Christmas Presents dilemna

I'm so torn about what to do for Christmas. There's 2 things I know they will both love but we can't afford 2 of each. I can't decide if I should get one of each and give one to one girl and the other to her sister, or if I should just pick one and give one to each of them. If I get them the same one, we will have no fighting and it is such that they could play together with them. If I get one of each of the toys I'm considering, they will have more variety to play with and would probably end up sharing a lot and they'd have 2 really fun toys to play with and would feel a little special getting different presents. But- we'd absolutely have more fighting. What do you all do, especially with same gender twins?

 

For bigger, expensive toys we just get one of each. That way they have more variety. You might have some fighting, but I know in our house they could have the same thing and they would still be fighting over who gets what.

 

I think that often, one big thing to share, and two small individual things actually works better for us than two of the larger gift. I know some see this as 'unfair', but I think it's silly to buy two of EVERYTHING just because we have twins. It just doesn't make sense to me. They always end up playing with everything given to either of them anyway, so I just don't stress it. In fact, if they do get different things, they automatically agree to 'take turns' with the more desirable item (which I can really never predict!) Like yesterday, I found some bathing suit sets for only $4. I bought two for next year, but they didn't have the same style in the same size, so they are different. When I showed them to Nate and Drew, the 'bug' swimsuit was more popular, but I suggested that next year they could take turns wearing the bug suit and they agreed to that and were happy. How similar are the two gifts you are interested in?

Some things I insist on doubles would be:

Ride on toys when they were little (just had to be fairly similar, not exactly the same).
Trikes
Bikes

That's about it!

 

My sister and i sometimes had to share a big gift and than get smallers ones and we are 3 years apart.

 

We do a similar big items - one, smaller items - two, or close to the same thing. We have some fighting, but they are getting better some days. And then our 3 yr old does not feel left out, either. In your case, I would probably get one of each of the different items from what was in your post.

 

It depends. They are both getting bikes, and children's laptops, but I had intended on buying only one dollhouse 9until TRU had the BOGO sale, now they are each getting one!). In the past I have bought one of each, like the leapfrog leaptouch system, but in hindsight I wish I had gotten two of those. We have one kitchen, one playhut mega tent,anything big enough (and expensive) they share.

 

I look at it like this - can they play cooperatively with the toy? If it is something that only one can play with at a time...I get 2. I like to see them playing cooperatively so for things like the bouncy castle or the PBK kitchen I only get one. Everything else - I get 2...my life is busy enough without referring a gazillion fights a day! Plus, one of my twins cries for everything & her sister gives in pretty easily - I don't want my one twin to learn to bully her sister with tears.

 

I agree with BellaRissa. If it's a toy that two children can play at the same time (constructin toys, doll house, etc.) I think it's ok to get only one. But if it's something only one can use at one time (musical instrument, stuffed animal, etc.) I would get two.

Usually, I get two of the same things. In the past, I have given them two different gifts and told them to take turns. Inevitably, it ends in a big fight and I can't blame the kids.

 

Kind of a case by case decision. I contemplated buying a large Cranky the crane for their third b-day, but know that was an item that they would be hard to share and that they would both want all the time. So, we got two of the smaller ones instead. However, some toys such as the train table, the shake n go racetrack, etc. are shared presents. (They each have some of their own cars, trains etc., though most of those are freely shared too.)