A thread for fellow Disney haters - AIBU to.....

[pictish]

Not buy dd her heart's desire for Christmas?

She wants a Minnie Mouse toy. She is 3 - will be 4 in February.

Now - she only wants one because her little friend is a Minnie obsessive. She (the friend) has Minnie clothes, Minnie toys, Minnie bedroom, Minnie this Minnie that....and in particular, a Minnie plush toy that dd jealously covets whenever we visit their house.

I dislike most things Disney - it would be a cold day in Hell before I would shell out for a trip to Disneyland (Paris OR Florida). We don't even have the Disney channel...so dd's knowledge of Minnie Mouse is simply through her wee pal.

Of all the things Disney - the biggest turn off is Mickey and Minnie Mouse. They're ugly and irritating, and represent all the things about Disney I balk at. The merchandising, the American-ness of it all. Tasteless, brash and tacky is how I find it and them.

Now - I don't expect everyone to agree with that, but that is how I feel. We all have our particular dislikes, and things we won't cave in about, and Disney is mine. A handful of DVDs is one thing - the merchandising quite another.

I don't want to buy her a Minnie Mouse - she will take it everywhere and it will annoy the fuck out of me. Dh says no way, as he hates Disney too.

AIBU?

I am popping out to take ds2 to his swimming lesson, so I will expect to come back to a bunch of replies telling me how awful I am.

Oh - and should add - ds2 (who is a year older than dd) has now started saying he wants a Mickey Mouse, as they always like to have the same stuff. I am appalled!

So why did you ask?

I didn't expect for some posters to tell me that I should buy my daughter whatever she wants, just because she says so.

I don't mind being told I'm unreasonable...not at all...but I DO balk at the our-children-are-in-charge-not-us type of posts.

I am allowed to dislike certain toys and not want to pay for them. You all have your dislikes too.
I am also open to being persuaded otherwise...but I won't be persuaded that my opinion doesn't matter a fuck. My money - my choice.

And you will notice I addressed the thread to fellow Disney haters.

yeah, but it was posted in AIBU, to be fair!

I am coming at this really from the perspective of one who has several times balked at buying the thing my children really wanted at Christmas, because something else seemed to me better value, or nicer, or more fitting - and I honestly wish in retrospect that, at least just at Christmas, I'd actually got them the thing they wanted. not talking about xboxes, just 'I'm sure she'd really much rather have a lovely wooden mini tool bench and it will look nicer in the front room' rather than a Barbie house.... things which were actually harmless, but I didn't really want to buy.

And now, in the future, I wonder why I didn't just make the most of the chances I had to make them happy in small, innocent, not especially offensive ways!

The best thing I ever did was succumb to buying the most desired present last minute on Christmas Eve. I forget what it was now, possibly roboraptor, but something along those lines.

We overheard DS1 saying to DS2 on Christmas Day that Father Christmas must exist as there's no way mum would get that!

I'm glad you're thinking about getting it for her. She will quite evidently love it and I hope that dissipates your annoyance somewhat.

It's Hotwheels here. Absolute, badly-made, always-falling-apart rubbish. But I do give in occasionally. Smiles on faces and all that.

Well OP I'm sorry if no disney - haters came on the thread, if I knew we were just suppose to bash Disney I wouldn't have participated. As an adult I'm indifferent to Disney but I indulged my dd when she had her phase because I know how it feels like not to be allowed to have what you would like as a child and also feel that you are wrong for liking certain things. I didn't want to imply you don't allow your dd play with boy's toys either, I just shared my experience trying to show that for a child it doesn't matter if it is Minnie mouse, Cinderella or a car...it is a toy they want to play with. I get your comment about your money, your choice and I'm poor, that is why I'm always on the look out for free stuff on frEecycle, cheap stuff on ebay or charity shops and second hand stuff for friends. I do have to save and sometime join efforts with other members of the family too. As long as I can provide a normal happy childhood for dd and I know it is not about material things. My parents had money but for some weird reason I wasn't allowed much but this is another thread. Anyway as I said before when your children are older you will have plenty of opportunity to teach them about your values and ethics. My dd is on a nail varnish/high heels/make up face, I certainly don't encourage but I see no harm in letting her play at home. She has a tap dance shoes with small heels she wet home for 5 minutes max every day and she takes them off herself. Than asks me why I don't wear heels,make up, nail varnish more often and I explain. This works for me.

I hate disney - but you are overthinking this. Being bloody minded about things that really matter is one thing but a minnie plush toy is not in that league... in my opinion.

I would never go to Disneyland/world/euro- whatever ugh, but we have several disney toys, I have sat through 'Brave' this morning with dd2 - a Disney/Pixar film. When Disney make a new Star Wars film I will take the dc to see it and may well buy some of the merchandising.[shrug]

I watched Disney films when I was a child, some are pretty good. I don't like the company image, but I am confident enough in my children, that I am sure they will not become Disney drones, through consuming some of the Disney output.

I still recall with a slight shudder the Christmas two years ago, that DH and I refer to as 'JoJo Bunny-gate'. DD1 (then aged 4) really, really, wanted a toy called JoJo Bunny that you could play hide and seek with, it was £30 and looked cheap and nasty, all the reviews were of the 'do not buy this toy it is rubbish!' variety. I opted not to buy it but got other carefully chosen and very nice gifts. DD when opening her presents said "is this Jo Jo Bunny?" before she opened each one and became increasingly dejected when the toy did not emerge. It was awful. I do try and get the one toy she sets her heart on (within reason, affordibility and sense) now.

