IsSantaBU to just repair toys this year?

[OnchaoFerngrass]

Two years ago, DS was given a digger. Shortly before Christmas last year a visiting child broke. Santa replaced it. This year, despite being told not to, he took it into school where it got broken.
DD had a princess tiara. Despite being told not to leave it on the floor and being shown where to put it away she didn't, and it ended up getting broken. I have told her I shall try to fix it ( I can't).

I am tired of how they treat their toys, throwing, not putting away, deliberately dropping from the table to tiled floor, fighting with things, over things etc and they have so much stuff anyway, with more to come from IL's. Would it be totally unreasonable if Santa were to only bring a small new toy this year and a repaired toy?

[kilmuir]

Meanie

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

Santa would be a proper tight bastard to do that.

I don't think Crimbo morning is the time to teach kids these worthy life lessons.

[user1477282676]

Meanie.

[HmmHaa]

I don't think this is the way to teach this lesson - sorry!

[bumsexatthebingo]

Well Santa only brings one toy in our house anyway. I take the credit for the rest. I think you need to deal with the issue of toys being mistreated at the time though - rather than trying to teach a lesson at Christmas. Any throwing or dropping on purpose and remove it for the day.

[Astro55]

If they break it - on purpose - bin it!

[OnchaoFerngrass]

Isn't that usual, bum? One toy, one book, one DVD or cd and chocolate. The rest is from us/IL's etc.
How, when it's e.g. his sisters Lego, can I take it away?

[ShatnersBassoon]

Don't let Santa play the bad guy who punishes the children for bad behaviour! Sort it out yourself, unrelated to Christmas.

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

Shortly before Christmas last year a visiting child broke. Santa replaced it. This year, despite being told not to, he took it into school where it got broken.

It seems the 'crime' here is letting other kids play with his digger.

[OnchaoFerngrass]

That was my first thought astro. Then I though Santa could repair it instead. No digger/tiara at all vs repaired. It's not cheap either, I had to order a new digger arm and will actually have to replace the tiara.

[pipsqueak25]

if it gets broken don't replace it, wouldn't be mean for christmas though.

[Sybys]

Yeah, I just wouldn't replace broken toys, or explain that they can ask Santa to bring them a replacement, but that will mean they get less new toys.

Just 'surprising' them on Christmas day with repaired toys seems a bit cruel to me.

[OnchaoFerngrass]

I've no idea how it broke at school, only that he took it when he'd been told not to. Result : broken. The "crime", if you want to call it that, wasn't letting someone else play with it, it was disobedience!

[bumsexatthebingo]

Well I'd say whoever was being rough with the toy wouldn't be allowed to play with it for the day - whoever it belongs to. I would probably give a warning first though. And I think you'd have to be trying pretty hard to break Lego.

[idontlikealdi]

Oh that's mean!

[kilmuir]

How did you not notice he had taken it to school?

[OnchaoFerngrass]

It's possible! But removing all toys is counter-productive. Last time we did that, he smashed the light fitting in his room.

[OnchaoFerngrass]

kil he must have stuffed it in his backpack whilst I was sorting DD out.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I think that the natural consequence for breaking your toys, or not looking after them so they get broken, is that you haven't got that toy any more.

So mummy can't repair the tiara or the truck - sorry, they go in the bin, and you don't have a truck or a tiara. And this has the benefit of being an immediate consequence, not one that has to wait four weeks.

I wouldn't make FC the agent of discipline - as others have said, I don't think Christmas Day is the day for moral lessons, and I wouldn't use something that is supposed to be fun or a treat to teach a lesson.

[OnchaoFerngrass]

Broken digger is in pride of place on his bedside cupboard. He certainly won't let me throw it, nor would he forgive me if I did.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

If he is still happy with the broken digger, he can keep,it - but he has to accept that it won't do all the things it used to.

And I would warn them both that, if they break any more toys - on purpose or through carelessness - they will go in the bin - and follow through.

[BlueFolly]

Santa is BVVU

[OnchaoFerngrass]

(And yes I know It's a bit unreasonable, but I also know the digger is the only thing he really would want.)
(And else, Santa has no idea what to bring.)

[ProfessorBranestawm]

Yes, broken not-looked-after toys get chucked in the bin, or if they want to keep the broken one then why replace at all.

I don't think it was fair to replace it via santa the first year - it wasn't his fault another child came to your home and broke it :(

[bumsexatthebingo]

Are they really going to continue to be rough with everything even when they know you will take it?