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Christmas

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Original poster

If there's something your dc wants and you know it's shit do you get it anyway?

68 replies

Stillhopingstillhere · 07/10/2013 23:14

Ds is 4 and is set on a furreal kitty - currently reduced to £33 on amazon which is the cheapest I've seen them, rrp is £50 (£50!)

It is total utter crap. It does basically nothing and will more than likely be ignored after a day.

Do I:
A) get it now because Im fairly sure he isn't going to change his mind and it's at least slightly cheaper.
B) leave it and hope he changes his mind but if he doesn't get it nearer christmas when it might be more expensive.
C) not get it at all

It's tricky because I don't think children shouldn't necessarily get everything they want but it makes it more tricky if it is a gift they are asking Santa for.
I don't think this toy is value for money at all. Otoh he's been coveting it since it came out a few months ago and I don't think he's likely to change his mind hence he will notice if it's not there on christmas morning. It's actually the only thing he's consistently mentioned despite me saying "but it does nothing" "Santa could bring this instead" etc etc.

Do you usually get what your dc have asked for (within reason) even if you KNOW it will be shit?

OP posts:
YoniBottsBumgina · 08/10/2013 12:01

I think I would leave it for the first year they want it if you know it won't get use, then if they are still begging for it next year then it will be all the more special!

snappybadger · 08/10/2013 12:02

Lol! I too am left scarred as an adult because I never received a Mr Frosty despite it being on my Christmas list year after year.

I don't know what I'll do when I inevitably face the same situation as you op. My ds is only 2.5 at the moment so I completely control what presents he gets. But I do love the idea of getting children to read the reviews for shit toys and encouraging them not to waste a present on something so rubbish.

Editededition · 08/10/2013 12:07

I suggest spending an afternoon with the Argos catalogue, before you commit to buying the "damn cat".
I managed to deter mine from a couple of dire requests to Santa, over the years, because an hour cuddling up on the sofa looking at all the amazing possibilities with some gentle encouragement usually had them picking out something I thought was better!!

Somanyexcuses · 08/10/2013 12:10

Get it. It probably will be shit but I remember wanting mr frosty and lights alive and I wouldn't have cared how crap they were!

Worst thing for me was that db got lights alive the year that I had asked for it. I was about 7 and very angry so I ate all his dairy milk minis in the middle of the night and played with lights alive when everybody was asleep!

Original poster
Stillhopingstillhere · 08/10/2013 12:12

I've tried the catalogue approach! And I've pointed out that when he saw it at his friend's house it basically did nothing. Alas I think the fact his friend has it makes him want it more.

Last year it was cherry my very own kitty and as predicted it was ignored after a week. However on christmas morning it was the gift he was anticipating the most and he still says "I got cherry for christmas didn't I?" Whereas although he plays with the other things he had more he seems to remember the occasion for which he got the cat. At least daisy is more aesthetically pleasing than cherry. Cherry looks like she's made from real cat. Road kill cat.

OP posts:
Original poster
Stillhopingstillhere · 08/10/2013 12:14

I wanted lights alive! My friend had it and I coveted it, never got it though.

OP posts:
Mutley77 · 08/10/2013 12:14

Yes I do get them what they want. It is the one time they can ask for anything and believe in the magic of Christmas as it does arrive. The first year was the baby annabel cot with curtains, Dd was so chuffed to get it I didn't have the heart not to carry on! Exception is technology I think they are too young for and I say "I don't think fc will bring that" very early on and head it off at the pass so to speak!

fuzzpig · 08/10/2013 12:19

What was Lights Alive?

OP - your recent post changes it I think. In light of the fact he's got the Cherry kitten thing already, does he love it? If so I would definitely get the cat he wants.

Assuming he doesn't/isn't allowed to ask for anything else, you can choose something much better for him too if you have money left over.

fuzzpig · 08/10/2013 12:19

Ah sorry x post! Hmm. That's tricky if he didn't play with it after all.

fuzzpig · 08/10/2013 12:22

Although, as he obviously treasures the memory of it, maybe he still cherishes cherry (try saying that while tipsy :o) even though he doesn't play with it?

Original poster
Stillhopingstillhere · 08/10/2013 12:23

It was like a peg board that made pictures and lit up. It was awesome! Awesome!

No he does not play with cherry my very own road kill kitty. He does love her apparently and she sleeps on his bed but she is particularly vile I have to say. Her head is very heavy and she tips up every time you sit her down. Also she is supposed to purr but actually she vibrates, in fact I do wonder if someone in China, in the cat making factory, dropped their phone inside cherry my very own kitty.

Daisy is pretty cute, but play will still be limited.

