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Original poster

First year of dc wanting really expensive gifts. Worried about letting him down.

59 replies

MoonBaby1 · 03/12/2020 13:32

We have just enough money for a really nice Christmas, we’ll buy delicious food, stockings will be filled, presents will be bought and festive cheer all round (massive not a begging thread disclaimer Grin).

This year ds 7 has discovered gaming and is asking for an Xbox or a switch and given the year we’ve all had this isn’t a possibility at the moment. I’ve told him in so many words and it transpires that all his friends have a gaming device. He shares our iPad and games off that so as a mum I don’t get the issue.

I can buy on credit but we are very anti debt in our house and don’t even have credit cards!

So a few questions:

Will he actually care on the big day when he has a full stocking and some cool presents like a set of headphones and a hoodie etc?

Do all your primary school aged children universally have these devices?

What would be a good gift under £50 for a child who’s into minecraft, sport and parkour?

OP posts:
Spied · 03/12/2020 14:02

I'm sorry but I'd not be buying an Xbox 360.
I'd be looking for a second hand current model.
I know it's not the way things should be but your ds is 7 and he's going to be embarrassed getting an old model when his mates don't.

timeforanewstart · 03/12/2020 14:07

Xbox 360
Is quite old now , I would aim
For xbox one unless being given one
No idea on the nintendo sorry as not one mine use

tryingtocatchthewind · 03/12/2020 14:08

Op if you can I would stretch to the Xbox One S which would be around the same as the Switch Lite. The Xbox 360 is very old.

However at 7 I think the switch has much better games, it’s more kid friendly. The only thing about the switch lite is that it can’t be plugged into the TV

Interested in this thread?

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Christmas General shopping
RightYesButNo · 03/12/2020 14:09

I think in this situation you have to get more educated on gaming. Does he want to play games with the other lads from school? Some of those games, like Fortnite, Rocket League, or Apex Legends, can be played from a computer - no console necessary.

Does he want to play Minecraft? That can also be played on a computer, or it could be played in an Xbox 360 (that’s a generation of Xbox that’s two generations old - there are people GIVING them away on gumtree right now). If he wants a console for no particular games but just because it’s what he thinks everyone else will be getting this Christmas... then maybe it won’t be the end of the world when he discovers lots of others haven’t gotten the latest generation consoles either (due to money concerns or PlayStation shortages, etc). But now is the time to talk to your son about the specific type of gaming he WANTS to do, because that will affect what you can do. You might be able to get him a cheap as chips used computer or Xbox 360 for gaming; it’s impossible to say without knowing what games he wants to play.

LER83 · 03/12/2020 14:10

For big ticket items which are out of our price range, we either get all family to chip in towards it, and/or they save their own money. Last year my ds wanted an ipad, so he saved up £100 to put towards it, grandparents gave some money and we paid the rest. This year is the same as he he wants an iPhone.

BunnyBerries · 03/12/2020 14:10

An Xbox 360 wouldn't be compatible with the newer Xboxes so he wouldn't be able to chat or play with his friends.

sofiaaaaaa · 03/12/2020 14:11

Tbh the Xbox has significantly more value to him than the “cool gifts”. It has much more longevity/replayability and is a social thing for his friends as they voice chat whilst playing online together etc. Night and day from playing iPad games - it’s not remotely similar.

But he’s only 7 so it’s okay to buy it in the future. Chances are he would prefer the latest console release instead of the previous one. With consoles, only the current and the previous generation are viable as new ones have just been released- the older Xbox & playstations are practically obsolete.

Original poster
MoonBaby1 · 03/12/2020 14:12

He loves minecraft and plays it on our iPad. He links up with friends about 30% of his gaming time.

I’m really not at all tech savvy as you may have guessed! Last year he got a toy pirate ship and a pair of skates and was over the moon. Where’s my baby boy gone? Sad

OP posts:
Universallyhappy · 03/12/2020 14:16

As above I would give the money to put towards one rather than buying anything else. Growing up we had £100 for Christmas. My parents only bought us gifts for birthdays and Christmas so we had to ask for money and save for a long time

sofiaaaaaa · 03/12/2020 14:19

OP, please watch some videos on YouTube. I’m sure there’s a guide or something for clueless people that want to buy console gifts! The Xbox 360 is an absolute no.

That’s like buying a chunky PC from 1999 when he wants a laptop -it’s outdated, unsupported by the manufacturer, likely to develop faults, incompatible for his intended purpose as it might not be able to play the games he wants, it might not be able to be played online with his friends etc. Whilst unlikely, old tech is susceptible to hacking attempts as the software isn’t constantly updated to patch new security flaws.

movingonup20 · 03/12/2020 14:42

We have always had family games consoles rather than them belonging to one of the kids (exh is into gaming partly why he's ex!) Buying just modest gifts but saying you'll save up for next year makes a lot of sense

ekidmxcl · 03/12/2020 14:48

I'd give him the 50 in a savings jar or piggy bank or some similar pot and tell him that it's the start of his xbox/switch/whatever fund. Then he can add any money that he may receive at bday/christmas into it and learn how expensive they are.

