Christmas is a f#@king disaster in our house!! I dread it so much!!

SD16 lives with us. So its me, DH, SD16, DD10 and BD4. DH thinks that Christmas is a time to spend shit loads of money and give them everything they could have ever wanted in life. Bleh!

So DD10 and BD4 make lists and ask for barbies and littlest pet shop stuff. SD asks for laptops and ipads and North Face coats.

DH doesn't want to disappoint the princess on Christmas morning so he gets all the expensive shit on her list. But because it was so expensive it doesn't amount to her opening 75 presents. So the day before Christmas Eve, DH takes to the store so spend shitloads of more money on poor SD16. Come Christmas morning SD has North Face coats, gloves, hats, Uggs, Xbox, Laptop, Coach perfume. Need I go on??

DD10 and BD4 have a bunch of plastic toys. It pisses me off every year!!! I am pissed just writing this!!!

I am unsure if I am going to go to war with DH this year or let it slide again. I think war!

Oh wait and then MIL gets SD shitloads of expensive stuff. Then after Christmas MIL lies and says she has all these gift cards and takes SD shopping for more!!!!! Why would MIL have gift cards to Abercrombie??? She doesn't, she buys them for SD but lies to us about it!! Crazy bitch!!

My S8 has my side of the family only as his dad is not involved in his life nor is his father's family. By choice.
Skid has mom & dad to dote on him.
My BF chooses to buy for my son and treat him like his own in regards to presents for Xmas & Bdays.

As for me, I buy for MY kid only. Don't like skid, BF knows it so he gets nothing from me and BF doesn't expect it or mind.

I have 2BD's and 1SS. They all get the same amount in our home. We do not take in to consideration what goes on at the other houses. That is not our business... and we don't even ask what goes on over there.

When my bios were younger and I had SD, we kept everything "even." Even number of gifts per kid, and as close to even amount of $$ as possible.
Yeah, I know, SD had another Christmas at BM's house. Another set of grandparents. However, it was important for me to keep things "even" among the kids in my home.
For me, it worked. SD is like a bio, loved and accepted as such, and considers herself a full sib to my bios.

I couldn't care less about Christmas gifts for skids. I focus my gifting on my own family.

I always do the same for each child. I saw this on TV somewhere and I adopted it. All the kids get something they want and something they need, something to wear and something to read. 4 presents from me, that's it. There are differences between the amounts spent on the 4 presents, mostly by age, but also by what they want. Plus girls clothes are usually more expensive than boys. I don't differentiate based on whether they are adopted, step or bios though.

Of course, they all get presents from other people too.

I spend pretty much even on all kids give or take a little. The only exception I really don't buy my bios clothes as part of gift since for one they are boys are really don't care that much about clothes and when they need clothes I just buy them but I do include clothes as part of SD gifts if she wants bunch of clothes like most girls do.

After years and years of buying EVERYTHING for the kids - without thanks, without them even opening the gifts rather leaving them sitting in their rooms and in the basement, or throwing them out or wanting something else - I haven't bought one thing yet. Not one. I am done, however, shopping for my bios. DH can handle his children from that woman.

In past years, SO and I have agreed on one more expensive gift that both girls will receive. I buy it, and he deducts the price of the gift from my share of household expenses. After that, he is on his own. I plan and buy gifts for the bios, and wrap them the same day usually. SO will wait and just expect gifts for his child to buy and wrap themselves.He is so used to the way his mother does things, and I don't agree with it. They are not the same children, and I am not going down the line buying two of everything like they are twins. MIL will get 2 of MOST everything, and it's all things that SD likes, then she will give SD a bunch of stuff extra, and attempt to be sneaky about it. Like, she will give each kid coloring books, crayons, markers, some toy that can be turned into a weapon, then SD will be emptying her bag when we get home and she has a nightgown, a barbie, some costume jewelry, books, and a Squinkie set "from grandma" Then 3 days later SO will come home with some more new clothes and a new set of winter getup that she just happened to pick up for SD.

My Skids don't celebrate Christmas. PRAISE JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here in our home the christmas present situation is done accordingly to the time the SS is here,like if he will be here christmas eve through the morning we will do the exact same amount,and try to keep the prices spent the same,and try to avoid doing anything more that could upset one child or the other or that is unfair,if he only shows up say at 9 am and on,we do a little less,dont do the santa present but will add to the stocking,now if he will be present much much later,he gets at least one or two presents and we dont do the stocking and our focus is DD,and even if he will not be present on christmas day(as it seems he will not be here this year) i myself still wanted to do for himn,and next visit he would get it,but thats me you could just not do it at all yourself,whatever works for your tastes really,and of course has the less amount of shitstorm involved.

I probably sound like a b*tch but my kids have like 25 presents each and my SS has like 4. BUT it's because he has christmas at his mothers. He does not need two christmas mornings! Plus the my son and his son pretty much play with all the toys in the room so it's not that big of a deal. I just love watching my kids open a ton of presents in the morning and his son won't even be there till later.

SS17 usually gets more presents and more money spent on him because he is a "minor" (according to DH that is the reason, now).

I try to spend the same amount and same number of presents on my adult children and in-laws. I buy things I know they need along with what they may "suggest".

I am a firm believer in trying to be fair and showing that to the children. DH not so much.

When I first started dating my BF I bought his kids gifts, nothing extravagant, just something to be sure to include them. Well, BM had a fit....threw my gifts out and won't let anything I buy for them in the house. BF's daughter never accepted any of the gifts I gave her, so one year after she left it on the table unopened, I returned it. Now I don't spend more than $50 on each of them. My kids are older, but I still spend a lot on them. I don't lose any sleep over it. BM thinks she's getting back at me somehow by not allowing me to buy gifts for her kids....ah, how do I say thank you for saving me so much money every year and allowing me to do it with a clear conscious?