IOU from Santa is 5 to young

[SparksFly90]

On a number of occasions I have asked DD (5). What they want for Xmas and the only 2 answer I get is barbie dream house which is way to big and she wants to go back to Ibiza last abroad holiday in 2022.
In our house you each get a present from Santa which is wrapped in red and the other presents are from us or friends and family. I already have main present from us a Furby.
So my question is from Santa do I get her something I think she would like or do I create her an IOU of a holiday for 2024. I would like to try somewhere different to 2022, but will be standard all inclusive holiday.
Any other ideas will be greatly revived, for context she already has loads of Lego, barbies and a smaller house ,sylvanian, doll and gneration doll, bike (pedal and balance) scooter etc.
Thanks

She can't have what she wants because you consider it unnecessary clutter? Why ask her then of you aren't really interested?

Of it's taking days and days to open everything she must get a few hundred presents surely. I'd suggest to people they cut down how much they're buying so fewer more expensive presents rather than tons of smaller things.

It is too abstract for her at the age of 5. Please buy her a present from Santa.

Have you considered taking her to frozen or Disney on ice or a Christmas light trail like Christmas at Kew? Last year we cut right back on Christmas presents and brought merlin passes for the whole family. Don't get me wrong they still got a few small bits and a big ( but second hand) gift each.

@SparksFly90 if you have loads of toy clutter get your kids to donate them. Mine have agreed to give some of their old toys away to children who don't have many present. They picked loads of toys they don't play with anymore to go to the charity shop.

We always said that Santa didn't go holidays, trips or tickets to events. Just toys or equipment. A 5 yr old has zero concept of value so a gift for 10 or 100 will be the same value if its what she wants. I remember one year Santa threw a squishy ball in the stocking, those ones that have a flashing light and have bulgy bubbles when you squeeze. That was the highlight of the day and that's what DD told everyone that Santa brought her.

My oldest will be 5 in January (since you asked for alternative gifts). Our home is bloody full of toys despite frequent purging to charity. Nonetheless, this year his top wishes are the pets alive lamb and a switch game. So nothing huge in size or price. He'll also get little bits of course, books, a puzzle, his favourite chocolate, etc. If I were looking for non physical gifts that aren't console games, I'd be looking at swimming lessons or similar, something that starts in January so it's not far away.

My ds is apparently most looking forward to decorating in December, that's the big excitement 😅 It's very sweet. Even so, I wouldn't do a holiday or IoU, mine at least is way too young to understand, and a holiday does seem a piss take.

I think you set some boundaries about what she can ask santa for.. or in future you could do what my parents did, you asked mum and dad for the main presents and santa brought surprises, but we were able to go through the argos catalogue and highlight things that would fit in our stocking or under that we might like for our surprise.

I find it worse that kids just get whatever they want, but we're all different and this thread doesn't need the nastiness it's had (not from you) just because people do things differently

I think another issue is the OP is not making sense in her communication.

The Barbie house her child asked for is a no because 'it is too big and bulky and unnecessary clutter for the home'.

She has categorically stated 'In regards to just buy her stuff I do not agree with this, don’t want to waste money just so she has something to open on the day'.

but the whole thread point was apparently for 'Any other ideas' & 'my original post was to ask other mums in similar situation for ideas on suitable presents for a 5 year old'

OP will not buy what the kid wants HOWEVER also does not want to buy something that wasted because the kid doesn't want it and it will 'end up in the loft'.

She wants us to give her magic suggestions of what her daughter wants... but all we can suggest is random things for her to open on the day though which OP finds a cluttered waste.

There is no magic solution.

Whatever they want?

A child has asked for one gift, a barbie house, for Christmas.

Buy her the dream house. Calling it unnecessary clutter is really sad. She’ll have wonderful memories of playing with it, not of all the uncluttered space.

Santa only brings toys. Can you find the Barbie house on eBay?

Giving a five year old an iou for a holiday that you would be taking your family on anyway is a pretty crap thing to do, unless none of your other DC are getting a present either and you make the holiday all about them. If you can afford the dream house then get it for her. Otherwise, stop asking her what she wants. What’s the point? If space is an issue, tell her that the other two Barbie houses have to go to make room for it. And if it’s in the loft by Easter then wait until November and sell it to another parent who can’t afford it new.

Finally I wanted to use mums net as I understood this to be a supportive network but how wrong was I It is a supportive network. If you’d posted that you couldn’t afford the dream house or you couldn’t find one in stock, you’d have had hordes of people finding second hand ones in perfect condition and posting the links or offering to collect it from their local toy shop and post it to you. But you’ve come onto AIBU (where nonsense is not really stood for) and talked about either not buying your 5 year old the only toy she wants because you don’t want the clutter, or giving her an iou for a present that isn’t actually a present at all. Nobody is going to mince their words and pretend you’re not being unreasonable if you really are.

That’s your rule, that Santa only brings toys, and not one I’ve ever heard before. I thought the only ‘universal’ rule was that he doesn’t bring pets. It’s all a bit ridiculous, to be honest I would have seriously considered not ‘doing’ FC for DD if it wasn’t for that fact that DSD (supposedly) still believes.

And it’s not because of cost that the OP doesn’t want to buy the dream house, it’s because of space and clutter. Which doesn’t sound very Christmassy, but we have no idea of her living situation and how much space she has.

Its common sense.

On what planet is Santa going on Thomas Cook and booking a week in Corfu/Tenerife/Barcelona etc... for a 5 year old.

Are the elves building the plane in the work shop?

Of course Santa only brings real tangible things. I would say a pet (although a bad idea) makes FAR more sense than an IOU for a holiday.

@housethatbuiltme I wasn’t suggesting that Santa brought the holiday as I agree that’s not practical. I was saying I don’t think it’s a rule that he only brings toys, rather than (for example) tickets for an event or day out.

I’m not sure many children genuinely believe that the elves are busy making the toys in the workshop, do they? I imagine that started years ago when it was evident that toys were fully or partially handmade by someone.

I certainly didn’t, although maybe I was just quite cynical. I am enjoying the thought of a group of angelic little elves being lumbered with creating LOL dolls though…

If she wants a Barbie house I would get her that.
If she already has older or smaller versions taking up space then explain that there isn't space for what she asked for unless she gives away her old houses.
That way if she really wants it she can help make space and if she isn't that bothered she can keep what she has.

An IOU for something you’re going to buy anyway is a shit present for a little kid 😢

U’ve never understood this concept of asking a young child what present they want, it leads to expensive requests obviously