AIBU to not want to buy a £125 football for DS (7)

[FlirtyKirti]

DS is 7 and is completely obsessed with football. He has written a list for Father Christmas with only one thing on it - a Nike Premier League ball. I was gobsmacked to discover it cost £125: m.jdsports.co.uk/product/yellow-nike-english-premier-league-202122-flight-football/16235109/?cm_mmc=googleshop--google--shopping-_-pla&istCompanyId=9c5cf6f7-3142-4f9f-be57-2fce9c67adfd&istFeedId=014e8b49-620d-4e56-9e87-79529c403af2&istItemId=ppatqxrxm&istBid=tzwt&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7oyNBhDiARIsADtGRZaReDhs_fuuUhcaeS4lSxt3_TUb5GOBEv1euWaeea_5zd6U4p5B868aAjZvEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I don’t want to spend so much on something that is likely to get lost/kicked over a fence/punctured by a dog’s teeth, and I would worry taking something like that to a park could make him a target for thieves.

But… he is going through a tough time. His grandfather who he is very close to is dying of cancer and it is the only thing he wants, while his brother has copied out most of the Ninjago sets in the Lego catalogue on his list. I wouldn’t balk at spending that much on Lego if he’d wanted a big set as his main present. What should I do? I don’t want him to be spoilt but I also want him to be happy during what might otherwise be a rather bleak Christmas.

I don't think a 7 year old will be able to tell the difference. He just wants a ball that looks like that one

I am 100% sure that my football obsessed 8 year old could absolutely tell the difference. If you can afford it, get it, but on the very clear understanding that it won’t be replaced when the dog eats it.

If you have explained to him about it getting lost, punctured etc and he still wants it, then get it. It is learning opportunity for him. Hopefully next time he will ask for something more durable.

It's fine to tell a 7 year old that some things just aren't worth the money/ suitable for a 7 year old. It would be madness to buy a £125 ball that will get ruined/nicked at the park. That's not what that kind of ball is for. And he'll probably be just as happy with a cheaper replica anyway.

When I was 8, I wanted a watch that cost £50 (a lot of money back then!). My parents gently explained that it wasn't worth spending that amount of money on a watch for a child, it was an adults watch. They bought me a similar looking watch for around £10, which I was just as happy with ( and I lost it at school a few weeks later).

Sometimes you have to be realistic about presents that your child asks for, and it's ok to explain to a child that they can't always have exactly what they want.

He's 7. Never in a million years would I even consider getting a £125 BALL for a 7 year old.
A 7 year old also doesn't understand the value of money. Would he understand that if you got that ball, he wouldn't be getting anything else? At the end of the day, a ball is a ball. And when it's pissing down rain on xmas day, and he doesn't want to go out with the new ball, what's he going to do the rest of the day?

Surely the only people buying the £125 ball are collectors? I’d buy the cheaper one, no question, and if he notices (unlikely) explain that the more expensive version is for collectors and the one you’ve bought is for playing with.

I doubt he’ll be a target for thieves as surely everyone would assume it’s the cheaper version.

I agree with getting the cheaper £40 one. I bet he only wants it because it’s different coloured to a normal football. Well, the cheaper one covers that!

@Marianne1234

argos are doing a similar house, but its wooden. its £100 just now but with the TOYS20 code its £80.

my dd wants the barbie one but has settled for this one

OP id see if you can get it for him but 100% shop around for a discount, but i totally get your reluctance.

£125 for a ball is absolutely ridiculous

At 7 he should be playing with a size 3 ball so maybe you could explain him that the expensive ball isn't available in the right size for him practicing?

You'd spend it on something you valued, despite being just as worthless, likely to get lost and broken. So spend it on what he values. Tell him it's very special and expensive and needs looking after. But at the end of the day. Anything you buy a kid this age is just written off. They outgrow everything.

Sports Direct also have this on their website and have a £20 off voucher if you spend over £100.

You could always show him the cheaper ball online and say “just double checking this is the one you want”?

@FluffyBooBoo

Nike have a 25% off code, GAME21, valid till tomorrow. I know it's still a lot, but it's better? I think you have to be signed in to get it.

That next one above says currently unavailable.

What a lovely thing to do! So kind.

for you.

Also sorry to hear about his grandfather 🤗

this one is £17, I really don’t see the difference!

@SeaToSki

Can you buy him the one he wants and a display stand for it and then an ordinary one to play with

I like this idea!

Please don't buy the ones from China, they will be knock off, poor quality and usually have some pretty obvious errors like spelling mistakes etc.

I think he means the replica ball tbh. That's what most kids would mean if they asked for a football. He's just being clear on the design he wants, ie not the replica champions league ball etc.

@TheGirlWhoLived

this one is £17, I really don’t see the difference!

I take it you aren't a 7 yr old kid who loves football

My DH bid stupid money on a Celtic signed ball. It sits in his office at work. When dd was small she would go up to it and touch it with her fingers and shout no touch😂😂
My sister had 5 boys who were football mad her garden was covered in footballs all of which were burst.

Personally wouldn't pay that for a football he planned to take to the park.

I'd have a debate with myself exactly the same as yours, but then probably buy it.

What I have learned over 2 decades if children is you should never buy a cheaper version of what they really wanted, better tonget something completely different than something that is similar but not the one they wanted. Nothing worse than a child struggling to be pleased while they hide their disappointment on Christmas Day.

@Ihavenoideawhereitis

I think he means the replica ball tbh. That's what most kids would mean if they asked for a football. He's just being clear on the design he wants, ie not the replica champions league ball etc.

That's what I would have thought.

It's a good idea to show him the replica one online and say you wanted to make sure it's the right one.

Ds spent that on match balls at a young age, he saved xmas and birthday money for them, got them from Greaves. Once left one out overnight and some wee shite stole it. He played with them for ages then resold them all.

@TheGirlWhoLived

this one is £17, I really don’t see the difference!

This is the same one that I've already mentioned is currently unavailable.

SSD that's interesting. Even at 7?
My boys went through a lot of footballs. I found really cheap ones can be a false economy. But at 7 they really weren't able to keep anything five minutes.