To be fed up of the criticism of those who splashed out for Christmas!

[Fanfeckintastic]

You can't open a thread about Christmas without someone voicing their dismay and horror that someone's eg "4 year old got an ipad", "that someone's partner gave them a tatty secondhand Christmas present and they should be grateful!", "you bought all that for a 5 year old "

It's mad because you'd never dream of criticizing the parents who had a minimalistic Christmas and bought very little for their DCs (like many of my Christmases) but somehow it's acceptable to be all judgy about people who splash out, with lots of raised eyebrows and sneeriness.

And how it's a mortal sin not to be overwhelmed with gratitude that your partner bought you anything at all. It's a really strange attitude that raises it's ugly head every year on here.

Oh...yes. I remember the Xmas I "went wooden"
Ds1 was 18 months old.
I got him a gorgeous wooden train with his name on.
I put it in a pretty gold gift bag.
He spent the whole of Xmas day running round with the gift bag on his head - you gotta love kids :)

I find mn to be a Very supportive place generally.
But I hide some topics! :)

Wooden toys...they're crap aren't they? They look lovely of course, sitting in your child's bedroom looking all wholesome and retro.
Course...that's all they ever do. Sit there.
Fell into the trap myself. There was the Le Toy Van wooden Christmas with the fire station and fairy castle and the adorable little pose-abble wooden and wire figurines to go with.
I just shift that wooden nonsense from place to place now, wondering where the hell to store it.
It's going on Gumtree come the new year.

MN is a place where we let our inner judgements out, though, isnt it?

A friend has just bought her 3 yr old an ipad for Christmas, a PS4 for her 5 yr old and a huge new Tv for her 7 yr old's bedroom. Yeah, I judged inwardly. I judged until my judgy pants wedged right up my bum. And I will say that on MN.

In RL? I just smiled and said 'lucky kids!'

Oh my dc have loads of wholesome wooden toys.
I do wish they would play with them.

But everything from socks to satsumas, cars to curtains can be bought at different price points and there are many reasons for picking any given item on the pricing scale.

Having something more expensive doesn't make one more materialistic per se

I also remember going 'wooden' Baddz in my ridiculous PFB stage - such beautiful to look at train sets and fab if your DC play with them but my Ds did not appreciate its aesthetic value as I did. Now he just gets shitloads of noisy plastic superheroe tat and I silently weep for my lost aspirations

I can still poke fun at myself for buying Cath Kidston cowboy nursery bedding because 'Ds was going to love it' hahaha. I'm such a wanker at times part of the learning curve

My parents went overboard with me this year. I'm 26. It's great

I always go mad at Christmas for my kids. I bought lots. I also treated myself to lots too.

I couldn't care less what other people think of that same as I don't care who buys their 6 year old an ipad etc

I enjoy reading all the moaning threads however

As an asides, I have to say the Brio train stuff, of which we have built up a subtantial collection over the years, has been a huge hit that all the kids go back to time and time again. Even the eldest at 13 yrs old.

*substantial

DC1 had a wooden Thomas train set, it did three DC, two god children is now with my DN...

Wooden blocks were good.
And the Melissa and doug castle.
But the rest is just dust catching

This reminds me of a stealthy FB post of a schoolmum aquaintance last week. She put her status as feeling smug because she took her Dc to some big toy shops to get ideas for their prezzies but they were 'moaning' that all they wanted to do was go to the bookshops and charity shops
all very admirable am sure but why is it morally superior that your child wants a book and not a barbie?

Wow Pictish, how do you really feel?

I am the parent who (gasp!) bought my 4 year old an iPad. I am not rich, or stupid, don't have too much money or not enough sense. It's true, she wasn't fussed by it, but we bought it for a variety of reasons and I would buy it again.

I'm sure I could pick out something about your Christmas and shit all over your parade, but that's okay because not everyone is the same and not everyone has to have the same opinions.

My four year old loves her magiclip dolls. I managed to get them in America earlier this year for 20 dollars. My 1 year old loves stacking coins I got in the sainsburys sale. But I'll probably go crazy again next year too, because if you want to, and you don't get into debt for it, and you have the room, what's the harm?

My 4 year old is a lovely child, very grateful, generous and sweet. Getting an iPad for Christmas hasn't changed any of that.

pictish and all the other judgey know it alls my DS got an iPad mini for Christmas. He's 3.5.

He can read. He can also do simple maths and knows the names (and how many sides) of every polygon up to 13 sides. This is just a fraction of what he knows and can do. I very rarely mention any of it, on here or RL, because people automatically assume I'm bragging and get all offended (because their little snowflake can't do this stuff) but he is very very bright. i spend every day marvelling at his complete enjoyment of learning something new.

I have nothing to brag about. I'm a lone parent on benefits.I have no support from dc father but I assure you I'm not a "thicko" or a "vacuous twat"and I don't have more money than sense (I have no money!) I also assure you, if my family and I were to be put in a category, we would most definitely be in the 'have nots'!

He got the ipad from my daughter (17)/his sister who saved up for a few months to be able to buy it for him because she knew how much he would get out of it. I control it and I decide when he goes on it.
He also got lots of other stuff (that I saved up for from sept) lots of imaginative play stuff and educational stuff like a maths geometry 2d and 3d building set.

I'm Not remotely worried that DS is going to become a spoiled, greedy little consumerist. The iPad is just another tool in his education. So please wind your judgey necks in!

The beach thing sounds cool MrsD

Was I ok getting my almost twelve year old an iPad? It's his second one. Dd who is 3 accidentally dropped the other one and the new one is not to come out of his room.
He also got a laptop, Xbox one and hundreds of pounds worth of stuff- from his dad who sees him once a week but "makes up for it" at Xmas by spending a ridiculous amount of money on him.
I would much rather he took him to the park with a football or went swimming, things that ds likes.

I do think though that there is an awful lot of jealousy on here:(

There was recently a thread on this called "wandered onto Netmums" where people were taking the piss out of Netmums as they had a specific thread for display your Christmas presents and some people had bought an incredible amount of gifts.
I spent a fortune on ds this year and padded out the giant stack of presents with some teddies and games from a charity shop. I really do not give a rat's arse if people want to judge me on it.
Plus now he has a 50 inch plasma 4K TV in his room I can use it when he is out.

I don't know you personally, or your specific set of circumstances. I don't think I should be expected to. It makes no odds to my overall thoughts about it. Everyone's got a reason.

So your overall thoughts being that I'm stupid and have more money than sense, you stand by those regardless of the circumstances?

I think you're taking this personally, and could have an argument in a phone box.