Dd is asking for the most expensive Lego set from Santa

[Bananastars]

Because she's saying we won't have to pay for it. What would you do?

We used to say that although Santa brings the presents we needed to pay for them so they couldn't be too expensive

This is why in my house, Father Christmas brings little stocking presents and not tree presents. I want credit for that shit.

Santa only ever brought the stocking stuff.

He wasn't going to claim for the bigger items.

Tell her most Lego sets are stuck in Ukraine and won't be here in time, she knows, she bloody knows and she is pushing the envelope. 😡

‘No, that is far too expensive. Would you like this Lego set which costs less or something else altogether?’

People twist themselves in knots but sometimes I think it does a child no harm to just be told the truth. I’ve told my kids from a really really young age (since they were babies really) the truth about this type of stuff. They know that we simply can’t afford some things as we don’t have enough money.

I like the idea of Santa writing a letter back explaining even though it’s a really good toy to ask for it’s sadly a bit to many pennies for him as he has millions of other children to send toys to. I always explain Santa has others to send toys to so there’s only a certain amount of money for each toy

my DS son asked for a really expensive present £500ish and we told him to was to much but if he really wanted it, if he saved his pocket money and jobs etc and saved we would match what he saved so he could afford it for his birthday . It will never happen cause we have given him pocket money chores which he has turned his nose up at so he clearly doesn’t want it that badly.

Although this is partly why I don’t and have never pretended about Santa. I tell my kids it’s a story and we buy their presents. To me that’s just as ‘magical’ and wonderful because we’re sacrificing to buy them because we love our kids.

Smart kid!!

My toddler once told me that I should 'go shops, buy some' when I said we didn't have something and middle child suggested quickquid.com when I suggested we had spent too much money that week...

Time for some straight talking I think!

We always told DD that her Christmas list is a wish list, and she doesn't definitely get everything on the list. Just as well as a horse is listed every year!
I always make sure Santa brings one item from high up on her list but not always the top ticket item.

We've always told ds that Santa only brings the small present and every thing else comes from us. We could easily afford that lego but I think it would be insanity to buy that for a 10yo. That's way too much.

As Santa has to make and deliver gifts to everyone, he only brings smaller things.

We have big presents from parents so we can be clear if something costs too much.

Honestly, if it was just her I'd have a straight talk. But if we did, I know for certain that she will tell her 5yo sister that it's not real. We'd like it to carry on for maybe another year or two.

They normally ask for one or two which they get, never got them to list but will try this, thanks for the idea.

Gosh I wish we'd made it clear from the beginning Santa only gets small presents or we would have to pay him back. Sounds a bit weird if we started this now.

Thanks for this. I agree.

If you really want to keep going with it for your younger daughter, can’t you expressly tell the older one she must not deliberately spoil it for her sister? Tell her it would be a mean and unkind thing to do and you won’t be happy with her if she does.

She loves being mean to her sister, her hormones kicking off

I tell my children I have to send a cheque to Father Christmas to pay for the presents, maybe it’s time to say something similar.

Santa cannot spend 600 on every child or he would not be able to get gifts for everyone. If she’s nearly 10, I’d say she definitely knows though.

why would she tell her sister? That’s utterly bizarre. Most people with children have more than one and it’s the responsibility of the older one to not spoil it for the younger one/s. Is she mean to her sister? Why do you think she’d tell her?

In our house the children know what greedy children run the risk of getting nothing at all. It’s about managing expectations, Santa won’t get anything that the parents disagree with ( rules out phones for young kids or live animals for example!) and doesn’t get extravagant stuff either.

When our older child found out there was no Santa at 10/11 they were brought into the big secret and asked to keep if for younger kids… they like being part of the prep and planning now, and have t said a word.

Just tell her he only gives the stocking gifts.

The big ones are from you both, and you think she's old enough to understand that now, which is why you're telling her. Her little sister is too young to understand about money.

I had one Christmas when I was a kid, where I asked for a couple of impossible gifts from Father Christmas. I didn't get either item. My parents were sympathetic, and explained that sometimes we can't always get what we want.
However, I got lots of other lovely gifts, and I remember still having a nice Christmas that year.

Just be blunt with her and say "you won't be getting it for Christmas".

Well to start with she's underage for it. So santa would say no. It says 18 plus.

And obviously I know that the ages are just about difficulty but it's a good way out.

I think she's testing you.

You act like you have no control over this? What happens when she indulges her hormonal love of being mean to her sister? Can’t you tell her ‘if you spoil it for your sister you will lose your iPad/switch/treat for x amount of time, because that’s unacceptable?’

I mean I think look at it the other way - she’s unlikely to keep believing that Santa flies round the world delivering gifts for very long. At some point (likely already) she will know. So you will at some point need to face her telling her sister. Maybe just say no to the set and if she tells her sister Santa isn’t real say ‘well do you think he’s real? If so then ignore your sister, she’s being mean for the sake of it.’

I’d say either it’s too difficult or there wouldn’t be enough plastic in the world for everyone to have such a big toy. Or you have nowhere to store it/do it.