Second hand bike.

[Sugarfree23]

I'd arranged to buy a second hand bike from a friend. My kids have never seen the bike so wouldn't know it's origins. Any minor damage I'd planned to explain away 'oh no must have got scratched on the sleigh'

Except friends kid knows where their old bike is going. I'm almost certain friends kid will say something, we'll catch up with them between Christmas and New Year.

LO hasn't asked for a bike she's only asked for a couple of low cost toys. But older sis is getting a bike. I was feeling stuck at not having a big gift for LO and didn't want to pass off a hand me down from big sis.
Now I'm feeling stuck do I or don't I hand over the bike. If we say it's from us rather than Santa how do we explain any scratches?
I wish we'd not got oldest a bike at all instead waited for summer and handed DD1s bike down.

But why does it matter if your DC finds out their friend had it first? This would be a bonus to my DCs.

Not too posh for second hand both my kids have plenty of stuff thats passed along. But I wanted DD2 to get something that she hadnt seen before, not just a hand me down. If i wanted to do a hand me down I'd hand down DD1s old bike.

This is you projecting your hangups onto your kid.

She gets a new bike, that is all she is going to care about.

I can't understand why you didn't just give DD2 DD1's bike anyway. A present of a new bike for DD1 frees up the old bike DD2 and at that age, a bike is a bike. A five year old will have no concept of how much things cost on the present front, Or maybe yours does?

I was being daft trying to come up with a main present idea and thought the kids would never know. I really didn't think my friend would say anything to her DD.

I'm with the friend. Kids are allowed to know how the world works.

New bikes for children are generally unnecessary as they grow so quickly so second hand are still great quality. A five year old is allowed to know that their present is second hand.

It might prevent them from having a hangup that new is always better, as you seem to. Not your fault, but reusing and hand-me-downs are part of how we prevent the climate crisis deepening.

But it isn't a daft idea! It's a great idea! Better for the planet, better for your pocket, and has put a bit extra in your friend's pocket too. There are no losers here. The only problem is your hang up about how your DD will perceive it, but it is highly unlikely she'll care! (And if she does then you need to spend some time working on that with her) Unless the idea is planted by others, DCs don't see second hand as cast-offs. They like seeing their old stuff used, and they enjoy owning things that have previously been loved by their slightly older friends. We went to a get together at the weekend and my friend's DD was wearing something both my DDs have owned, worn, and loved. My DDs went over to her and happily pointed it out. Friend's DD face broke into a huge smile and she told them how much she likes it too. That's how it should be! The bike has not been cast off because it's shit, it has been passed on simply because it's outgrown. It's a good thing!