Dd wants a (in my opinion) rubbish present for Christmas.

[Florencenotflo]

Dd is only 5 and already doing her Christmas list. She asks for the (attached) present every time we go into the toy shop and has even asked to buy it from her own money.

I am usually quite happy for let her spend her money on things she chooses, but I think this is really rubbish! And I know it will be top of her list again this year. Our budget this year for Dd is around £100 on presents for Christmas so to spend £40 of that on one present seems daft. The reviews of it are terrible, the case is pretty flimsy (not really usable as a suitcase) and the contents are mainly paper.

But at the end of the day, she's 5, it will make her happy, do I just suck it up?

(Plus, I can now see why my parents never bought me a Mr Frosty for Christmas when I was a child, although I'm still salty about it 😂)

@Florencenotflo

I think I'm going to just suck it up and get it. She doesn't ask for a lot, and I'll be honest there is nothing else on her list which could be a main present.

She wants some more aqua beads, some nail varnish, a frozen onesie, new pens and other bits and bobs (sparkly hair bits, bath bombs etc).

Yeah just get it, she will be delighted! Ignore the posters saying 'get her a different main present and surprise her etc...'

You will have a VERY disappointed daughter on Christmas day, who (as a pp said,) could end up feeling she has not been good enough to deserve the gift she wanted so badly.

As for the people saying 'it's crappy tat, get something practical instead' and 'get her a different main present' I can only surmise that they do not have children. Definitely not small/school age children anyway! They can't have. No-one with school age children would be advising you to do what they are advising..

Getting her something different that you (or randoms on the internet) think she should have,) is a terrible idea!

I agree with you that it looks really rubbish and not worth the money.

I would buy it for her though. That's what she really wants and if it will bring her joy, then yep I would buy it.

Rubbish for someone is a treasure for someone else. I would definitely buy it.

Personally I will always tend towards getting them what they ask for, so long as it's in budget and not something unsafe/inappropriate. It's part of the excitement of Christmas.

Kids often choose things that are utter shite. They don't see the world the way that we do. They aren't thinking about how quickly they'll get bored of it or how durable it is. They just see this wonderful shiny thing that they desperately want. It's quite magical for them to open a present like this.

Also, I would like to think that, over time, they will learn to choose gifts more carefully because they have experience of things disappointing them. But so far this has not happened with my children... I will continue to wait patiently

I would buy it, I'm still disappointed that Santa didn't bring me a number of things I asked for!

To those still disappointed about not getting the Mr Frosty - I did get one and it was very hard work for a seven year old to hold down the hat and turn the handle to "grate" the ice cubes. I used it once, put it back in the box, never used it again and was very cross with myself for asking for it over other things I wanted.

DP got one for DSD and it was always DP that had to do the ice bit, it was too hard for DSD so she just made the drink at the end. You really didn't miss out on anything!

I would definitely buy that. Looks great fun, and she can use it as storage. Please don't do a homemade version.

46 here and have never entirely forgiven my parents for not getting me one of those Cadburys chocolate dispensing money boxes. Although in my mum's defence she did build me a wooden Sindy house because she 'wasn't forking out for that plastic tat'.

Tbh I can totally see where youre coming from...with my daughter it was the Dream Diary and in the end she wanted it for so long I gave in. If you spend £40 on that she'll still have plenty of other bits and pieces to open.

Don't all 5 years pick out expensive rubbish for Christmas? She really wants it you have the money in your budget so why not get her it.

@winterisaroundthecorner

Rubbish for someone is a treasure for someone else. I would definitely buy it.

Exactly this. My brother collects loads of Star Wars/Marvel/Star Trek memorabilia, and is mocked quite regularly by workmates, and even a couple of so-called friends, for 'wasting money on that shit...' Yet most of them do at least^ 3 of the following... smoke, go to football matches, spend £30-40 a week at the bookies, have various expensive hobbies like cycling, fishing, and golf, have 1 or 2 takeaways a week, or go to the pub 3-4 times a week.

DB goes to the pub just twice a month, doesn't smoke, and has no interest in any sport, and has a takeaway 5 or 6 times a year... But yeah it's my brother who is the wasteful one.

He has a number of items that are VERY collectible and rare now. 5 or 6 items are worth more than £1000 each. So along with enjoying his hobby for many years, he has a shit load of valuable items too, and hasn't pissed all his money against the wall, squandered it at the bookies, and thrown away 1000s of £ over the years on expensive football match tickets, or expensive gear for golf, cycling, or fishing!

