3yo wanting £175 Barbie dream house

[Sunshineandclouds11]

DD has seen advert a few times for Barrie dream house and keeps saying she’s going to ask Santa for it. 🙈 I don’t want to get it on the basis I think it’s too expensive (would spend that kind of money on something like a good quality bike) for a load of plastic and also don’t really want it cluttering up my house as it’s quite big.

Anyone with older DC have any clever tips for handling this? I was thinking about saying it’s too big to fit in his sleigh 🤣

In our house Santa brought stocking presents and big gifts came from mum and dad, so it was easy to say something was too much, too big etc.

Santa brings the presents that Mummy and Daddy have paid for, and it’s too much money. Start out like this and it will save considerable angst in future years.

‘Unfortunately you can’t always get everything you want’.

Covers almost every situation!

Could you find one second hand for a cheaper price?

Have a look on your local Facebook marketplace or reselling sites to see if there are any at a more affordable price. If that fails, I’d honestly just tell her that it’s too much money for Santa and that he can only bring smaller presents. I know it might seem futile because she’s younger, but it sets you up for an idea every year that Santa can only buy smaller presents. Then on a year that you perhaps have the money/deem a more expensive present worth the money then that present can be from you. Hopefully she will find a more affordable present for Santa to bring her, of course she might still be upset but I’m sure she will get over it eventually and hey if she still goes on about it every month until next Christmas at least you’ve got time to save.

write her a letter from Santa apologising that it fell off his sleigh over Romania and the elves couldn’t find it but he really hopes she’ll enjoy xyz.

Don’t feel bad, it’s a rite of passage not to get a much desired toy. Do a search and see how many Mnetters have bonded over never getting a Mr Frosty!

Yes as above for us Santa brings small stocking items and we get big presents. Plus, you don’t get everything you want every year! Completely agree £175 for a huge piece of plastic tat is not something I’d be keen on either so I’d be finding a reason to say no too!

I agree with PP I would look for a fb marketplace bargain and if I couldn’t find it I would explain that we have to send the money to Father Christmas and that toy is too expensive.

All the above is great advice.. but I remember my parents buying it for my DD when she was 3 and it’s probably the best present she’s ever got, it had endless hours of play, became the house of many toys, not just Barbie, and only recently was passed on to my niece as my youngest has just outgrown it.

I really resisted the big plastic toys but this one was such a winner 😂

Check on FB! Two on our local pages atm

I would try to find one second hand and if I couldn't I would say "I don't think that will fit on the sledge with all the other toys"

DS1 (7) is after a PS5. I've already explained the elves lack the tech ability to make those!

Be honest that mummy & daddy pay father Christmas bill & it's too big/too much.

But honestly? Its really, really easy to avoid children seeing adverts. Mine only watch streamed things with no ads or bbc & it really pays off, they never really have requests except for perhaps an occasional toy a friend has.

Stop putting on YouTube or junky channels with ads and you can avoid this problem in future years.

Have a look around for a second hand one.

On another thread a poster said she had drummed into her DC from a young age that a wish list is not an order form: you will not get everything you want. We have done similar with DS(8) and so far we’ve never had him moan that he didn’t get something on his list.

DS1 (7) is after a PS5. I've already explained the elves lack the tech ability to make those!

How on earth does he even know it exists? The only tech my 7 yo is aware of is Nintendo switch. He commented the other day that an older kid at school wanted an xbox, and then asked what it was - he had no idea. He's got older cousins so is not living in some weird bubble but you can keep this stuff off younger childrens radar if you try.

I wasn't given the "real baby NOT a doll" that I put my my Christmas list aged 4yo.
My dd didn't get the cat on hers.

It's not a good idea to set up that Santa will get everything they ask for.

However do have a look on Marketplace and see if there's a secondhand one near you.
I think Sylvanians are nicer anyway.

Definitely this. I always told my dd that I give the money to Father Christmas and he gets the presents with that.

Loads of them on ebay

Facebook Marketplace has loads for £50-£100. Still a lot for a lump of plastic but cheaper and more environmentally friendly than buying new.

I think if you could afford and would consider spending that much on a bike (etc) that your child really wanted but instead she really really wants a barbie dream house then get her the barbie dream house.

They’re only little once!

I’m bracing myself for a whole heap of trouble after this comment 😬😂

You need to change your thinking here OP- you might not be keen on this toy but it isn’t you that wants it, it’s your DD.

Why would a bike be ok but not a Barbie house ? Don’t be the type that dismisses dolls, there’s plenty of good that playing with dolls can do! ADolls houses can get so much play use that if you can afford to spend the best part of £200 on one you will get good value for your money.

FWIW... mine got one (from grandparents) when they were 4&6. They are now 10&12... and its still used! Probably at the end of its life though.

Santa only ever brought one smallish present to our house. It was definitely not connected to being good.

Santa only brings presents that fit into stockings in this house. But any stock phrase like 'let's wait and see', 'Santa has lots of boys and girls to buy for' etc.

How does a three year old even know such a thing exists??

If it's the money - would a second hand one work?
If it's the clutter - could it go in her bedroom?
If it's the plastic tat - you might be fighting a losing battle, I remember all the lovingly chosen wooden and tasteful toys being cast aside for bright flashy horrors. I learned to live with if for a few years 😂

But, if you want to manage expectations for the future, start talking about how Santa doesn't always bring everything on the list, and it's better to have a few options...

My tip is that if you buy a second hand toy bundle on eBay, which I always did for my kids as they’re such a great deal, you split the bundle into lots. There’s one on eBay with loads of additional bits and bobs, so you could give house and two dolls at Christmas, more dolls and van for bday, a doll instead of tooth fairy etc. I went for years on a few bundles of superheros.