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Original poster

Fun ways to reveal a not-yet-purchased present to the dc?

68 replies

busyrascal · 13/12/2016 10:20

Hi everyone,

We have decided to get dd1(6yo) and dd2(4yo) a kindle fire for kids each for Christmas but are hoping to get a deal on Boxing Day so we don't have to fork out full price. They have got other smaller presents to open on Christmas day but we are hoping to reveal their main present to them on boxing day when PIL are here as they are going halves with us on the cost.

So how would you do it?

At the moment we are thinking of wrapping up a set of headphones each and then explaining what they are for...any better ideas?

OP posts:
Cagliostro · 13/12/2016 11:58

I did this once for DSD who was desperate for a particular film on DVD but it wasn't due for release until early the following year. I preordered it to be delivered to her house, and I wrote this on a little scroll tied with ribbon. I found a (bloody hard to find - ended up ordering it from France?! Xmas Grin) poster of the actor from the film and wrapped it in a tube with the scroll inside, so it fell out when she unwrapped the poster. She loved it!

It was only a small gift though rather than a main one. And she was in her teens rather than believing in santa etc

keepbreathinginandout · 13/12/2016 12:12

fun ways to tell your child they don't have a christmas present? seriously?

throwingpebbles · 13/12/2016 12:15

Can't you just get them some toys?
I don't really think of tablets as a gift for children that young, and I think it is a lot to expect them to appreciate a present that isn't.

Why not get them some Lego/games etc and leave the tablets for now?

BatBoobs · 13/12/2016 12:41

I have to agree with other posters. This might work with a 10-year-old, but your children are too young. You'll 'get' it, but they won't.

I'd just buy them the Kindles now, as it is unlikely they will go back on sale again. If you choose to wait, it's probably better not to tease, and just give them as an extra surprise on Boxing Day.

Cagliostro · 13/12/2016 12:44

I'm sure they will be getting other presents rather than just the kindle?

TBH I wouldn't get them one at all at this age but everyone is different. We just bought one, well mostly it was DH's personal money and a little of mine, the DCs are allowed to use it but it's not actually theirs iyswim

Original poster
busyrascal · 13/12/2016 12:46

Blimey! Did I post in AIBU???

They will have some toys to open on Christmas day, but the kindle fire was going to be a special extra, from us and PIL rather than from Santa. We don't spend loads on Christmas (last year they had a CD player as a joint present) but we have saved up extra this year and want to treat them. They don't know they're even in with a chance of getting a tablet, they've never asked for one but love playing with ours and we thought it would be a really nice surprise.

I didn't realise that Amazon don't do Boxing Day sales though so thanks for the heads-up on that. Maybe we will just get them full-price now.

Is that more to everyone's liking? Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
busyrascal · 13/12/2016 12:48

Also, why do people think a 6yo and 4yo are too young for a kindle fire for kids? Isn't that the exact age they're aimed at? Confused

Pretty much all of their friends have had tablets since they were 3 or 4yo...

OP posts:
Floggingmolly · 13/12/2016 13:17

I can't even begin to imagine telling my kids they'll have to wait for their Christmas present because I want to get a few bob off in the sales...
There is no "fun" (seriously; fun??) way to tell them this.
What happens if they're full price on Boxing Day? Will you buy them anyway, having made them wait? Confused
Don't be such a grinch.

SausageSoda · 13/12/2016 13:22

What's with the Hmm and Confused faces OP? You asked for an opinion and people are giving them - unless I've missed some posts no one is being nasty.

If you are still wanting to wait until after Christmas to buy the kindles and as they aren't expecting them, I wouldn't say anything on Christmas Day but give them as a nice surprise when they do arrive. Mentioning them on Christmas Day but making them wait is just a bit mean and they are probably too young to wait patiently!

Notso · 13/12/2016 13:25

I think at their ages they won't 'get' a delayed present. My six and four year olds would probably be at best confused and not bothered at worst pissed off and demanding tablets nnnnooooowww!

I don't know many 3 or 4 year olds with their own tablets. None of my children's friends have them. I wouldn't give one as a present to young children purely because it would have to have restrictions on usage and it seems mean to me to give a gift with rules.

wherethefuckisthefuckingtuna · 13/12/2016 13:32

The Kindle for Kids wasn't massively reduced in the Black Friday sales. It had about £5 off.

The regular Kindle was reduced, but the Kids edition wasn't. I should know, I want one for DS and was watching Black Friday prices like a hawk.

I'm waiting for a bigger discount than that and am not fussed if it's for Christmas or later in the year so I'm happy to wait.

There's a website called http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com] that tracks Amazon prices. If you search for it on there, the lowest price it's been is £75 at the end of October. I'll wait for it to drop again.

