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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to want to throw the bastard thing out of the window already??

55 replies

ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 07/08/2012 10:18

My Mum loves to buy things for DD (20mo). I really really don't mind as her only other grandchildren are grown now and my parents really do dote on her. They're retired and have a bit of money so they can afford it. It's also nice as we don't have much money so I like to see my DD with nice things.

They bought her a LeapTop yesterday and she LOVES it. The bloody thing is driving me mad though...and I actually want to throw it into the fires of Mordor already. She plays the alphabet song constantly and tries to sing along...but the noise is a high pitched squeal that sounds like nails down the chalkboard of my soul (None of this has ANYTHING to do with my huge lack of sleep last night...honestly)

Any other stories of infuriating toys?

OP posts:
JumpingThroughHoops · 07/08/2012 10:20

Any V-Tech toy with that awful synthesised American accent makes me reach for a hammer

KatoPotato · 07/08/2012 10:20

The animals have something to say! Oooh ooh squawk!!!

glenthebattleostrich · 07/08/2012 10:21

There is a special circle of hell reserved especially for the toy designers at v-tec. Unfortunately the toy fairy came and took all DD's v-tec toys for children who don't have any toys of their own.

NoobytheWaspSlayer · 07/08/2012 10:22

I stuck a bit of heavy gaffer tape over the loudspeaker to muffle ours a bit. Still teeth-grindingly awful though.

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 07/08/2012 10:22

May I offer you Baby Alfie Grin He will truly bring the meaning of annoyance into your life...

Original poster
ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 07/08/2012 10:22

I'm glad it's not just me. I feel bad because she really loves it. I even took the time to set it up last night so it says her name and everything...Seemed like a good idea at the time.

OP posts:
WelshMaenad · 07/08/2012 10:23

One of my daughter's friends bought her a handheld Disney princess mirror, upon which you can press s button and hear it simper "don't you just love being a Princess?". It both irritates me on a noise level AND presses all my feminist buttons.

KatoPotato · 07/08/2012 10:23

You have an email from... AUNTIE CLAIRE????

Gumby · 07/08/2012 10:24

The leapfrog drum

'play the drum everyone play the drum'

For 3 years .... Aarrgggh

KatoPotato · 07/08/2012 10:25

I think a prize must go to the Fisher Price Animal Train... That was hidden a long time ago.

However I'm guilty of leaving DH with DS and a new Thomas whistle this morning..

Original poster
ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 07/08/2012 10:25

AAAAARRRGH the bloody emails! I did those last night as well and thought it was cute...but that's driving me mad as well!

OP posts:
EasilyBored · 07/08/2012 10:29

MIL bought DS a shape sorting toy, it's a cookie jar. If I hear it sing 'MMMMM, I love cookies!!' one more time I might have to lose the batteries in it.

Am just extra annoyed with it today as am on a diet

NarkedRaspberry · 07/08/2012 10:31

Some special toys need to stay at the homes of the people who bought them for visits. To teach them not to buy any more like that.

Original poster
ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 07/08/2012 10:40

I did think about that NarkedRaspberry. She has a VEEEEEERY annoying and loud guitar that is at Nanny's so they do get some of the frustration as well Grin

OP posts:
stealthsquiggle · 07/08/2012 10:41

DS (PFB) was given a FP singing shape sorter snail at his christening. A friend with slightly older DC promptly pulled me aside and hissed "Lose the batteries. Quickly". She was right - the bloody thing was motion activated and had no off switch, so when you tiptoed walked past the toybox in the middle of the night it would go off Angry.

The batteries were duly lost, and DD inherited and played with it quite happily never knowing that it could/should have made a noise same as most of the other toys she inherited

MissPants · 07/08/2012 10:45

"Come on board the animal train, come on everyone! Learning about animals is really lots of... GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Original poster
ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 07/08/2012 10:50

Oh God, random toys going off in the middle of the night really aren't fun either...especially when you're trying to have a bit of adult time with the DH Blush

ARE YOU READY TO PLAY???

OP posts:
Vagaceratops · 07/08/2012 10:51

You need that god awful Vtech bus to truly know the meaning of the word annoying.

MIL bought one for DS1 and I eventually got rid of it, then we had DS2 and she turned round and bought another fucker!

MousyMouse · 07/08/2012 10:56

we had a v-tech baby walker thingy. it sang out of tune, which really grates my ears. if I pay loads of money for something (or grandma shopaholic does) the least I expect is that the voice can hold a tune!

Takver · 07/08/2012 10:56

The only answer I found with those sort of toys was to keep them for 'special'. ie they lived in a high place and came down when I really needed dd to be occupied for 20 mins or so, then went away again.

The hideous noise is more bearable if it is giving you time to cook dinner/answer a crucial email/whatever it is without being hassled!

Playing the line 'this is an extra special toy that Nanny has given you, we mustn't wear the batteries out so we keep it for best' seemed to work ok for dd at that sort of age.

greenhill · 07/08/2012 10:58

I'd loved the FP Animal Train and several friends bought it for their DC's too after playing with it at my house. I always found myself singing along in a cod American accent, but noticed the inaccuracies in the animal songs (hippos are very fast in RL and v dangerous and something else was the wrong colour).

I was very pleased that a friendly mum at an NCT sale told me that there was no way of switching off a particular ball with shapes in it, don't buy it, it is motion activated and will randomly wake your DC at night!

Friends who visited my DD were always disappointed that loads of her toys didn't make a sound or the batteries were nearly dead (and not replaced)...evil cackle...

Original poster
ScarletLadyOfTheNight01 · 07/08/2012 11:00

That's quite a good idea Takver - I'll consider that if it continues to annoy me!

OP posts:
NoobytheWaspSlayer · 07/08/2012 11:02

'hello puppy calling....'

Pekka · 07/08/2012 11:02

We have an overly sensitive spinning musical toy, that starts playing at the slightest touch. It is too big to put on a shelf, so it is constantly playing.

Onthebottomwithawomansweekly · 07/08/2012 11:03

I've a toybox of DD's old antique toys for nieces and nephews.

One of them is a pretend baby monitor, which goes off about twice a year in the wee small hours, and makes me think we're being burgled (by a baby).

I must remember to take the batteries out of the thing (that's never an option at 3am in a panic and I always forget until the next time it happens!)

Mind you they are the best batteries ever - DD is 15, so they've lasted over a decade...