As someone who is also salty about the lack of Mr Frosty I would also get her it.

I remember when I was about 6 I wanted a board game, my father refused, said it was too expensive and a waste of money. That year my brothers got bikes. Still rankles. I’m 56.

Having said that, I think for this I would do my own version with a better quality case and headphones and buy some of the cheaper stuff separately to go inside

Is that on The Entertainer website? If you join the Jack's Birthday Club and add a child's birthday that falls between now and December they will send you a 20% off code. Might soften the blow a little!!

@Jessycake. I am nearly 60 and desperately wanted that monkey. I was telling DP about it the other night. I had no idea what it was called though. I don't suppose there is any chance now that Woolworths has gone. Great shop.
Op please buy her the one she wants. It is so important at that age.

I've had this loads over the years. If it's something that I think is rubbish but they have their heart set on and does basically what it says on the tin (and we can afford) then I do some gentle disuasion, but in the end its up to them.

If it's something that I know is going to be a disappointment from reading reviews and asking on here (chocolate coin maker for eg), then I'm just really upfront about it, e.g. "Ds I know other children who got toy X and were really disappointed because it didn't actually do XYZ" and then we have a chat about how shit adverts are and how they can make something that's a bit rubbish look amazing.

A pp has given you personal experience with the case so I'd use that with dd "Dd, the case is quite small and you can't put other things in it and some of the items might not even fit you. Maybe you could ask for a real case and things to put in it?"

I wonder if it's because she can pack and unpack the suitcase? You could perhaps get her a little suitcase and similar bits?

As a small child I used to pack and unpack a suitcase for hours.

@CyclingIsNotOuting

We have this. The problem with it is there is no room inside, it’s a plastic backing that holds the toys so you can’t use as a case. The ear phone lead is too short for my 3 yo to get around their ears. She likes the eye mask but I won’t let her use it in bed in case she strangles herself. Yeah it’s definitely not worth the money but then I brought it so maybe not the best person to advise …

But she can't pack and unpack it - other than fitting the items into their pre-moulded slots. As long as she knows that then maybe, but if she's got an idea in her head that it'll be like having a real suitcase she's going to be disappointed.

Well you’ve got two months!! Don’t buy it now. Hope she changes her mind. If she hasn’t by mid December, buy it.

If it’s within budget then get it for her, it’s obviously in her head and she really wants it

I long for the days of £40 presents . It’s all iPads and iPhones now

Oh bless her. Get her the suitcase.

When I was four my sister got a scooter and I got a play dough train engine that you could put play dough through to come out different shapes.

I blocked the nozzle with a fruit pastille by 10am and spent the rest of Christmas Day sobbing on the doorstep because I wasn't allowed a go as my sister whizzed round the drive on her new whip.

My Dad was queuing at toys r us at ten o'clock on boxing day with re-boxed play dough train in hand, unbeknownst to him it was blocked with a fruit pastille and he would return with both.

At this age they so vividly imagine what Father Christmas will bring them. Placate her and get it. If it's shit who cares? Keep the receipt and she'll have lost interest in it by new year if it's awful. You get 30 days to send it back so at least to mid January.

Let her have it. At her age my kids were desperate for Furbies. They saved up various cash gifts and paid an absolute fortune for them. They were absolutely thrilled and then bored stiff with them after a few days. It was a life lesson for them. Better to learn it at her age than later in life when their ridiculous purchase could cost thousands.

[quote notthemum]@Jessycake. I am nearly 60 and desperately wanted that monkey. I was telling DP about it the other night. I had no idea what it was called though. I don't suppose there is any chance now that Woolworths has gone. Great shop.
Op please buy her the one she wants. It is so important at that age. [/quote]
I have two Jacko monkeys, one bought for me in the 70's and one I found at a boot sale in the 90's. They did sit on a chair in our bedroom but DH banned them to the loft 😂
My original one used to talk when you pulled a string and said such things as 'ooh I love banana splits' and 'I love you, I love you and I love me too'. I'd love to get him fixed.

I'd buy it despite agreeing it doesn't look worth the money. I think it'll mean a lot to her.

DD recently told me she was a bit disappointed last year after asking for a colour reveal Barbie. Apparently there are many different types and I (Santa) had got the wrong one. She accepted it graciously and I had no idea until now that it wasn't the one she hoped for.
This year I'm going for screen shots of the exact items and hoping I get it right!

I'm also still sore that I didn't get a Mr Frosty.

Please also don't get her something similar because you think it's better. She wants what she wants and it's longed for!