To Shop or Not

Friday may officially mark the start of the 2010 holiday shopping season, but Bayside parents are feeling less than festive. Many local moms and dads are giving a little less this year.

"My kids will notice that we're cutting back," says Victoria Belsky, mom of two sons ages eight and 10. "I promised them one special gift and not more." Belsky is even making that special gift cold hard cash. "I will give the older one money and let him pick out what he wants."

"Instead of a bunch of cheap toys for Hanukkah this year we're going traditional—a couple of dollars each night and one big present on the last night," says Susan Yagerman, mother of two girls ages eight and 10.  "I'll probably save money that way and not have a bunch of garbage clogging up the house."

Karri Kaufman, mother of four kids, two boys and two girls, ages four to 12, is getting creative this year. "I might be able to recycle some items from the attic from the older kids to give to the younger ones," she says. "To them, they will be new. I do not plan to buy anything this year."

Kaufman is also reaching out to relatives to add to the holiday present list. "I am planning on the kids getting gifts from their grandmothers, uncles and aunt," she says. "Thank you Uncle Daniel for getting all the Wii games on our list."

Wii, Nintendo DS and other electronic games do seem to be on the wish list of many kids. "They want tech toys, not the old fashioned stuff we wanted," says Belsky.

Online shopping is the way to go, says Yagerman. "So many Web stores offer free shipping this time of year, that you'd have to be crazy to go into any brick and mortar store for anything but necessities until mid-January!"