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Do you spend an even amount?

post #1 of 7
12/5/06 at 10:28am
Thread Starter 
Ok... I'm just wondering if you spend the same amount on your kids as you do your step kids??

Normally I spend the same amount on all the kids.... But this year we're really strapped and our kids are young enough to just starting to get into Christmas. My DSkids are old enough to know better about money and all that... But none of that should really matter I still usually make sure I spendthe exact same amount on all of them...
But last night I was laying in bed trying to figure out what I was going to take away off of the younger two's list to even it out for the older two. But then I thought for a fleeting moment, "Why do they need to be even?" But then it wasn't such a fleeting moment idea. They get 2-3 Christmas a year. They get Christmas from us, DH's family, and my family. Just the same as the little two. But on top of it the older two get Christmas from their mom(She always goes all out on them too), her two sides of the family due to her parent's each having a family, and then from her boyfriends various family if she has one in a particular year (Which this year she has a very serious BF)...

So am I wrong to think I really don't have to make sure it's all even??
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post #2 of 7
12/5/06 at 11:18am
I don't think it should matter. Granted I don't have any step kids - but if they are older hopefully they will understand. I would think as long as they got something reasonable or what they asked for then it would be ok. It's not like your planning on leaving them out all togehter.
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post #3 of 7
12/5/06 at 11:55am
We don't spend evenly on our kids so it's my opinion that it doesn't matter. Kids get so much from so many places but in your situation it could be a little awkward if the step kids think they are getting slighted over their half siblings. But are they going to know how much was spent? If they get a few big presents since they're older and the younger ones get a lot of little presents I don't see that they'll have a clue as to how much was spent on each child. And if the presents are things they want then I'm sure they'll be happy. Just go with what you feel is best and have your husband help you decide.
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post #4 of 7
12/5/06 at 3:27pm
Not the same cost, but we try to have the same amount of packages under the tree. Course once they get bigger and ask for more expensive things, the package amount is bound to change...
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post #5 of 7
12/5/06 at 5:08pm
Hun, we don't even get the kids the same number of packages or the same cost, much less worry about any stepkids!! The only count is the ones Santa leaves and he tries to leave the same number of boxes.
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post #6 of 7
12/5/06 at 8:36pm
I always keep all the kids fairly even $$ wise.The older kids know that sometimes they have less gifts because the ones they wanted cost a little more. I know Anna(my step daughter) has extra "christmases" each year but when she is here she is always treated exactly like my own kids. I don't think it's fair for her to get less just because she had the bad luck to have parents who split-up. JMHO ...What she gets else where doesn't matter...I want her to know that in my house she is no less just because she isn't here all the time. The same goes for all aspects....from chores, disapline, rewards, etc.....when she is here she is mine...reguardless of biology., so therefore we try to keep it even. Christmas isn't about the gifts....if money is tight then there are a few less for all the kids...it's not like any of them are deprived of toys and stuff.....so a few nice things that they really want are just as good as a ton of junk that will only be added to the toy box.
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post #7 of 7
3/4/07 at 8:42pm
We usually spend the about the same amount on each kid for Christmas, Birthdays, and such. Now, we don't have our SD on Christmas morning so we don't usually have Santa for her but we try to give her a little something extra when we are giving out gifts as a family. Now, as far as clothing and such. We don't spend as much on our SD b/c we only have her once in awhile and that's usually just a Saturday night. We buy her some back to school clothes for her moms and she has a couple things here but basically, we don't really have her enough to buy a lot of clothes and she has a ton at her moms usually so she don't need them.
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