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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy clothes for a 3 year old girl, instead of a toy?

39 replies

MadameCheese · 01/07/2010 23:29

TBH her mum and I aren't close, but my DS is going to her birthday party. There's only so many toys a child can appreciate. I thought maybe clothes (which mum could of course exchange) would be a good practical alternative. What do you think or is this just silly?

OP posts:
TheLadyEvenstar · 01/07/2010 23:31

i prefer to buy clothes!!

jendaisy · 01/07/2010 23:33

I think get a toy. The child won't appreciate the clothes at all, and it's her birthday after all! I can remember always feeling very disappointed when I received clothes as gifts when I was a child.

TennisFan · 01/07/2010 23:48

Get a toy - I hate when anyone buys my DC clothes, and their faces are still disappointed and they are 6 and 10

Original poster
MadameCheese · 01/07/2010 23:48

You're not really buying for the child are you? How do I know it's something she hasn't got already? TBH my DS was given some pretty random stuff for his birthday by friends. Don't get me wrong that doesn't concern me in the slightest and she's only 3

OP posts:
Firawla · 01/07/2010 23:52

i think it would seem more normal to get a toy
if you get clothes then make it something special so the child would find it interesting because if its a normal kind of clothes they wont regard it as a present but maybe if its some kind of princess dress or something??

Original poster
MadameCheese · 01/07/2010 23:56

Ok, so what do I buy a 3 yo girl?

OP posts:
jendaisy · 02/07/2010 00:06

Usually Dora, Fifi and Peppa Pig are winners with any 3 year old girl. Or a bubble machine. Or dressing up clothes. Have a look on The Entertainer website as they are having a big sale at the moment and you can search by gender/age.

Mumcentreplus · 02/07/2010 00:09

I say buy some vouchers if you ar truly perplexed...but clothes or a toy are equally cool..just dont buy anything dodgy! ..ie no toys that are noisy as hell.(bin fodder)..or dodgy spangy outfits that will suddenly find themselves at the back of the wardrobe (never to be worn or seen again)..

Helokitty · 02/07/2010 00:13

How girlie is the girl? My 3 year old girl would love clothes, providing it is pink and has lots of glitter . She is quite fashion conscious though!

SE13Mummy · 02/07/2010 00:24

3-year-old girl? Stripy tights, hairclips, colouring pencils, a book with the child's name in the title (Amazon advanced search is good for this), Charlie & Lola puzzle? I'd probably buy "That rabbit belongs to Emily Brown" for a 3-year-old girl. My 5-y-o DD loves it at the moment and it's a great story. Then again, she's always loved it when people have bought her clothes.

Tombliboob · 02/07/2010 00:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

susiey · 02/07/2010 00:33

My 3 year old loved getting clothes as a pressie she wanted to put them on straight away!

Lonnie · 02/07/2010 00:43

my 3 girls would all adore clothes and I echo the pink stuff..

ShrimpOnTheBarbie · 02/07/2010 01:26

My 3yr old would love clothes, shoes, dress ups or accessories. Otherwise books, puzzles, a game or craft activity. I know because she has just done up a list for her birthday - which isn't until the end of the year.

NestaFiesta · 02/07/2010 09:20

I buy clothes or pyjamas. I often think they might already have the book or the toy but you can never have too many pyjamas, even duplicates. I know when my DS (age 3) get pyjamas, he wants to wear them that very night.

I also think that if the child is having a party they will probably be bought more toys than they could ever play with anyway.

MrsJohnDeere · 02/07/2010 09:24

There has been a definite trend towards buying clothes rather than toys here this year. Some mothers have specifically asked for them on invites, particularly when the birthday child is a 2nd or 3rd child and they have all the toys they could ever need.

NorbertDentressangle · 02/07/2010 09:28

DD loves clothes as a present and always has done (she's 10 now). For her last birthday one of the boys in her class bought her a T-shirt which I thought was an unusual present (in that friends don't often buy clothes for each other at that age and also as it was from a boy to a girl) but she loved it. His mum he obviously has good taste.

Even 5 yo DS has had clothes (PJs and T-shirts) from friends the last 2 birthdays and he loved them. TBH it was also a welcome break from some of the toys as they are often duplicated or you find yourself wondering where on earth its all going to go!

For a 3 yo girl I would buy clothing plus some hair accessories or dress-up jewellery/accessories.

emptyshell · 02/07/2010 09:28

Ask the mother? As a little girl I'd have run away in horror if pink and dresses were involved and bought for me!

Poledra · 02/07/2010 09:39

My girls like clothes as presents - they are particularly delighted by knickers with pictures on them (think Tinkerbell, Disney princess) and these have the benefit that, even if the mother doesn't especially like the character you've chosen, they'll still get used as they're not usually seen much.

sweetnitanitro · 02/07/2010 09:48

I never buy toys for my nieces, they have so many that I never know what they already have. Clothes are useful but not much fun for a 3yo to open. Books are always a winner though, so that's what I usually buy. You can never have too many books

ShinyAndNew · 02/07/2010 09:52

Hair things and dressing up shoes are always winners for 3 year old dd2. She does loves clothes though.

Jojay · 02/07/2010 09:53

I buy clothes and leave the tags in so they can be swapped then put some little extra prezzie in theat the child would like - sparkly stickers, chocolate buttons, hair grips etc

emptyshell · 02/07/2010 10:06

I was going to suggest sparkly hair grips and things - especially with bobbles being the sort of thing that are likely to get lost lots anyway and will always get used as time goes on.

Original poster
MadameCheese · 02/07/2010 10:10

Super ideas everyone, thanks . Yes she's pretty into pink (ha!).

OP posts:
Bingtata · 02/07/2010 13:18

Only do clothes if you are sure of the size. My DD is only just 4 and wears age 5-6 or sometimes 6-7 clothes (tall). Not only would she be disappointed to get clothes, they are invariably clothes that don't even fit and I have to try and exchange them which is a PITA to be honest.

Books or hairbands/clips would be good here.

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