What do you think of this plan?

[YouWinOrYouDie]

DD is 11 and a bit immature. Has lost and / or broken iPod and DS lite. She has a mid-type of phone and a laptop for secondary-school work.

I don't think she is ready for anything else.

We have a "family" wii with fitness and singing software which thankfully lives in DD's room.

DS is four and autistic. He has learned to use a laptop and mouse during the summer holidays and is massively obsessive about it. He only goes to the CBeebies games and to be fair, plays a wide variety of them and does a range of things be it listening to and singing songs, painting, platform games, makes up stories, jigsaw puzzles etc but I want him to be more active and obviously, to join in with us more as a family.

We've had the idea of buying an X-box so that we can get the Kinect accesory. DS adores animals, DD loves dancing, DH would like the Star Wars game and I think the Michael Jackson auto-tune high pitch one sounds bloody hilarious

DD is old enough to know that she will only be getting a few stocking-type presents and DS is young enough to not care as long as Santa leaves something under the tree, do you think?

We'll still do Christmas PJs, reindeer food, plate left out for Santa etc but I am having premature pile anxiety! (PPA)

[olibeansmummy]

I dont think you need the x box and the wii but you could trade in the wii and put the money towards the x box then youll have more for other presents?

[gillybean2]

If dd uses the wii in her room, when she has friends over etc, and you like the fact that the singing/dancing is out of the main family room, then definitely keep the wii and keep it there.

Ds lite has come down in price since they brought out the 3D version. Was around £60 in the shops when we looked last week and you could probably get it cheaper if you shopped around as that was in HMV a more expensive retailer.

Could you maybe replace that for her? Or will the xbox put anything else out the window?

I think you need to consider that you are happier that the wii with its dancing and singing is in dd's room. If you go for the connex it will involve moving/jumping around too surely... Is that going to drive you bonkers after a while? Do you have a seoarate space downstairs for it or will it be in your lounge/main tv area?

Do you have any friends who have it? Can you see if your ds does like it by visiting people with one and having a go. If he doesn't get on with it yet it may be better to put some money towards getting it next year's.

If you want ds to be more active have you thought about some outdoor toys, climbing frame or a bike or something where he has to use him imagination more? Ds goes outside in the winter on his climbing frame still. As long as it is fairly dry out you can use it year round.

[YouWinOrYouDie]

I'd love to get DS a scooter or bike but due to his autism he has sensory / balance issues so his outdoor activities tend to be more of the swimming etc variety. I know what you mean though.

I'll keep the wii in DD's room so she can escape there with friends. DS replacement might have to wait until her birthday but I'm glad the price has come down, that was useful.

I think I'll watch the threads for £8-£15 present ideas for each child and so aviod the pile anxiety. I suppose I do also have to remember that they will be getting presents from my family and DH's so that should bulk it up. Daft thing to be worried about I know but DS won't care and DD has to learn that if you're having expensive things then you won't get a lot. Best to do it now so that when she wants a Hollister hoodie she knows she could have had four for the same price elsewhere

[gillybean2]

You can get some scooters that have three wheels which give far better stability. Our neighbour had one which she used around this age till she was 6 and it is self standing, ie will stay upright when left IYSWIM.

www.ebay.co.uk/sch/items/__3+wheels+scooter_W0QQ_dmdZ2?rvr_id=264042875480&clk_rvr_id=264042875480&crlp=982471711_284591_284611&UA=WVI%3F&GUID=585a91a01320a47a2660ef70ffa62fce&agid=504791671&tm_kw=3+wheels+scooter&siteid=3&MT_ID=10&tt_encode=raw&keyword=3+wheels+scooter&geo_id=21&ff4=284591_284611

Would your ds use an outdoor space that had toys he does like in.
Ds had a sandbox with diggers and dinosaurs etc.
He still uses chalk to draw race tracks on the patio for his toy cars.
He also liked his sports day games which had things like sacks for sack race, egg and spoon, inflatable hurdles and the like (he loves setting up obstacle courses) which we got in tescos a few years ago.

He likes to set up his traffic cones (toy ones from elc) to wheel his bigger cars round and and uses the stepping stones with various other things to make his way around the garden while playing raven/total wipeout type games.

So maybe you could look at the space you have outdoors and make an area for him with the sort of things he will does like to play with in it. We have specific indoor and outdoor toys to stop the sand and mud being crated into the house!

[YouWinOrYouDie]

The outdoors really worries him, even the garden although I have tried to encourage him. School are doing the same.

Might try the 3-wheeled scooter. My sister's DD has one, he can have a go next weekend.

This arrived yesterday and is right up his street. He adores sea creatures and it will help with simple turn-taking as well as being fun. Well it made me jump laugh anyway

Thanks again.

[gillybean2]

OOh we have that and have given it to friends. It's really good fun.
Ds figured out that it is only a bottom tooth that makes it snap fairly quickly though...