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

BooHaa well you could just tell her that’s why Santa sticks to the optimum baggage allowance to maintain the reindeers health. He wouldn’t allow anything to harm them. They’re his only mode of transport so he can’t have them hobbling into the vets waiting room with double hernias and dodgy backs come Christmas Eve.

@be47

Good point!! That didn't cross my mind actually.

Or what will you do when she puts iPad and iPhone on her list at 7 or 9

sadly by the age of 9, they are unlikely to believe in Father Christmas anymore, so you can just say no then! You can even add "too expensive" at that age if you wish.

Trebla
I don't know if you are writing this using a phone or a computer, but you might want to research how environmentally friendly they are, in which conditions they are built then disposed of when you get rid of them.

you know, before playing the superior attitude card towards others...

We would tell the children that Santa Claus always brings you what you need not always what you want.

Good point @theEnglishInpatient we haven’t got to that age yet but I knew around 8 and so did all my friends .

@BooHaa might be get out of jail free card if you can be bothered explaining electricity to a 5-year-old!?

"Sorry DD, Santa only makes that for the American children"

"I'd love to know if anyone can tell me where I could purchase it in the UK for less than £500. Not that I expect DH would go for it"

Here www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-Disney-Princess-Carriage-Children/dp/B01KIHJTZ6?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 delivers to UK

I don’t know why people tell their kids Santa brings all the presents and everything their stupid little hearts desire. All it does is create a rod for your back (As evidenced) and instils the shite idea that consumerism and plastic tat = Christmas. It’s entirely possible to give children a magical Christmas without piles and piles of unnecessary tat. Social media is driving it a lot too. People think more presents = more love, it’s sad.

“EU Health & Safety Regulation 14b part ii makes it illegal for anyone without a permit to produce electrical goods. Santa does not have such a permit, DD...do you want him to be arrested and fined? Well, do you? Maybe next year when we’ve Brexited but you’ll have to petition Mr Johnson, Her Majesty The Queen & The Lapland Health & Safety Executive. Do all that, and we’ll see”.

That’ll sort it.

I'm kinda glad my daughter never believed in Santa now. I never even realised parents made up all these elaborate reasons why their dc couldn't get what was on their list.

Stuff like that carriage, I would have told my dd that it was only available in the US and we just couldn't get it here. Usually have to use that explanation every christmas on something or other. Bloody global internet. (I did give up on the minecraft t-shirts though, and the postage and customs fee wasn't bloody cheap!)

Ha ha! This reminds me of the time that my friend's DS asked for a penguin for Christmas. My friend presumed he meant a cuddly toy and went along with it when writing to Santa until it came out that he actually wanted a real penguin!

She did manage to let him down gently in the end and I think she got him a zoo membership and got Santa to write beforehand saying that he couldn't deliver live animals as presents.

Anyway, it was a palaver but it didn't ruin any of the magic of Christmas for the little boy in question. So don't worry, this won't for your daughter either 😊

I'm sure you'll swerve the £1,200 gift no problems... I'd probably say that It would be too heavy for the sleigh and I've seen a better one that has its own white horse/unicorn (as per the smyths toy shop one). I'd also do whatever I could do (maybe something you could do with parent controls???) to stop her from ever seeing that YouTube video with it in again 😂

@theenglishinpatient

Pointless strawman comment.

There is a HUGE difference in the sustainability of my old phone and that plastic monstrosity.

It’s also entirely possible to discuss Christmas without taking the opportunity to sneer at others, Barbourella. Could you not seek out another way to validate your own imagined superiority?

“...everything their stupid little hearts desire”. Nasty & charmless.

You think that's bad - one year my 5 year old daughter wanted

• a lifesize wooden horse and cart and
• a giant Zorb

(spoiler - she got neither)

@BarbourellaTheCoatzilla aren’t you charming calling innocent children stupid. Plus who says that Santa bringing everything means piles and piles . Maybe Santa bringing everything is a selection box and a cuddly toy.

As a pp mentioned, I tell my kids that the kids off YouTube are acting. Their lives are not real.

You keep telling yourself that Trebla, if it makes you feel better.

It does make you lose all credibility though, but we already knew that anyway

This reminds me of the time that my friend's DS asked for a penguin for Christmas
I asked FC for a real live baby.
I am honestly traumatised for life that I didn't get one.*

*I think I was mildly disappointed for about 2 minutes before enjoying the rest of my presents.

BarbourellaTheCoatzilla
thankfully it's also possible to have a lovely Christmas when Santa brings ALL the presents and none of them is plastic tat. Some of us seem to be able to chose gifts better than you do if we can treat and spoil our kids without buying rubbish. You sound sad.

And it's not coming from a place of superiority, more fear, outrage and incredulity that we are still behaving in environmentally harmful ways. There is so much more I can do, but this will be wiped out by the thoughtless, unsustainable and commercial actions of others over Christmas. I scared and angry. The question should not be how can I not disappoint my child as it is too expensive it should be what can I do to protect my child by becoming more environmentally conscious and removing the commercial conditioning from her life. Celebration doesnt have to mean wastefulness.

I used to say that Santa sends a bill after Xmas so if something was too expensive the I’d say we couldn’t afford it

I say that Santa chats to mummy via text about the list and mummy says if something is too big or too expensive... or would mean other children miss out!

@theEnglishInpatient

Who is "we"? are the rest of the members of mumsnet at your house with you now? Are you the nominated spokesperson?

Use your own opinions.

My point is valid. And you know it.