OP posts:
fuzzpig · 08/10/2013 12:28

I think my friend had something like that lights alive thing. Must have been really newfangled at the time :o

ChippingInNeedsSleepAndCoffee · 08/10/2013 12:35

I would buy it for him because to me it would be worth £33 to watch his face light up when he opens it - even if he doesn't play with it much. You have years ahead of you when he will be old enough to read reviews and make wiser decisions - only a handful of christmases when he believes FC will bring him his hearts desire.

kiwidreamer · 08/10/2013 12:41

I've got DD 2.5yrs the Daisy cat for Xmas, or at least I told MIL what to buy and MIL ordered it online and had it sent to ours, I think DD will love it, she is cat mad but we cant have any due to DH's allergies --and meanie landlords--... however I do have exactly the same dilemma with DS who will be 5.5yrs at xmas and wants some Air Hog hovering toy, which is about £25 and gets RUBBISH reviews and even worse than not playing with it, it sounds like it will break in 2 minutes along with his wee heart Confused

VenusDeWillendorf · 08/10/2013 12:45

I think I agree chipping, BUT, there is always the danger that if its so totally crappy, he will begin to think his heart's desire is rubbish, or Santa is.

Keep in your budget, and get lots of family games, just in case the toy doesn't last three minutes.

What I remember most about Xmas were the family board games and cards we all played, I don't think we ever got exactly what was on Santa's list because of 'supply problems' at the North Pole.

Floggingmolly · 08/10/2013 12:53

Yes, I do. Do you want them to remember the year Santa didn't bring what they asked for? Because they will; long after all the effing things they did get are a dim and distant memory I'll never forget not getting Spirograph Grin

myBOYSareBONKERS · 08/10/2013 12:54

sigh . . . . Ours is Teksta the robotic dog....... It is SO EXPENSIVE and they want one each and I know it will be rubbish and not played with.

I don't mind paying out for things if they will play/use them. Ds1 is 10 now and wants xbox games, skylander stuff which I KNOW he will use (is also Autistic so I know he will as he gets obsessed by stuff). But Ds2 age 6 is the complete opposite - not really into anything, doesn't play with anything, never asks for anything - and the stuff he does mention he then doesn't play with anyway! He just plays out on his bike or watches TV.

However the in-laws emailed me to say they have brought them one each!!!

any ideas what to get ds2????

enormouse · 08/10/2013 12:55

This is completely sad but I always always wanted a bambi soft toy from the Disney shop. Never got one despite asking for it every birthday and Christmas. I'm 24, I still want a bambi.

Parmarella · 08/10/2013 12:59

if it's his birthday, or christmas...get it!

My DS age 3 desperately wanted a Fisherprice Dinosaur, a huge plastic thing that roared, and did not much else. He loved it. And still remembers the excitement of getting it, it was a very happy birthday.

I have some "great" presents, beautiful wooden toys etc, they never played with. Kids don't always like the things adults want them to like.

Those furreal things are cute and kids love them, go get it.

jenniferturkington · 08/10/2013 13:03

You should get it! We have a fur real cat, she's called Barbara and looks evil.

Original poster
Stillhopingstillhere · 08/10/2013 13:06

Barbara is a fantastic name for a furreal cat.
I might call mine Hilary. When we get it. If we get it.

OP posts:
Rooble · 08/10/2013 13:06

Wow. Santa in our house only brings stuff like chocolate, a book, top trumps, cool pens etc (ie stuff that fits in an actual sock).
Then DS gets a proper present from us, but because it's from us, we choose what it is.

Perhaps we're really, really mean.....

ziggiestardust · 08/10/2013 13:07

I think if it's within your budget, do it. Keep it in the box, and if he changes his mind before Christmas, you can either return it or ebay it.

Part of the excitement of Christmas is waiting for ages for that one thing you so badly want, and then getting it! Obviously this has its limits, but if you can afford to indulge, then why not?

ziggiestardust · 08/10/2013 13:09

I have some "great" presents, beautiful wooden toys etc, they never played with. Kids don't always like the things adults want them to like.

My DS won't touch it. He wants Thomas the cunting Tank Engine and his wanky friends. Bah. What can you do?

steppemum · 08/10/2013 13:13

I have done both

bought something that she really really wanted just because she wanted it, even though I thought it was rubbish

and - refused to buy something that was rubbish,

In the first case it wasn't main present and wasn't too expensive (have done it twice and one toy is well played with - to my surprise- and other ignored)
In the second case it was very expensive, and we had a talk about how Santa doesn't spend that much on one child so there is enough for everybody. And when she was older, I just said, don't get your hopes up darling, that is a very expensive toy. Or even No way, it is rubbish.

it is only dd1 who has done this at all, and she has always accepted it. mainly because she is happy with her actual presents on the day

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