Bah humbug! What to do with a 3yr old who keeps changing his mind?

[DoubleLifeIsALifeOfSorts]

DS (3.5) keeps changing his mind about what he wants from father Christmas, and as he's utterly convinced father Christmas will bring him whatever he wants, it's getting costly and just a teeny bit irritating!

First it was chocolate and Lollypops and cake and icecream, which although a dentists nightmare was an easy Santa order.

I then got him all other pressies and I know he ll really like them: remote control postman pat van, a plastic house on Christmas eve (so sleigh etc, snow & Christmas tree...), and playdoh, and a knights outfit. plus stocking etc,

Next came a nursery created list of

1. Dinosaur
2. Christmas free
3. Car

He has dinosaurs and isn't in the faintest bit interested in them. We have two Christmas trees already so not sure why a third, and loads of cars already. However I bowed to the magic of Christmas
So another plastic Dino, some matchbox cars and a puzzle shaped like a Christmas tree.

NOW someone else has asked him and it's a ruddy train... And on Sunday he's visiting the red man himself and I'm sure if will be something else.

Arghhh! I can't keep buying him more and more things but where to draw the line? And how to keep the magic whilst saying no, Santa will not be getting you anything more!

Yes I do agree Christmas is so over egged that children can't cope with it.

Ds nursery started to practise for their Christmas play in September, and in October their nursery pictures were in Christmas dressing up clothes! October also saw them making Christmas cards so they could get them copied and produced into packs of cards we could buy.

So by November Ds was about to pop with excitement, and cried at bedtime because he couldn't wait any longer, poor little chap.

So to compensate for outside world craziness I made him an advent 'pack', with things like a Christmas book, baubles, tablecloth and window stickers and advent calendar... Basically a 'finally it's christmas' pack giving him something to open as he was getting so distraught about the anticipation.

And now everytime anything christmassy happens he's wound up so tight it always ends in tears.

I am dreading Christmas eve!!!

Btw he's gone back to asking for sweeties again now, which is much better and less grabby - phew!

It's ridiculous isn't it, we don't like ungrateful or spoilt children yet for 3 months of the year all they hear is a consumerist Santa story which turns them into just that!

I am channelling scrouge big time

If he REALLY remembers everything about christmas, write him a letter to leave overnight from santa/elves to say santa has packed his sleigh already with the toys that the girls and boys have already put on their lists. He will remember this and can ask him when he sees him if he has remembered to put a house/lego etc on the sleigh for him. (You can download xmas paper and elf pictures on google)