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Original poster

To ask if all 3/4 yos constantly ask for new toys

35 replies

Lalalamb · 23/08/2018 15:03

I'd really appreciate some perspective here please:

My DS is just 4.

For about 3-4 four months now, he's been getting increasingly 'I want' about toys (esp things he sees on dreaded YouTube videos of children unpacking and 'reviewing' new toys).

It make me sad because I don't want this to be his preoccupation. It's affecting outings as he is always hankering for the gift shop.

Is this a phase or have I/we created a spoilt child?

OP posts:
KanielOutis · 23/08/2018 18:28

We don't have this, but new toys are for birthday and Christmas only. We don't shop as a pastime, and when we do shop we buy what we need. It's hard to beet the constant feed of advertising and the feeling that we need more and more to be satisfied.

Dreamingofkfc · 23/08/2018 18:33

We also only buy toys for Christmas and Birthday. My two look at toys in shops and know that we aren't buying them at that point and are fine. We tend to watch programmes on catch up so cut out alot of advertising

Summerisdone · 23/08/2018 19:00

Your child sounds exactly like my DS (he'll be 4 in Oct). Anytime he sees toys if I'm online, or on adverts or in store and when he used to watch YouTube. I just jokingly say things like "you want too much, I'll have no room" or "why am I not surprised that you're asking for toys yet again".
Outside of birthday and Christmas, I only get him a small toy now and again.
It's just a stage many kids go through, and they'll move past it soon enough so long as you don't give into them and get them all these toys they keep asking for. At this age they're still having to learn and understand that they don't get something every time they ask and it doesn't mean they're spoilt or entitled or bratty, that would only be the case if they were still carrying on like this at about 6-7 and throwing fits for not getting their own way.

User998 · 23/08/2018 21:08

!!!!

My DS (4) has asked for a play date with the dreaded Ryan!!!! :) and he wants to now when we can go to 'Walmart'!!! (We live in U.K.!)

He's a cute and lovely and wonderful 4 yr old so I'm assuming he'll grow out of it! My DS2 (7) went through an 'I want..' phase for about a year at the same age (and he didn't have access to 'Ryan' or similar on YouTube!)

It's normal OP! I wouldn't worry too much!

Original poster
Lalalamb · 24/08/2018 09:00

Thank you SO much for all the replies, personal experiences and insight.

I have definitely failed to spot Ryan and his ilk as a trigger for this. Now I need to block YouTube completely.

After pre-school yesterday, the iPad was 'broken'. We played with dinosaurs, read books and he was a happy boy, who never mentioned new toys once.

Thanks again everyone.

OP posts:
Dishwashersaurous · 24/08/2018 09:06

Why on earth is he on YouTube? Also only watch CBeebies or Netflix or dvds so no adverts. He has no need to see advertising, which is what these YouTube things are just masquerading as entertainment.

LittleLionMansMummy · 24/08/2018 09:12

Ds used to do this. Every time we went to Tesco food shopping he'd ask to visit the toy aisle "just to look" and then proceeded to pick up everything and ask if he could have it. After a few visits of repeatedly telling him no, I told him that unless he stopped asking for everything we'd crack on with the food shopping and there would be no future visits to the toy aisle. Did the trick. He didn't watch YouTube at that age though - presumably you can just stop him watching it?

Camomila · 24/08/2018 09:20

Those of you who only buy toys for christmas and birthdays, what age did you start?

DS is only 2 1/2 so what toys he can play with is still changing every few months...eg, he got an age 3 plus car track for his 2nd birthday, at the time he would have accidentally snapped the fiddly bits but now he's careful and fine with it etc.

DS also asks for toys all the time...he's generally ok with 'mummy hasnt got any pounds today' or 'you can't have a toy everytime, you have to save some for the other children'. I do buy him little treats every now and then though, eg an icelolly or a cbeebies magazine from the cornershop...dh and I get treats from the corner shop too so it'd hardly be fair otherwise!

MatildaTheCat · 24/08/2018 09:28

This is a good age to teach dc that we ALL want things we can’t have. I used to say that we must remember x toy for your Christmas list for F.C. ( any time of year) or birthday list. That was an acceptable answer as they weren’t used to just being bought stuff all the time.

Then when gift times were approaching I would let them ASK for what they wanted and then choose what they actually got.

When they were being over ambitious I would laugh and make a joke about us needing to go and live in a great big barn to have enough space or that poor old F.C. wouldn’t have room on his sleigh.

It’s a bit wearing but it is one of life’s lessons we need to learn.

mayhew · 24/08/2018 10:07

Your children are being marketed to, successfully. Adults have decided that it's ok to manipulate tiny children to be consumers.
It's much worse and more insidious than when my daughter was little. We avoided it by
: watching BBC, no adverts
: going shopping when she was at nursery.

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