My money - my choice.

Yes, but it depends on whether you believe in Father Christmas.

As I said upthread, I can't stand the whole Disney thing, and would never willingly buy a Disney product. BUT, if my child asked specifically for a Disney toy for Christmas, FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS, and couldn't be persuaded otherwise, then I would go along with it. It is really the one time in their year that they get to override me. Otherwise, what's the point in the magic thing.

I hate mumsnetiing on the phone but just to add that I utterly dislike the whole 'It is Christmas I want that toy' if I had my way, any kind of presents would be banned on Christmas and I don't get Father Christmas either. I don't encourage Father Christmas and I will be telling my dd that she got her Leap Pad 2 from me and daddy and we work very hard to get it for her. She is into the whole Christmas thing because of my husband and his family, I don't agree but don't spoil either. For me Christmas should be about family getting together and recharging for the following year. I don't understand what presents got to do with it.

Why post in AIBU when you don't think you are . I am sure when your dais old enough she might save up to buyDisney things herself.

Exactly suttingsun. What if somebody bought your dd mini mouse for christmas would you take it away from her with th look of , and dispose of it quickly

And you will notice I addressed the thread to fellow Disney haters. ahhh now I see, so you wanted everyone who shared your views to come on an agree with you.

you don't get to choose who posts on your threads on MN.

I don't agree with getting everything a child wants either, definitely not. Can't afford it for a start! DD says "wow I'd like that toy" and that sort of thing fairly often, if she sees an advert, or something in a shop. But I do think that's very different when you've seen her get really attached to one specific thing and you know she will get a lot of happiness and play from it.

We've had that once - with a Snow White dress. DD apparently dressed up in this pretty much every day at nursery and was totally desperate for one. I put together a dressing up box with lots of lovely wholesome accessories and clothes, and really didn't want to do the whole Snow White thing, ugh princessy crap, but her face lit up as I knew it would. She wore it a lot and got so much happiness from it. Bizarrely she was usually wearing it while playing cars, trains, marble run etc, she never really played princesses with it, even though she has since got the film (50p VHS in a charity shop!).

I do agree with my money my choice as well, but for me it's more relevant if the toy is clearly shitty quality - like if they wanted the John Adams chocolate coin maker :o - because I would know that any enjoyment would be seriously limited by the toy breaking etc. A cuddly toy won't do that (Disney cuddlies are actually pretty good quality, IME).

Just my opinion anyway :) I'm not a Disney hater, I actually love it (sorry) but it's the Disney Princess 'sub-brand' I mostly avoid because it all seems to focus on the fact they are pretty princesses rather than even focusing on their stories. I'm afraid at Xmas DCs will be getting a cuddly Stitch and a cuddly Mike Wozowski :o

My daughter is 5.5 and I've never bought anything with the Disney, Disney princesses, Peppa Pig etc brands. My one concession is a Hello Kitty toothbrush in her stocking. She loves this and a little goes a long way.

I wouldn't buy her a Minnie Mouse toy but maybe get her a toothbrush or something, or print her some pictures from the internet for her to colour in.

Although if she's going to be heartbroken if she doesn't have it, just buy it and get it over with.

pictish just think of her little happy face Christmas morning

its only a mouse

Can't believe some of the bonkers comments on thread

YABU.

I am 42 and can still remember the feeling of LONGING, just pure longing, when my friends had better Sindy Dolls/Sindy outfits etc than me.

To your DD, this Minnie Mouse is that longed for doll. Just get it, she'll grow out of it, but she will be delighted that she has the same toy as her friend.

Do you think I enjoy buying Ben 10 shit and football boots? No, but they're not for me are they?

I don't like this attitude that you control what someone gets just because YOU don't like it. It's not actually going to physically harm her. It's not like letting her eat hula Hoops for breakfast or getting her an airgun.

You are overthinking it. Child wants plush toy. Not a big deal.

I didn't expect for some posters to tell me that I should buy my daughter whatever she wants, just because she says so...And you will notice I addressed the thread to fellow disney haters.

Ah right, so you didn't actually want to hear opinions from both sides then, only ones agreeing with you? Why post in AIBU if you don't want to hear that you may just be being unreasonable?

so you wanted everyone who shared your views to come on an agree with you

Yeah...obviously!

Nah - I knew I'd get it tight, and it's ok - I guess I agree with most of you, and she'll get her fucking Minnie.

I guess I agree with most of you, and she'll get her fucking Minnie. You will be glad when you see her little face or think wtf when she plays with the box all day instead

Feckoff - I thought that meant she just wanted to hear from people who also felt the same about Disney how they managed pressure from the cult of Disney. It is pretty irrelevant to hear from the people saying "my kids had Disney and loved it and they're fine" well duh you clearly don't object to Disney so why would you object to things your children learned from Disney. It is their choice but fairly irrelevant to Pictish who wanted to know very specifically if other people who hated Disney let their children have Disney stuff if they really wanted it, not a critique of her feelings about Disney.

I'll bring you a specially huge and tasteless one back from eurodisney next month just in time for christmas if you like .

Offred - thank you. I found it difficult to articulate that, and you've just done it for me perfectly.

HOORRAAY commonsense has prevailed !!!! The power Of MN has struck again!!!