do you make your kids earn the money for gifts

for you and your husband and their siblings or do you just give them the money for the gifts?

Since our son is still 5, DH or I do the actual paying. We do let him pick out the gift after the dollar amount is set.

I just get it myself and say "look what you got whoever".:lol

For gifts to each other (siblings) we have done both. We usually set a limit. Usually about $5.00. Then we take them shopping. We would split them up. We used to go up and down the aisles and I would point out all the things they could get each other that was $5.00 or less. And they would pick something. They have used their own money sometimes. But they do not really have an income source so that is difficult.
Gifts from them to us (parents) we usually pay for. We do not usually get each other gifts (dh and I) so what we buy for the kids to give us is really it so we pay for it.

Caroline and Elizabeth usually get a gift card or two from relatives and by mid year when they still have not spent it they usually end up buying Rebecca or Zacahry something with it!

Jazmynn pays for gifts (usually from Dollar Tree) for her close friends and then for any charity money she gives or raises we always match the amount she donated. Example: her class adopted a family for Christmas she offered a generous donation of $5.00 so we matched that amount so it would be $10.00.
We always pay for her gifts for mom, dad and the grandparents.:)

My son's birthday is before Christmas so I make him use his own birthday money to buy family presents at the dollar store. I think it means more when it's their own money.

I just get it myself and say "look what you got whoever".:lol

Yep, me too. I still always wish that he'd think about making me something though. :( Homemade gifts from my kids are the best :) (but something daddy never thinks about doing to help them). lol

Lauren's school has a gift shop where they can buy inexpensive gifts. I give her 20.00 and she picks them out and they wrap them at school - it's a fundraiser.

When she's older, yes she will use her own money. I'm hoping my kids work part time as teenagers.

My kids are earning the money for gifts by doing small chores around the house. I really think it means more if they buy it themselves and it helps reinforce the giving part of Christmas. They are each going to spend $5 on each family member and my mom is taking them shopping individually.

My son's birthday is before Christmas so I make him use his own birthday money to buy family presents at the dollar store. I think it means more when it's their own money.
Really? That seems so sad to me...it is his birthday money. I could understand making him do chores, but to essentially take away his gifts? :(

We have not yet crossed this bridge as Natalie doesn't understand the concept of giving (she's 14 months), but when she's of the age, we will give her money. I think if it comes from the heart, it doesn't matter that it was my money...what matters is that she wanted to give something and she chose it.

Craig takes them out to buy for me and I do the same for there gift to him. And then we all go out and we each take one so that they can buy a gift for each other.

As for the amount just depends on the $ situat. but they also work and help out to earn some of it.

We only have one kid but I'm the youngest of 3. My parents just set a limit and took us shopping one at a time to buy for the other's. I dont know how they found the time but shopping with my parent's money with a limit for my sisters is one of my favorite memories. If I had had to use my own money I would have just been buying crap toys or junk that would have been thrown away. I don't plan on making Seth save up money to buy siblings a present.

My son's birthday is before Christmas so I make him use his own birthday money to buy family presents at the dollar store. I think it means more when it's their own money.

Just wondering (seriously..not making any assumptions...) if his birthday was in July, would you still make him spend his b/day money or would you give him the chance to earn extra Christmas money to buy gifts?

I have our kids give money towards the gifts, but they don't pay for all of it (they give a token amount, like a dollar... as they get older and they understand money better, then they give more). It could be their B'day money or their allowance - it's all in the same pot if they don't spend it, so... whatever. They are very proud to spend their own money on a gift for Daddy / each other.

When they get b'day money they get a trip to the bookstore and can spend part of it. The other part of it goes into Long-Term Savings and also Tzedakah (which is like charity).

Obviously this isn't an issue for us yet, but i do know how we will handle it (the same way my family did).
My parents always knew what we wanted, so they bought all the gifts for the sibling and then we got to pick which one we wanted to give (from the acceptable ones. If they got us one big gift like a bike, then they gave us that... we got to pick from liek dolls and books and stuff)
i'm not big on making 'kids' earn their way. I didn't have to pay for stuff as a child and i understand the value of money just fine. Also, I won't make my kids work while in high school b/c i feel like at that point in your life, going to school and preparing yourself for being an adult IS your job. jmho though. doesn't work for everyone ;) :upthumb


eta: I should also add that i think that last bit of reasoning is derived from the fact that my father was raised on a farm... and milking cows, plowing fields, etc came before school work or anything related to school If he didn't get a school project done, it didn't matter as long as the cows were fed. kwim? he had a very hard time with being sccessful in school when his parents put such an emphasis on "earning his keep"