To not want my mum to buy pay £60 for an I TEDDY for dd age 4?

[lomondgore]

Just off the phone to my mum and she told me she wants to buy an I TEDDY

"Look at this page"

for Christmas for my dd who will be 4 in Dec. They cost £59.99 and then you have to pay £1.99 each to download videos/stories from the website.

She practically fell out with me about it as I think my dd would loose interest after a couple of days! She wants to buy something that won't be shoved into a cupboard but would not listen when I said I thought it was a bad idea as that is exactly where it would end up!

I don't see how it will keep dd interested as she will not know how to use it.

I don't want her to waste her money and would rather she bought her books or anything really.

Should I just stay out of it and let her buy what she wants?

What do you think of it? Would you buy it for your kids?

She only wants to buy it because she saw it on a programme called Dragons Den.

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

io hate hate hate I TEddy

[foofi]

I think my kids would love it.

If she wants to buy that, what's the problem? Why do all your child's presents have to be things you would choose for her?

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

i'd rather spend the money on a nintendo DS. yes ever for a 4year old.

[Pickie]

I saw it on dragons den and thought it was a load of rubbish, 4 year olds dont play with a teddy, they might take it to bed as a cuddly toy but no way would my Ds be seen with a teddybear

[lomondgore]

For that price she could buy her a bike, which she would love or some books/games. She loves being read to, why would I want a bear to do that?

[lomondgore]

It's not that I have to choose everything for her I just think I know my dd better than her and I don't think she would use it.

It seems to me that it is more for adults? What 4 year old would know hoe to download stories etc?

[feetheart]

One of the guys on Dragon's Den thought it was the saddest idea ever as it should be a real person reading to the child, as do I!

My DD is 4.8 and would probably get bored of it quite quickly - most 'teddies' have to play sick animals that need to be taken to the vet in our house at the moment anyway

[lomondgore]

I love reading to her, it would make me sad I guess if she would rather a teddy did it lol AIBU?

lol at sick animals feetheart, my dds best doll has chicken pox painted on her face with a red felt tip! Don't even know how she knows what chicken pox is! She has never had it.

[feetheart]

YANBU - in my opinion but grannies are a law unto themselves. If it makes her (your mum) happy then let her do it but be ready to bite back the 'I told you so'

[kindersurprise]

I do not think that my DD would have played much with it at 4 yo. We got her a Leappad last year, hardly been out of the box.

My brother bought a electronic drum kit and a keyboard for our DCs (boy, was he popular!) and they were broken before the batteries ran out.

I have asked him to buy a Barbie this year, or a board game. Nothing electrical as the DCs lose interest so fast.

For that kind of money, she would be better off getting her a Steiff teddy, MIL bought them as new baby gifts for our DCs. It is lovely for them to have something lasting.

[lomondgore]

She upset me a bit on the phone as the way she was talking it was like I tell her what to play with! (Out of the toys she has already) She knows what she wants to play with and takes out different things each day. Like all children she has her favourites but I do try and encourage her to do different things by reminding her she has other toys. It is up to her what she plays with, if she doesn't like something she tosses it aside. That's what kids do!

A lot of the time it is like my mum is trying to prove her love by what she spends on her.

[kindersurprise]

Does your mum often buy gifts that you find unsuitable?

[lennygirl]

Message withdrawn

[lomondgore]

Kindersurprise - Not unsuitable as such she just won't listen to my advice. e.g she has just paid £17.99 for one pair of jeans for her! Because money is quite tight I would rather that much wasn't spent on the one thing that she probably won't play with.

Lennygirl - You are right, I think that is what she is hoping for. What she really needs to do for that is spend more quality time with her.
There is alot of competition between her and my MIL. It's like she's always got to do better. Silly really as money is not what counts.

Sorry to hear about your mum

[lizziemun]

I have the same problem with my MIL, she bought dd1 the leapster littlepad when dd was nearly 2 and she has used about 10 times in the last 2 years.

This year she has decided to get her the leapster although i have asked not to because it just won't be played with.

She just doesn't get dd1 is not one for sitting still for more then 2 minutes at a time. She would rather be climbing, running or just using her imagination.

So i have given up if MIL wants to waste her money then i just let her.

[Slubberdegullion]

lomondgore. Have placed the iTeddy on the bonfire of revolting shitola on my thread

[kindersurprise]

I would tend to go with Lennygirl's suggestion then, and let her buy what she wants. My Mum often buys things that I would not buy, sometimes they are a great hit, sometimes not.

[fedupwasherwoman]

She's barking, it'll be a novelty toy and find its way to the back of the toy cupborad in no time.

Far better to buy something for £10 and put £50 in a savings account instead. When they need the money later in life they'll remember Granny's generosity and think fondly of her then. The Dragons would agree with me and I wish that there were adverts in the run up to Christmas plugging "give them some money for their savings account" instead of getting that all singing all dancing gadget/ enormous cuddly toy.

Am I a lone voice on the "perhaps you could put some money in their savings account" front ?

[HappyMummyOfOne]

I'd let her buy it too, its part of the fun of being a granny in getting to choose toys for the grandkids.

My MIL always buys DS one pressie of her choice but then gives me £100 to order his other pressies as she cannot always remember what he has or is into at that time. Works well for us both.

Ok, some of her choices are a little odd but its her choice - we have a clearout once a year to the school fair so any unplayed/outgrown toys are passed onto other children who want them.

[beeper]

Move over mummy and give a granny some room.

[macdoodle]

Think my DD would love it ...she is 6 but has been able to download to her MP3 for at least a yer - kids today are born computer literate ...would prefer this to the huge pile of car boot shite we get every year ...but then its the thought that counts let her buy what she wants

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I saw these on dragons den and its still one of the great unsolved mysteries of my time - why those otherwise intelligent and money savvy dragons invested in it!!!