Do you buy what your child wants even if you think it's crap?

[ThoughtfulPenny]

As the title says really.
My four year old wants the elsa snow shooting sleeve for Xmas. It's £30 so won't break the bank and it's the only thing she's repeatedly mentioned. However, it looks crap, the reviews are all crap and I think it's going to be a total waste of money BUT I don't want her to feel that father Xmas didn't bring her the one thing she wanted...
WWYD?

My DD wants the Doggy Doo game, I hate the concept and it looks rubbish. It also has bad reviews. However, I am sure I will be purchasing it soon.

Yes, I do - providing it's not silly money. Christmas is the time for getting the crap you long for!

If it's the only thing they have actually asked for then I would it buy it. I've bought loads of crap over the years....

If I can afford it I buy it.

I never did get that Mr Frosty and don't want my DC harbouring resentful feelings after 20 years.

Yes, but with limits.

Bitter experience proves that I am always right and the 'crappy shit' never gets played with beyond New Year

I've struck off I-Que robot, Zoomer zuppy, Teksta kitty and any sort of shitty over-priced robot from DD's list this year, but will concede to some Frozen tat because she has been banging on about it for months....

Snap OvO, I buy my kids what they want even if the reviews are crap due to not getting the mr Frosty when I was a child!

Last year I bought sew cool and it actually was a lot of fun. The year before I bought the chocolate coin maker and the kids love it.

I feel bad for saying no to the singalong Elsa, but I know it will be ignored after an hour. If she's desperate for it I'll get it for her birthday.

Absolutely buy it! When I was younger I was the recipient of many presents that were never as good as the advert but it was still fun and they were what I wanted. My in-laws were always too discerning and so many of DH's Xmas stories involve a toy he wasn't allowed to have because his parents didn't think it was good value. How depressing is that?

You should buy two and you can have an Elsa-off!

Within reason. If I'm not going to buy it then I manage expectations beforehand.

I got Mr Frosty - it was really crap and I didn't use it after 25th.

sometimes

If child is old enough, I get them to look at the reviews and think again, maybe something on a similar lines but better.

If they are adamant, and it isn't too expensive, I will get it, and I will get something I think they will actually like.

and occasionally I am wrong and the crap goes on and on and on being played with.

I make a big fuss that I'm not going to buy it. Then wrap it up in paper that matches the stocking stuff and it's the present Santa Brings. Last year it was Gooey Louie there was lots of "Eww we're not going to have that in our house it's disgusting" going on before hand and the look of her face when she opened it was brilliant and obviously only Santa would have brought it because mummy said she wouldn't etc.

We had the same quandary with the same item! It's currently down to £21 on Amazon so we decided to suck it up. I've already started trying to prepare her for the inevitable disappointment...

I always say how amazing it sounds, then come back and show them shite reviews, and let them know they had a lucky escape from a shit present.

Then get them excited about a decent one.

My dd is too young to know too much about what products are out there (don't get me wrong, she knows about My Little Pony, Princess Palace Pets et al, but not necessarily any specific associated large, expensive toys/play sets). Nonetheless, have bought her some stuff I believe to be rubbish (a Princess Palace Pet). And have facilitated her dgps doing the same.
When she is older, and more interested in requesting specific play sets, etc, I think I will have the attitude that, obviously she can't have everything she wants, but if it is one specific thing, within our budget, and will make her happy, then yes, why not? Wouldn't spend a fortune on toys I believed to be rubbish, but would purchase one or two, providing I could easily afford them.
(Still fuming with mom and dad for not getting me a Transformer. They got me a book about Transformers instead. Didn't really cut it.)

Thanks for the heads up shadesofwinter, I've just bought it from Amazon. I still remember not getting a mr frosty (may have bought her one of those too)!

Wouldn't be Xmas without a bit of tat I suppose

Bwa-ha-ha a book about Transformers (sorry).

I wanted a spinning top for years, YEARS. I got too old and lost interest (around 8yo, I think), so what popped out of my pillow case? I was so passed it and barely played with it

I'm also scarred by never having Mr Frosty! They really did a number on us with that advertising! I reckon you can tell a lot by asking a 40-ish year old if they had Mr Frosty!

We aren't getting a chocolate coin maker. It's not the only thing DD wants, but I don't want to have to work my way through it being crap with her.

So many of us harbouring grudges about not getting a Mr Frosty! If our parents had actually bought us one, we'd have just realised they were crap. No hard feelings.

I bought DS1 some remote controlled flying thing when he was 8yo. He crashed it withing hours, and it couldn't be mended because it was so light; even super glue would have weighed it down too much. We did try. Worst £80 I've ever spent. But DS1 was really happy for a few hours.

He also decided Father Christmas was real because Mum and Dad would never have bought it for him.

Glad to have helped with the decision-making thoughtful!

DS got the chocolate coin maker a couple of years ago. It actually wasn't as appalling as I expected

I pleaded for mousetrap and it was shite! So flimsy and wasn't half as exciting as the advert. Should have got me Mr frosty instead!

Oh yes ds is getting a Minions Fart Gun which I think is the most pointless thing ever. Bloody Father Christmas.

80s child here,
Didn't get a Mr Frosty either & like previous posters have said, crap or not I would have liked to come to my own conclusion.