Wanting an xbox or a switch implies that he doesn't actually know what he is specifically wanting to play on it. To some extent, it does depend on friends - whatever platform they are on, he could then join them. However, given that it's an either/or with the xbox/switch, it could languish unused if he doesn't have a plan in mind and gets something that he can't do with friends.

Mine are teens but did not get a console until secondary school. I thought this was fairly normal. I don't think most 7yo have their own, perhaps they play on ones that older siblings have? Even rich families don't get these consoles at 7yo, surely?

DryRoastPeanut · 03/12/2020 14:58

I second looking for a pre-loved games console. The new PlayStation will have put a few older PS4’s onto the second hand market.

ritzbiscuits · 03/12/2020 15:01

My son is 7 and got a Switch last year. He's used it so much (and we have too) it's been well worth the purchase. My son struggles socially, but it really helps him to socialise with other kids as they all talk about Mario, Minecraft, Pokemon etc all the time it seems.

Although we have the larger Switch, he seems to play it in handhold mode. If you can stretch to a Switch Lite, I'd really look at one of those with a game. Are there other relatives who can then chip in for another game?

You've unfortunately missed a lot of the Black Friday deals, Aldi had them for £170 rather than £200. Hot UK Deals may help you locate one at a discount, or with a game at a bundle price.

A lot of the games are pricey but you can get cheaper games too. My son is getting Minecraft Dungeons (£20 from John Lewis) and the Lego games are often £20ish too.

BertieBotts · 03/12/2020 15:08

The Switch Lite is newer than the Switch and will probably be more expensive, even second hand.

It's a totally different thing to the Xbox.

I don't think most 7yos would honestly mind getting an Xbox 360 - at that age they aren't playing online, and it just needs to have the game(s) he wants to play. I think it would be a great choice as they're so old they are really cheap now. Yes, it won't last forever - but by the time he's 10/11 then he will be wanting something more up to date and by that time the PS5 or Xbox that's just come out will be much cheaper.

Backbee · 03/12/2020 15:10

The switch lite will be cheaper than the regular switch as it has less functionality, the main point being that you cannot plug it into the TV and play that way; just as a handheld. I would say Nintendo has a lot of games appropriate for his age, but they tend to be more expensive, and it would be better to get the normal switch as he can already play some things handheld on the iPad.

BertieBotts · 03/12/2020 15:13

Oh crossposted, well £200 isn't bad for a brand new console - but still a bit much for a 7yo if you're going to struggle to pay for it. There is no need to spend that much, if you don't want to.

HotPatootiebootie · 03/12/2020 15:22

My nephew just turned 8 and is gaming obsessed. He has a switch, an Xbox 1 , a wii U, a wii, a ps3 and PS4. He uses the switch waaay more than the others. My 12 and 18 year old have switch lites and they play on them quite a lot. We buy games second hand and it saves us a fortune.

I would go for a switch or an Xbox 1. Xbox one would be cheaper and loads of kid friendly games in the back catalogue.

Crystal87 · 03/12/2020 15:28

If he wants it and doesn't get it he's going to be disappointed. Life has disappointments and it's important that kids know this but for a 7 year old at Christmas, it's hard. If he's desperate for it could you not get one from a catalogue and pay it off monthly or but now pay later?

Crystal87 · 03/12/2020 15:30

Just to add, I wouldn't buy any gaming devices second hand as you don't know if there's something wrong with it and could end up wasting your money.

MaverickDanger · 03/12/2020 15:30

Music Magpie has them for about £200 refurbished.

InTropicalTrumpsLand · 03/12/2020 15:33

I agree the 360 is too old, as there are plenty of games that won't run on that. Meanwhile, because the Xbox X is so new, there aren't many games yet that require an X to run it. If you can afford it, I'd look for an Xbox One, which is one generation backwards from the X and should have lower prices right now as I imagine plenty of people would sell theirs to be able to afford the X.

If you can't afford one, it might be worth sitting down with your DS and talking about some things that are just too expensive, and suggest saving money to buy it. That's how it was for me back when Playstation 1 was the one to have: my parents paid half and my brother and I were expected to come up with the other half, which we did by selling rare World Cup stickers. We were both younger than your DS, too.

Also, regarding wanting to monitor your DS's use, I can't be of much help because I have Playstations, but with this console you only need wi-fi to play online media games (you buy the game online and open it when you want to play, but it requires internet. Disc games allow you to play without internet). Without wi-fi, he wouldn't be able to talk to his friends, though, so it wouldn't be as fun.

myhobbyisouting · 03/12/2020 15:41

We've bought plenty of second hand electricals and not once had an issue.

Try Facebook marketplace

Princessbanana · 03/12/2020 15:58

I would aim for an Xbox 360. Yes it is old but they are still great, there is a huge difference between the price of Xbox 360 games and Xbox one games, hence why I would go with the 360. It can also take a lot of abuse, as I’m not shutting it off properly and stuff like that and with a child this age there is a big possibility that’s he’s just going to push the button in the front to turn it off.

Princessbanana · 03/12/2020 16:02

I don’t know why people are saying that some games won’t run in an Xbox 360 because it old!😂 any Xbox 360 game will run on an Xbox 360. And if you have WiFi then you can connect an Xbox 360 S series to the internet so look out for the S series!😁