to spend Xmas Day and St Stephen's Day with him and his family, it is with delight that we've arrived back here at 11am this morning. Dublin and all the fatuous pretense is behind us for another year, maybe even longer.
By the way, we have 2 little girls aged 2 and 4. We spent a maximum of 250eu on them. That included clothes. As I write this I'm looking out the window at 2 delightful children happily playing in the garden without a care in the world. And there isn't a technotoy sight.
Ah I lament the age of innocence.

Redleslie2 · 27-12-2004 02:25PM

mike65 wrote:

Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor the Catholic top dog in England and Wales was wittering about all the money wasted on Iraq invasion etc no doubt looking for brownie points, he should have looked into the camera and told us to stop blowing all the dough on Christmas tat, but that would'nt have gone down nearly as well.

Mike.

It wouldn't have gone down as well because I suspect that only very very stupid people would think that buying bikes, books and games for kids at christmas is worse than spending billions slaughtering people and robbing their country.

Chick · 27-12-2004 02:27PM

You really hit the nail on the head there Wellies... *tear* :rolleyes:

shelly04 · 27-12-2004 03:18PM

i spent over 500 yoyos on my lil neice, buying her stuff since august... went to wrap em all a few days before xmas and couldnt believe how much stuff there actually was :rolleyes: ,sometimes people just dont no when to stop buying

goin'_to_the_PS · 27-12-2004 04:01PM

wellies wrote:

The country's gone mad. Peer pressure is forcing parents to buy loads of expensive pressies for their little ones.And the parents cave in 'cos they're caught up in the rat pack too. Keeping up with the Jones's and all that crap.
My cousin spent 800 euro on his 2 kids, aged 8 and 11, new bikes, ipod etc.
I sat there on Smas morning and watched both kids open their pressies from myself and other relatives only to discard them as soon as another pressy was given them.
No word of thanks, no appreciation. Their parents didn't even have the manners to tell their 2 kids to thank me and the other relatives who spent our own money on them.
And if that's bad enough...they are flying out to their Apartment in Marbella tomorrow for a few days. Parents complaining to us all about the cost of flights etc. I told them jokingly that they don't have to go.
It really cheeses me off the way some parents splash out on presents for their kids at Christmas, birthdays, Communions, Confirmations and any other lame excuse that rears its head during the year.
I'm in my 40s and remember my birthday consisted of a sponge cake with a few candles and a few quid from my parents. No major fuss was made. Christmas consisted of a toy, selection box and a shirt or something. And I was the happiest guy around.
I've lived in Dublin until 2 years ago when we sold up and moved to County Cavan. My wife and I became totally sickened at the impact of commercialism on people's lifestyles in Dublin. We bought a lovely 4 bedroomed house on 2 acres of land overlooking a lake. Having accepted an invitation from my brother to spend Xmas Day and St Stephen's Day with him and his family, it is with delight that we've arrived back here at 11am this morning. Dublin and all the fatuous pretense is behind us for another year, maybe even longer.
By the way, we have 2 little girls aged 2 and 4. We spent a maximum of 250eu on them. That included clothes. As I write this I'm looking out the window at 2 delightful children happily playing in the garden without a care in the world. And there isn't a technotoy sight.
Ah I lament the age of innocence.

This cc...cc..... cavan place you speak of. Is it another name for heaven

PHB · 27-12-2004 04:42PM

4 Xbox Games
A Guitar
Mobile Phone
Trip to Old Trafford
€70 Of Golden Disk Vouchers
4 Cds
2 DVDS
Portable CD Player
DVD Player
7 Football Jerseys
Pair of Football Boots
Pair of Runners

Thats almost what I got in my entire childhood, crikie, and I was spoiled!

ionapaul · 27-12-2004 05:04PM

Parents getting loans to pay for their bratty kids' extravegant Christmas gifts?

This is why I invest in the Irish banks - we may be earning more than ever, but most of the idiots will never be wealthy, as they don't know how to control their spending. I'm not one of the idiots, so it doesn't bother me too much...keep on submitting those loan applications, unwashed masses of Ireland!

27-12-2004 06:01PM

Of course kids get too much nowadays. I'm 19 and when I was in primary/secondary I remember everyone else getting ridiculous amounts of presents. I never got that much because my parents purposely tried not to spoil us, but also because they had no idea what other kids got. I remember when I was 12 or 13 my dad saying we could have 30 pounds (sterling) worth of presents and calling me spoiled when I said that wouldn't buy anything, and could I please have 50. Our relatives live abroad and we only get presents from our parents so that 50 quid of presents was all I got. I remember being able to ask for quite a bit though, on Christmas Day I had a few CDs, books, a few small gift vouchers, a few surprises, selection box etc. I was perfectly happy with that and then I went back to school and everyone else had a Playstation, TV with video, games, a new bike etc. The point is that most of this stuff is unneccessary and bad for kids. It all encourages them to sit around in their room and not doing any exercise or 'getting fresh air'. I feel really sorry for kids these days in lots of ways. Even when I was a kid, we were playing out in the street, on bikes, going to the park, we did things which didn't require spending a penny and they were some of my happiest times. Nowadays kids need to be entertained 24/7 with all kinds of expensive junk. It's really sad. I sound like an old codger but I would hate for my kids to be like that.

billy the squid · 27-12-2004 06:29PM

I can understand when loads of people buy the same child loads of different things. I would spend 50 euros easily on one of my nieces or nephews as the likes of PS2 games are that price. Now 58 was 30 euros ffs. it is when the parents buy like five or six items worth more than a hundred euros each it becomes obsene.

there were fifteen kids in my family i dont remember getting anything that big, it wasnt until the older brothers and sisters went out to work you started getting slightly bigger presents. If you got the likes of a games console or a TV it was all you got because two or three brothers and sisters chipped in to buy it, depending on how many of them were in work at the time.

Was in my sister's house for christmas, and it was not the parents who baught the most stuff, it was uncles aunts friends who baught most of it. it was still an unholy amount to be giving children though. Unfortunately though parents don't really have much control over what their reletaves and friends buy for their child. you can't exactly tell your best friend to take a present back on christmas day because you feel your kids have enough now can you.

shelly04 · 27-12-2004 09:41PM

wellies wrote:

.
I'm in my 40s My wife and I became totally sickened at the impact of commercialism on people's lifestyles in Dublin. By the way, we have 2 little girls aged 2 and 4. We spent a maximum of 250eu on them. That included clothes. As I write this I'm looking out the window at 2 delightful children happily playing in the garden without a care in the world. And there isn't a technotoy sight.
Ah I lament the age of innocence.

wellies.. ive just read your public profile and it left me all confused... 1975? in your 40s? single but married?

daveirl · 27-12-2004 10:05PM

This post has been deleted.

Stephen · 27-12-2004 11:26PM

Whoever mentioned getting the playstation2 from new york cheaper than here: Bad idea, unless you're going to be importing all your games too (or paying to get it chipped), as ps2's have region-protection similar to DVDs.

EU games won't play on a US ps2 unless its chipped.

kids get too much for xmas nowadays?

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