We buy for our children no matter what their ages.

The amount we spend may vary depending on our Christmas budget.

DH buys for his son - I buy for my children.

DH thinks that because SS17 is still a minor we should (and do) spend more on him than on my Adult children.

I spend approx same amount on all of my Adult children and IL's. I try to be fair between my children.

We buy for our parents (a small gift) but send C-mas cards to the rest of the family.

We do not buy gifts for other family unless we do a C-mas game exchange/grab bag at a party.

My mother buys gifts for my brother and me. I'm 43 and he's 38. We buy gifts for her and her husband. We don't go hog wild, but she'll ask what we want and I try to think of something I've had my eye on. She will never NOT get us something for Christmas, let me put it that way, so she hounds me until I've given her a couple of ideas.

DH sends his adult kids a check, but I think he's thinking of backing off on that. Meh, whatever.

I'll be 42 on Saturday and my dad just sent me @200.00 for Christmas and my mother usually buys me gifts and then also gives me $100.00. Now with that said? I have NEVER ASKED for anything. Even when specifically asked by both parents, what I want, I have NEVER given a listand certainly NOT of expensive items like Uggs... Geesh

But.... your DH made this monster. Hard to send the monster packing after 19 years of feeding it.

I'm 31, my parents still buy my Christmas. My mom buys for DH too.

DH is 39, his parents still buy him Christmas. MIL/FIL buy me something too.

My 85 year old grandmother, who has 10 kids, all in their 60's and 50's, everyone of those kids but two has at LEAST two kids, if not more, and at least two grandkids, if not more, sends $10 to every single person in the entire family on their birthday and on Christmas.

My mother ALWAYS asks me if there is anything I want for Xmas. Two years ago I really wanted one of those big new fancy iPods but really couldn't afford the expense, so I told my Mom that was what I really wanted but it was too expensive, so I suggested money that I could put to it. My mom, my grandmother, and my sister all put money in and I got the iPod for Christmas.

That year I got my Mom a signed picture of Adam Baldwin (Jane from Firefly). It made her cry.

I am probably a strange duck but even when my children were teenagers if they wanted a $150-200 pair of shoes, boots etc I told them to save their money and buy them.

I bought them nice clothes and shoes but did not put alot of emphasis on material goods.

Then and now I mainly buy them gifts that are needed or useful not frivilous.

They send or tell me items they need or would really like to have but I don't have a problem with that at all.

i would INSIST he spend twice as much on the younger children seeing as his ADULT daughter will receive not only from him but her mother's side of the family, and would absolutely blow a gasket with him showing favoritism.

My mom still buys me Xmas gifts and I'm 43. We have a gift exchange for all the adults in the family including SS20, BS27 and BS24. Even though the adult kids/skids are included in the gift exchange DH and I buy them each a little something as well. ASKING for gifts though is rude.

We buy gifts for all the kids, regardless. My parents still give me a gift at Christmas.

I'm 37 and my parents still give me gifts.

Mom and Dad are 71 & 82, I'm 45. They FINALLY decided to stop giving gifts at Christmas and birthdays. I've been telling them for years to stop.

My parents still buy me Xmas gifts. HOWEVER - if you guys had agreed to something, then that agreement is being broken! At least you know now....

I've been wondering the same thing, HOW LONG do I need to keep buying them gifts? My parents stopped giving me expensive gifts after I got out of college ... they went down to something just small & cute for a few years & then stopped giving me a specific gift probably around age 30. Now, they don't give a gift to me, as we all have agreed that the "spirit" of Christmas is sort of lost amongst all the presents. That being said ... My two SD's are still in college & I plan to buy them a gift until they graduate from college. I usually buy one thing that costs about $50, then I give them $150 in cash -- so I spend $200 total. If I can't think of anything to buy them, then I just do the whole $200 budget in cash, put it in a cute card. I spend the same thing on my two Bio-sons. My husband is fine with this arrangement. Sure, that's $800 by the time I buy all four kids a gift, but I don't go crazy throughout the year anyway, I just save it up for Christmas. My SD's don't seem particularly grateful but I've made a choice to just NOT worry about it. They are out of the house, and that's all that matters to me. (Yes, they lived with me full-time for SEVEN years ... phewwww, that's over).

My parents are dead. My in-laws are wonderful, generous people that have gone above and beyond to fill that void in my life. But gifts are not what I want. I want the relationship. That's all.