Cagliostro · 13/12/2016 13:32

That's what I've always said to my DCs notso - DD keeps asking for her own tablet etc but I've said to her there's no point as it wouldn't change the rules on use (time limit, not allowed in bedroom and we don't take them out with us etc) that there's really no need to spend money on their own one

JellyWitch · 13/12/2016 13:35

I also think you missed the boat. It's an annual Black Friday deal - save it for next Christmas. We bought one for our kids last year and it's been great but heavily restricted the times!

wherethefuckisthefuckingtuna · 13/12/2016 13:36

In terms of telling them... I wouldn't. They might not understand. And it might be a nice thing for them as a surprise once the craziness of Christmas has dissipated.

Imknackeredzzz · 13/12/2016 13:38

Sorry OP in my opinion far too young for a tablet at their ages. Sorry but they should be playing with toys not staring at screens! There 4 and 6!

ItsNotUnusualToBe · 13/12/2016 13:38

I'm not going to join in the discussion but I'll just suggest: a good idea for vouchers or 'not bought yet' presents - tie envelope / ticket / photo to large bunch of helium balloons in a very large box

JellyWitch · 13/12/2016 13:53

They aren't too young! My kids are 7 and 2 - the eldest uses supervised internet to record his reading book on the school record and access homework stuff; they watch i-player (mostly octonauts and David Attenborough documentaries); and occasional Pokemon programmes on the prime account. Maybe an hour or 2 a week max. If your kids are school age then they are going to be issuing tablets there anyway.

Notso · 13/12/2016 14:01

I think there's a difference between being old enough to use one and old enough to own one JellyWitch. Mine use them at school and the 6 year old logs into the hwb on my iPad for homework, looks on dojo etc. They don't need to have their own for that though.

throwingpebbles · 13/12/2016 14:13

my Christmas memories are of getting things like games /Lego that we could all enjoy working on/playing together on Christmas Day.

Hold off the expectation for Christmas to be about big flashy and unnecessary gadgets for as long as possible!!

user1480946351 · 13/12/2016 16:35

And then they were pretty much full price on Black Friday

No they weren't. I bought one for 29 quid. They are only 49 quid now, and they aren't going to be any cheaper on Boxing Day.

You read the posts wrong. They aren't too young for kindles, they are too young to be told in any fun way that they haven't actually got a present you are telling them about.

unlucky83 · 13/12/2016 16:52

You could find them after Christmas under the sofa or something...Santa must have been in a hurry!
I did that one year for a 'clockwork mouse with a key' one of the few things that DD1 had asked for. Not easy to find - I managed to get one online but when it arrived it didn't work so I sent it back for a replacement and that didn't arrive until the day after boxing day. I wrapped it up, and hid it under the sofa -then 'found it'...and it was a great surprise.
(I was so unimpressed with that company - I'd name and shame if I could remember their name. It was poor quality anyway -they acknowledged it was a common problem -they supposedly checked before despatch (replacement didn't last long!) but they insisted they had the broken one back (I had to pay the postage -they refunded later) before they would send the new one out...even though they knew that meant I wouldn't get it in time for Christmas...and it was £5 or something - I would say an amount that was worth a gamble for good customer service...)

unlucky83 · 13/12/2016 16:54

Oh and Keepa is another tracking site for Amazon - you can view the price history and get it to email you when things you want reach the price you want to pay...

wherethefuckisthefuckingtuna · 14/12/2016 11:04

"No they weren't. I bought one for 29 quid. They are only 49 quid now, and they aren't going to be any cheaper on Boxing Day."

I think you're the one reading the post wrong. You're talking about a different product.

The "Kids edition Kindle" (with the two year, no questions asked warranty etc) was never that price.
The Kids Edition only had £5 off on Black Friday. Historically it has had £25 off. But not on Black Friday this year.

Caroian · 14/12/2016 11:11

I'm with everyone else that you are unlikely to see that much of a discount on Boxing Day. But anyway, given that the maximum discount tends to be 40%, buying 1 at full price is cheaper than 2 at the reduced price. If money is tight, which it sounds like it is, I'd get them one to share. If they are discounted, you could then get a second one if you really wanted to.

I don't think waiting is a great way to go because the vast majority of 4 year olds, and a significant number of 6 year olds, do not have the ability yet to understand delayed gratification. A set of headphones and a promise of a present won't really mean much.

1stTimeMama · 14/12/2016 12:33

My children have the normal fire, I don't think there's any need for the Kids version to be honest. You can put child restrictions on the normal fire, with time limits and site blocking etc. I honestly don't understand what the point of the Kids fire is? Would you be able to buy them now if you go for the normal version instead? If you've been saving up then you shouldn't have a problem.