Thread for trying to figure out what the hell my 4yo is talking about. . .

[YankNCock]

. . .when he says he wants Father Christmas to bring him 'a boat that goes up and down'?

It's not a submarine (I've asked).

I've not seen any adverts on the telly for anything like this.

One time he mentioned that he could take it in the bath, but that seems to be secondary.

He seems to have something very specific in mind and he doesn't tend to imagine toys, so I think this is something he's seen somehow, but he can't explain what it is.

This is just like the time when he kept telling me he wanted to go to a restaurant, and I'd ask which one, and he'd tell me 'Kids', which according to him was this marvellous place where everything was for kids and they had menus and brought lots of food to your table. About 2 weeks later we were driving and he started shouting, 'there's Kids!' - It was Pizza Hut, he'd gotten confused about the 'Kids Menu'.

So back to matter at hand, anyone seen any 'boats that go up and down' that aren't submarines?

When my dd was about 4, we almost turned ourselves inside out trying to work out what something she had asked for was (rocketboots). Turned out they were imaginary rather than an actual product!!!!

Wonder pets fly boat I also have a four year old I feel your pain!

Okay, I have further unhelpful details:

After a series of questions, I elicited that this 'up and down boat':

• is 'maybe blue'

-'goes in the bath' but is not stuck to the wall like his little brother's boat bath toy -doesn't have pirates, 'it's just for people' (pirates are people too, son) -not something he saw on telly -not something they have at big school or preschool -has a light

Could it be 'Fisher price ocean boat' it's half price in Argos.

Where has he seen it?

Smoby explorer boat? Has a light , and a lifeboat that goes up and down. And is clearly not for pirates!

it sounda a bit like the imaginext aircraft carrier

This?

FISHER PRICE OCEAN BOAT, THANK CHRIST FOR THAT!

(see what I did there, I'm putting the 'Christ' back in Christmas)

I told him I was having a chat with Santa's elves online, and they were having trouble figuring out this 'up and down' boat, so could I show him some pictures.....

Went through a few others before getting to it and he said 'Yes!!' in that very happy kid voice.

I was starting to think he'd made it up as he couldn't tell me where he'd seen it, didn't know anyone that had it, and it wasn't at school. I'm not convinced even now that it wasn't his imagination, but this Fisher Price boat fits the bit enough that he was convinced it was right---so I'm going with it, said I would tell the 'elves'

And thank you very much, elves!!!

Ahhh brilliant!