Sorry. This time of year is very hard for me. And it makes me fucking sick when I hear about asshole kids TELLING their parents what they're going to give them for Christmas. If my kids EVER had expectations like that, or gave me attitude because they weren't happy with what they got, I would box up everything and donate it.

All I want for Christmas is a few minutes with my mom, dad, and grandpa.

I *never* ask for gitfs; however, my dad does still send something every Christmas, and I'm 32. Sometimes gifts, usually a check. I know it is for me, per se, but for the family. He sends only what he's comfortable with, which was $500 this year. I spent about $150 of it on the baby, $320 on the older, and the rest on who knows what (some bill, probably).

I still get gifts from mom and dad. Typically 50.00. I like it, but if they couldn't afford it I'd be ok with that. I also but my parents gifts. At 19 I think he should still get her a gift, but as an adult I also feel it is appropriate for her to buy gifts as well.

I will admit I was a bit perturbed this year that my sil wanted to put all " the kids" names in a hat for each kid to draw. I was boggled that she was including her 24 year old "adopted" daughters. (One girl came to live with them at16-the other girl was her friend and came at 18). Neither are actually adopted, of course, but since she likes to think of them as daughters I get to buy for them as well? I felt it was super inappropriate- these adults- one is engaged and the other has a 4 year old of her own- to ask my kids to buy these "kids" a gift. She then stated that she will be buying 4 gifts- so what she's saying is that she will be purchasing for the names her 7 year old, Her 4 year old "grandson", and her two adopted daughters. Sorry to go off on my own vent but I just think its stupid, when ou are an adult you shouldn't worry about what gifts you are receiving, but rather what you want to gift to others.

I have started asking myself when does the gifting ever end?

Dh finally stopped the gift cards to his 5 children but continues to give gift cards to his adult and minor grandchildren, plus his 3 greatgrandchildren. This year he bought 16 gift cards and said he also included the 2 additional children of the girlfriend that the grandson has a baby with.

MY VIEW IS THAT HE IS BORDERING ON THE BRINK OF REDICULOUS. He sees his family 1 time a year if he drives the 3 hour trip. He has never returned with so much as a token gift. Now he is supplying equal gift cards to the children of whoever is living with blood relatives. I should mention that each of his children have additional steps in all their relationships.

Well maybe not, that may give him ideas and just get more costly.

For myself I wrote a check to each daughter and sent equal amounts for the household. They could decide how to spend it as needed for their children.

I am 34 and my brother 38 and my parents still gets us gifts. However, like other posters even before we were 18 we were getting them gifts as well and as we get older and we have our successes we share that with our parents and they have got some pretty pricy things along the way. Not that it is about the money, but giving back to those who gave so much to you along the way. I don't think a 19 year old should be asking for anything unless prompted and she certainly should be giving gifts she has paid for to others.

I buy for my DS18 and my SD22... and still spend the same amount on them regardless.

I have to say that my parents still buy for us. But we don't expect nor do we give a list. Bell not even my skies give a list, I have to ask what they would like. Then they still have a hard time with that. Except ss17 asked for a ferrari but he put ha ha the end. It was a joke.

Point is giving a list is rude unless you are asked for one.

I couldn't get over that she had a Christmas list she sent.
My parents and dh's parents give gifts. But we also give them gifts. But, when we were over 18 it was still things we needed more than things that were fun.

I usually spent the same on skids and BIOS. Until skids quit coming on Christmas morning, and stopped believing in Santa.
The kids here at Christmas morning get Santa presents. Otherwise they get 100 for gifts.

Mostly my BIOS get things they need. If I could afford uggs they would be given from Santa not me. He gets the cool stuff

This story hits close to home, because I'm afraid it will be my future. My wedding is set to be in Feb. 13' and sadly, I feel the child situation will never get better as he gets older.(he is now 13)

There is over-obsession with buying him unnecessary items out of guilt from the father's side. there are times when his father and I go without because his dad will spend hundreds of dollars on X-Box and games, or a trip to Arizona to visit family etc...I thought maybe when the child is 18 and grown he will be less dependent; guess I'm wrong.

My SO asked SD in her 20's who is now working full time and making good money, what she wanted for her birthday and Christmas. She point-blank said a big-screen TV and gift certificates so she can get spa services (plural, not just one!) He gave her both. The Disney Daddy syndrome never ends. It's all his money - he can do with it what he likes. I just think it is ridiculous and over the top, but I guess that's just me! :?