To have no idea whatsoever what I can buy dd2 for Christmas?

[hooveringhamabeads]

Dd1 (14) is easy to buy for, she is really into clothes and helpfully sends me about a million links to stuff she wants.

Dd2 (8) on the other hand, I literally have no idea. She’s gone past that age of playing with plastic toys, and I’m currently in the process of ridding the house of all the needless shite that never gets played with. But she’s not really moved onto the next stage of being into fashion etc so it’s an awkward inbetweeny age.

She is really into playing on the iPad, but she got a new one for her birthday. Her bedroom is tiny (very small box room), and there really isn’t room for much in there. She does hobbies/activities (horse riding and majorettes), but there’s nothing she needs for either of those things.

To complicate matters further, she still believes in Santa, and I have created a rod for my own back here by buying too much stuff for her in previous years. So if she comes down to hardly any presents on Christmas Day, it will be difficult to explain. However, this year the thought of another avalanche of shite coming into the house fills me with horror. It’s not good for my sanity, or the environment. And she will never actually play with any of it.

WWYD?

Does she still do a list for Santa or can you encourage her to do one? Or her sister might have some ideas of things she has mentioned.

How about a ticket to a gig or a show? Vouchers for iFly or indoor surfing? Good luck!

Mine have all had magazine subscriptions of late...is that an option? Cookery/climbing course?

I have encouraged her to do a list but I don’t think she knows herself what she wants! Her sister definitely wouldn’t know as she avoids dd2 as much as possible.

Get her to write a letter to Santa, perhaps suggesting some experiences she might enjoy (eg would she like a voucher to take a friend to the cinema).

If she is getting past the toy stage Could you update her bedroom ?
Maybe a abin bed with desk under, some redecoration, rug, lamp and throws.

Ive got DD a Sega Megadrive with 85 built in games & 2 controllers, from Argos.

Wait for black Friday.

That might be quite a fun present?

My mum is already planning on taking them to ifly as their present, so that one’s out.

Tickets could work, she really wants to go to London so maybe I could find a show or event she’d like to go to and get tickets for that, and take her up in January for a ‘grown up’ girly weekend. Might still be a bit underwhelming for her on Xmas day though as there will be a distinct lack of ‘stuff’ and a weekend in London will be a bit of an abstract concept for her, even though she’d love it when she was there.

Grown-up art stuff? You could say she's big enough to not ruin expensive paints or pencils with a fancy sketch book to go with it. Fairy lights or new bed clothes for her room? Funny socks from New Look? A proper leather football?

She already has a cabin bed which she hasn’t slept in for about 3 months ‘because there are spiders’, so I’ve already bought her a second hand day bed which is what she wanted. But until I finish the mammoth task of clearing out all the plastic shite, I can’t put the new bed up. When I do, there will literally be room for nothing else in her room. It’s tiny.

A wii.
Some slime.
A cinema voucher.
Clip on earrings (nicer style eg h&m rather than plastic).
An umbrella.
A new duvet set.
Bath bombs.
A new board game (Cluedo would be good for that age or Bananagrams).
A cross stitch kit.
Books (famous five/babysitters club/twins at st clares).
Tickets to a theatre show.

My DD rides as well. She likes new hoodies personalised with her favourite horse on it. Also I've got her a subscription to Pony magazine, books about horses, jewellery with horse shoes etc, Heartland box set . You can get loads of horsey bits on Amazon. She is 11 and has also had in the past board games , chlothes, laptop, onesies, craft stuff, concert tickets, Twilight and Harry Potter box sets . It gets harder and harder though as now they can just download so much x

A pet? But obviously think carefully if this is appropriate for your family. My dd is nearly 9 and wants a hamster or rabbit for her Birthday. We will get one/both but we have always had rabbits so it suits us.

Any books she likes? My dd has recent discovered certain people to follow on YouTube/instagram and a book of one of them is about to be released so she really wants that.

Magazine subscription? Whizz pop bang? Aquila?

Also last year I got her a echo dot which she has loved for Alexa and this year I'm getting her a Fitbit watch x

I have a similarly awkward DSD. She's getting three games (Labyrinth, Exploding Kittens and Uno), a Bluetooth nightlight speaker, some fairy lights, a big bean bag seat, an Xbox game for DH's console, nice headphones, sweets and some earrings/bracelets from Claire's as she just got her ears pierced. You should head to the Christmas thread on MN for more ideas though.

How about some of the top model design books my dd discovered those around that age and still likes them.
www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/creativity-music-and-partyware/top-model/topmodel-pocket-colouring-book-3d/p/147172

I'm getting DD (same age) a telescope I think. She would also like crap Smiggle stuff, a Fitbit (or similar), MP3 player. I've also got her tickets for the strictly tour.

It's her bday in a couple of weeks and she would love a hamster. She's been desperate for a let for years so I will relent.

Fimo modelling clay and findings to make her own jewellery/an ideas book?
Lego?
Decent baking equipment that is hers?

Roller skates?
Instax camera?

She is into ‘arting’ as she puts it, but sharpies tend to be her weapon of choice and she already had loads.

We have a wii and her sister has tried to train her up on it but she’s quite useless.

She does like slime (still picking it out of the carpet from last Xmas).

Clip on earrings are a good idea. In fact, I could probably go into Claire’s with my eyes closed and just fill a basket with whatever comes to hand and she’d be happy .

Cluedo is a good idea, I used to love that game when I was about her age.

Thanks for all the suggestions, a vague plan is forming now!

She already has a hamster who is The Most Rubbish Pet in the World, as he sets his alarm for about midnight each night so she barely sees him. I spend a lot of time with him though, he’s very lovely.

Subscription to pony magazine is a good idea, although she’s not much of a reader.

She’d love some new roller skates but I can’t find any that are wide enough for her super wide feet.

I think my daughter may have been a year older but I bought her a small sewing machine and loads of pretty fabrics and she loved it! Started off making cushion covers and 6 years later she’s following patterns and making her own clothes!

It's a tricky age, I agree!

How about:

• Books
• Craft supplies
• Bluetooth headphones for her iPad
• Beanbag if there's space in the front room for it
• Movie night kit: fancy popcorn or a popcorn maker, DVD, cinema gift card
• Pyjamas / onesie
• Hot water bottle - Primark have some lovely ones in

I could just take the small sewing machine from dd1’s room that I don’t think ever got taken out of the box! I think maybe dd2 is a bit young for that though, she doesn’t have a lot of patience for sitting still and getting on with things like that.

Beanbag is a good idea, I may be able to squeeze one of them into her room. And will get her some new headphones, saw some cool ones in Claire’s with ears and unicorn horns and stuff.