To HATE getting my kids getting given plastic tat for presents?

[Oops41]

Of course, for birthdays and Christmas people give presents (which is so lovely and kind and thoughtful of course) but I HATE it when they unwrap it and it's a piece of cheap plastic tat from Amazon. Inevitably they are poorly made, last one play, end up in the bin this creating more landfill. I thought I would avoid plastic crap this year with the children not having parties but some friends and family members have still been really kind and given presents despite this lovely kindness, I'm always really pissed off when they open it and its some cheap nasty plastic toy. I dont mean that I want them to spend more on them, they needed get presents at all, but in honesty a handmade card, a book, some sweets would be so much better. The children are always excited to receive presents and generally tear then open, get the toy out and it never lasts. They're not massively interested or it breaks very soon. Gaaaaaaah!
Does anyone else get really pissed off with this or am I a miserable old bag? Its seen rude to request certain gifts but honestly it would reduce so much wastage and landfill!

No child wants a beautiful handmade card

😂

I laughed so hard at this.

They are the really really cheap flimsy ones, often with moving parts that are so badly made they snap as soon as a child tries playing with it

Can you post a link to an example, because while I theoretically get what you’re talking about, I don’t come across this in real life.

@beantocup how have a back tracked? Said cheap TAT in first post. Realised I needed to clarify, clarified.

My mum and dad always arrived on Boxing Day with heaps of "plastic tat". It was the highlight of Christmas for my kids! Many years ago, and my parents long dead, but the kids still reminisce about the excitement of those "special" presents.

Re handmade cards, my kids have been given them from friends and school on their birthday and have loved it!

Am with you!! Annoys me so much when my kids get plastic tat that literally break within 5 mins!! And then they moan at me for it!!! I didn't buy it!
I always say don't give anything and if you feel the need to, I would much rather appreciate clothing, books, stationary. I get for kids opening up toys is far more exciting than clothes, but my kids actually enjoy getting clothes as present especially when it's related to things they like.

Clawdy, did the toys last or did they break immediately?

I hate plastic tat full stop. It's bad for the planet and we can find better ways for people to earn an income than making all this rubbish.

When ds was small we didn't dp party bags, I got books from the Book People and gave one away with a slice of birthday cake.

DD has got a lot of "cheap,plastic tat.
1.she loved every single one
2.none broke after one use

In fact she still has some bits from a plastic playset she got at 2.It was 3.99 in the Entertainer. She's 9. There are other things too that have lasted, but this one is recent in my mind as it appeared in my FB memories.

Oops41 they lasted a fair while really, and were loved while they lasted!

I hate plastic tat too, but it lands in the bin after a couple of uses and the kids love it, so I focus on the fact that it is meant as a kind thought.

@Formerbabe totally missing the point of the thread. Nowhere have I said "it looks horrible, it ruins the aesthetic of my home, the colours are too bright" My concerns have been about wastage and landfill

DD is peak tat age. Loves it all, lol dolls, hatchimals etc. To combat the environmental aspect we've said we will buy her second hand stuff, we've been reconditioning it and will give to charity once we are done.

[quote Oops41]@Formerbabe totally missing the point of the thread. Nowhere have I said "it looks horrible, it ruins the aesthetic of my home, the colours are too bright" My concerns have been about wastage and landfill[/quote]
Sorry I actually made my post after reading the poster who had twins and couldn't cope with toys everywhere...so it was more in relation to that than your op. Honestly to that poster...you're going to be a fighting a losing battle as your twins get older.

@TheKeatingFive

They are the really really cheap flimsy ones, often with moving parts that are so badly made they snap as soon as a child tries playing with it

Can you post a link to an example, because while I theoretically get what you’re talking about, I don’t come across this in real life.

You've never bought a kinder surprise? Never bought a panto toy?

I love books. Also love plastic tat. I've kept all the lego, Barbies, playmobil, fisher price garage, sylvanians for my grandkids, if I'm lucky enough to have any.

Totally agree with you.

I remember when my kids were at the party bag stage (a horror in itself), they would empty their party bags full of horrendous plastic tat on the floor after a party and within ten minutes it would pretty much all be broken and put into the bin - and not because they were particularly heavy-handed.

You've never bought a kinder surprise?

Of course, but this clearly isn’t the ‘large, impressive looking’ type of thing the OP is talking about.

I've kept all the lego, Barbies, playmobil, fisher price garage, sylvanians for my grandkids

This is exactly what I’m trying to tease out. Is this what people are talking about when they say ‘plastic tat’? To me, these are great, stimulating, enduring toys.

I tell you what is boring and bad for my environment- parents that get sanctimonious about toys that other people give their children

So @Clawdy and @AccidentallyOnSanta I wouldnt call that tat then. Tat is stuff that us shoddily made and breaks easily. Kids love plastic toys and the well known toy companies make stuff that lasts, gets played with and when outgrown can be passed on. My issue is with plastic TAT that breaks easily, poorly made and becomes landfill because it cannot be passed on or donated

I’m a bit of a toy snob.

I don’t mind plastic if it will last, by that I mean my son will play with it a lot and it can then be donated and used again, such as lego.

I got him a lol doll thing a few weeks ago as he had asked for some, the amount of packaging was insane, there was more plastic in the packaging than the actual tiny toy.

Other people buying is different though, if someone chooses to buy my son a gift then I am always grateful. I don’t get to choose how other spend their money. Although I was not grateful when he got a recorder and frozen music book, my poor poor ears.

@thekeatingfive nooooooo!! Stuff that breaks. Cheap shite!! A fake barbie or unbranded plastic car. Not plastic toys in general.

To me tat means it is not fit for use, it is shoddy, it is poor quality

Donate it to your local women's refuge before they play with it, someone would be grateful if it.

We managed it be carefully suggesting to family that the kids were collecting a certain something. Lego, brio, duplo, playmobil, so that a small spend added up to a bigger set.
Grandparents appreciated having ideas of what to buy and it saved the guilty over presents that didn't last.