How to handle DD request for Christmas present I can't afford??

[BooHaa]

DD wants one of these carriages she has seen on YouTube, they cost £1200!! DD is 5 and she fully believes in Santa. How on earth do I distract her from wanting this or manage her expectations???

www.onbuy.com/gb/cars-and-trucks/disney-princess-24v-carriage-ride-on-pinkpurple~c2342~p16663510/?exta=gshp&stat=eyJpcCI6MTIzNC45OSwiZHAiOjAsImxpZCI6IjIyMDQzODEyIiwicyI6IjgiLCJ0IjoxNTc0OTQ4NzAwLCJibWMiOiIwLjAifQ==&lid=22043812&gclid=CjwKCAiA_f3uBRAmEiwAzPuaMw9cKSyEOLvYOL6A51wlwxWYkB5N6bf4OyIB75TKmZh7kN808VujtxoCbiIQAvD_BwE

Of course it won't ruin the magic!! Requests to Santa should only ever be suggestions. The magic of Christmas isn't about presents. Children love spending time with their family, their special traditions that you've developed and the excitement of Santa arriving.

This is a link to a Lego princess carriage. Santa only does physically small gifts- they have to fit down the chimney after all

OP just say that it costs the elves too much to build. At £1300, it’s not like any of her friends are going to get one and it doesn’t spoil the magic of the gift coming from santa.

Well that’s easy

Santa has never been able to bring Disney presents because if the elves made them Disney would sue and end Christmas.

See also: tooth fairy industrial action over permanent night shift.

It won't ruin the magic. I'm sure you will come up with a good compromise or find something else she likes.

Will she be likely to be distracted by low key Christmas activities like baking, crafts, looking at Christmas lights and displays at garden centres and markets etc? It's cliche and some might think lame but my 5 year old enjoys things like that. I honestly think just saying it costs too much will be fine. I know instinct makes you want to buy them the world but it's good to manage their expectations. I like my lot to be easily pleased.

I told my dds that Father Christmas only brought presents he could fit in his sack so big presents were bought by Mummy and Daddy. That thing is enormous and most people don't have the space.

That's a huge carriage!! If Santa put that in his sleigh there wouldn't be any room for the other children's presents. 👍

This is why Santa only brings stockings and parents give the main presents. And parents do not have magical powers to give kids whatever overpriced tat they want.

In our house Santa and his elves can only make wooden toys. Everything else we have to send money for. He also only brings a small gift and the stocking (the stocking always contains something Mummy absolutely does not approve of!)

Money gets sent to Santa in an envelope at the same time as the letter. Ours go in the airing cupboard and always gone by the morning.

@blue25
I'll be fine thanks, she's my youngest child and it's the first time a child has ever latched onto the idea of something so expensive at an age where they so believe in Santa.

I do like the approach about fair share and her being kind, that could work well because unlike some of you are portraying, she is not a brat! She has no concept of this being do much more money than a bike for example.

Usually when they are a bit older I explain I send santa money/presents but it just seems so sad to have to give this first drip feed to her already.

I have no suggestions as DD is only 1 but that is absolutely the most hideous, tacky, vile toy I've ever seen. It's not even slightly cute. Who the bloody fuck would buy that?

In our house Santa tends to bring lots of little things, always nail polishes (used to be those peel off plastic ones with stickers and stuff) cute hair accessories, like clips or a new character hairbrush, a small selection box, lip balms, character socks, a few trinkets that shes into at the time. One year a rubix cube, and a puzzle or some sort of cheap game and a little book and a couple of crafty sets.
Loads to open, but also inexpensive.

We had it that Santa brought the stocking presents, and the rest were from us

Father Christmas doesn't do electricals. Elves are shit at wiring. Batteries take too long to make. Its too heavy for the reindeer.

Jaysus that's twice the price of my car!! Ha wow. Just expensive. Just say no Santa cant afford that

Santa just brings stockings.

Makes it very easy to not buy stupidly expensive things, also makes doing the shoe box appeal easy.

Otherwise why do some children get ponies and others my little pony????

We all need to get onboard!

Where's she going to go in it? Narnia? Windsor Castle?

Write her a letter back from santa explaining that this year and each year going forward he is going to be giving experiences to male memories with your family as they are the best gifts. They also dont waste resources, contribute to the climate emergency and condition materialism into children at a time we need to be focussing on the environment.

Or just say no.

He only brought modest stockings, saves a lot of issues. Just say no, it the first of many

Also, off topic, but how on Earth can that cost over £1000?? It's so naff!

Wow! I want that! Do they do it in adult size?

I think we need to go back to Santa only bringing stockings - it's still magical and far less wasteful.
We've done this from early on as DSs best friend from babyhood is from a single parent family with far less income than our own. I just couldn't bear to see the other boy disappointed if DS got a big gift that he wanted and his friend didn't.

That carriage cost $398 op! Onbuy is vastly inflated nobody actually pays £1300 for it.

Santa has to make toys for all the kids and that is far too big make . He also doesn’t bring things that they don’t have room for .

Yes thanks for suggestions, going to use the space in house, space on sleigh and fair share discussion with her. I don't think she will miss it at Christmas as such and will be distracted by her other lovely things, it just breaks my heart I can't give her the world and I worry she will wonder why she didn't deserve it but you've given me good ideas to turn that into how she's such a kind girl etc.

It sounds silly but sometimes you need others to point out what's obvious and I hadn't thought of that!

Agree its hideous but can see the appeal to a 5 year old!