Smyth's free lego

[Machiavellian]

AIBU to think it's unfair to display free Lego on a table alongside full price, extremely expensive Lego? Cue one upset and confused child that couldn't understand why they couldn't have the displayed full price pieces for free.

I don't follow at all, sorry. But it sounds like it's just one of those things. Distract the child and move on

I'm not sure I get it?

Your DC understands that toys have to be paid for?

How did they know that X lego was free and Y lego wasn't?

I don't think a toy shop was the best place to take them if they are going to kick off because you can't afford to buy them whatever they want.

Maybe they naturally assumed young children would be supervised by an adult that could explain it to them?!

I'm sorry but unless you are going to bring your child up to expect they can get everything they want it's really up to you to explain why they can't have the expensive lego for free.

Personally I'd just be really appreciative that any lego was being offered for free and your criticism seems really unfair.

They are running a business after all and the purpose of the free lego to persuade parents etc to buy the expensive stuff. So you have to expect tactics to encourage this.

So the toy shop are trying to upsell Lego? What a shocker.
Managing your child's expectations is up to you.

You’re complaining that Smyth’s are giving away free Lego but not the Lego your son wants? Seems like a good time to teach him that getting anything in life for free is a nice rarity and to be grateful.

They got a free mini, of course the shop is going to display other Lego near it, set expectations before you go in or at the table and then distract .

Yes you are.

Free lego could easily be a metaphor for state benefits and the full sized sets the income that hard working people earn and the lives and homes they can afford with it. In real life, everything is also displayed "next to each other". You see wealth and poverty everywhere. Seems like a good time to teach a lesson that by getting one thing for free, you are certainly not entitled to everything else around it for zero effort.

Non-event.

Life isn't fair and you can't always get what you want.

Children need to learn that, otherwise they will really struggle in life.

Smyths are giving away free Lego??

Of course they will. The aim of the promotion is to get people to buy lego. So they will show off the big best sets to make you want to buy it.

And thank you for letting everyone know.

Off we go to smyths

So they are!

https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/in-store-events

Yes free mini fig today, edit: oops cross post

Explain to your DC that the free lego is only there to encourage people to buy the expensive lego, it's called a 'loss leader' - this info will be useful to your child and help them navigate the world of retail.

I would just tell my DC (she 6 and 3) what was free and what wasn't. If they had a tantrum, then I'd take them out the shop and explain that if they want to go back in, they need to calm down!

Appreciate feedback. My son didn't want any of the free sets once he'd laid eyes on what had been built and displayed alongside. I get life is unfair but if you're going to do free Lego, just leave the Lego in the giant tub it's in without linking it to other products. We've been before and never seen it displayed alongside full price sets which is why my son was so thrown.

There’s no pleasing some people 🙄

Absolute non event.

Is this seriously an issue ? Does your child get upset and confused in Tesco with the free fruit, do they cry for strawberries instead of apples ?

Well, if he then didn’t want any free sets then presumably he came away with nothing? So that’s a lesson learned in gratitude!

I don't really understand how this is different from going to any shop and kids seeing stuff they want. Every time we go even to the supermarket, the kids always want this and that. I just say to put it on their Xmas list or sometimes we take a photo of it so we can remember (they inevitably forget about any of it within the hour regardless). That's just part of life.

At least this way they did get a little something!

Well did you explain to him that he can pick you be of the free ones but not the paid? It’s not a difficult concept to understand really, if they’re old enough for lego they’re old enough to understand this.

We spin this through other way. Crikey, that set is £££ but how cool, a free set from the same range!