Thread 5 - Jesus I sent you a pm about a pug hoodie

[Reastie]

See post two for some helpful links. Here's to a budget conscious yet amazing Christmas.

He's got plenty of time to have another think!
Or suggest something he needs e.g. something relating to hobbies (Beavers? Sport? Stage type classes? Music?).
I remember a couple of childhood Christmasses where I was told "I'm afraid you're getting your new X for Christmas".

But at that age they really have little idea of money. I also remember my mum saying I could choose one small thing from the toy shop and asking for a rubber ball "but if they don't have it I'd like X doll" and I had no idea that they were different values.

Or suggest he saves his pocket money and tell him how long it will be till he can have it (e.g. £1/week = next Christmas).

Could he get a second hand bundle off eBay or something like an Xbox 360? Could spend less than £75 on a Console and games that way. I'd be honest with him about the money situation and offer to let him get money and save it to buy a console when he can save up enough... and other people can contribute too?

WornOutBoots I feel your pain about when your kids ask for expensive stuff you just can't give them! As far as games consoles go is he that fussy about what console it is? Only because my boyfriend has got my DC an xbox360 secondhand to share between them. Was under £40 on musicmagpie and the games for it are very very cheap and I think anyway a lot more age appropriate for a 7 year old than a lot of the newer ones.

Also I totally agree with you about handing stuff down to younger siblings for Christmas. Lovely and definitely nothing wrong it. Done it myself when mine were tiny with baby and toddler toys

@DillieDoily, just incase I got DD a pack of dolls clothes in the 2 for £15 at Argos and they're great quality and fit on her doll which is a similar size to Annabelle.

I think there were 4 full outfits, 2 rompers, 2 trousers, 2 tops and a jacket IIRC :)

wornout - ds (10) has loved hot wheels and nerf guns for a few years now.
He got a kindle fire at around 9 and has been in love with that ever since.
I've added a couple of pictures of other things he liked at 7 / 8 / 9.

we already have an xbox 360 and a Wii. (not to mention my old ps2 and gamecube)
he wants an xbox one and a nintendo switch....
neither of which are happening this year. nor next, unless finances improve.

can't get other people to contribute, there aren't any!

I'm half tempted to wrap my old gamecube up and give him that! (of course his best friend has to be getting a new iphone etc... but I tell him he's 7, he doesn't need a phone!)

He's not interested in anything not on a screen, despite my best efforts! I drag him outside to play but get constant "can we go in yet? Can I do jobs to get computer time?"
what happened to childhood?! (apparently I'm old)

Not checked today's posts but just quickly - Asda are selling off their George make up for 20p each! I've picked up 24 bits for £6 for dd(13) for a diy beauty advent calendar

Thanks for all the great bargains guys!
I noticed the 3 for 2 in ELC and came on here to tell you guys, but I notice it's already been mentioned! It's worth a look though as it's not just Happyland stuff.

I am looking for a Lego Duplo Table for my 4 Year Old DS if anyone has any ideas of where to get one from? All I can find is Lego Tables, and I'm sure there not compatible with Duplo? He only has Duplo ATM and is quiet happy with that (As is Mummy ) thanking you!

wornoutboots hmm can you get versions of the games he's asked for on the consoles you have?

Also I don't think it's typical that he wants to play on a screen and not with anything else so maybe crack down on that attitude if it's something that bothers you?

Some ideas that might be of use?
Camo tarpaulin to make dens
Torch
Board games?
Camera
Magnets kit
Bug hunting kit
Does he like reading? There's several books like 'things to do before you're 11' type things?

@wornoutboots Amazon have a great sports cam (like a Go Pro) for £20. That might encourage him to get outdoors?

Oh and I've remembered at that age I made ds a spy kit and it was pretty cheap
Briefcase or laptop bag (I used an old one)
Fake passports for various identities - you can get passport covers which look like passports iyswim and stick in a photo and details
Invisible ink pen
Magnifying glass
Fingerprint kit
A piece of cardboard covered in newspaper with eyeholes cut out
Fake nose and moustache
Notebook and pen
A set of 'paperwork' for him to fill out make on computer e.g.: fingerprint sheets, list of suspects, missions, clues etc etc
Voice changer
Dictaphone

Worn out - My Ds has been asking for an Xbox for years... we have always said no as I do think it's an older kids console... we will be getting it this xmas as he's almost 11 and has really earned it this year.
Last xmas, ds got one wii game and everything else was hot wheels, nerf, k'nex and games - he loved playing with everything and was also really happy with his one wii game.
At 7, I would definitely aim more towards toys - I'm sure he'll love them, so don't worry!

Does anyone know what these dolls are called? They're Barbie size...

Wornout - I just say no it's not happening to that kind of thing to be honest. Better that they know is advance its not realistic and have time to lower their expectations.

It sounds like you have a lot of consoles and stuff anyway, he's certainly not deprived!

I know my big two of similar age sometimes need encouragement to play if we sit and make up silly lego cars with then for twenty minutes they're much more likely to stick with it for a while. Maybe you could try and direct him to something more in budget by talking it up for the next few months?

Not their actual individual names obviously (ballerina, fairy and princess according to DD), but the 'type' of doll!

xbox one S is on offer on Tesco - details on hot deals. Still not cheap but it is £219 and includes 2 games a controller and 3 months of live (not sure about this bit as it cant be returned so could cause problems) www.hotukdeals.com/deals/xbox-one-s-500gb-forza-horizon-3-hot-wheels-dlc-destiny-2-or-overwatch-goty-extra-controller-3-months-xbox-live-21999-tesco-direct-2795455

notpenny not sure if your post was meant to have a photo?

Marking a lego table might work. I think duplo blocks can sort of stick on lego.
Thanks for a suggestions for my DC2, much appreciated.
We weren't actually intending for the bike to be her Xmas present, mainly because DS may take a while to transition to a pedal bike, he's quite a nervous child so I suspect learning to pedal may take a while.
As far as other presents go, we already have a play kitchen, (with associated food, crockery etc) shop, workbench and tools, a ton of dressing up gear, loads of duplo, lego and megablocks, loads of happyland, play animals, play dinosaurs, toy cars, giant digger, dumper truck and plane. We have a playhouse in the garden, a tuff tray and stand, scuttlebug, hobby horses. I've got an infinite supply of playdoh (I make it myself) and loads cutters/moulds etc. We are drowning in craft and colouring bits.
We have my little ponies and an original 1980s dream castle. Got lots of jigsaws and puzzles, and shes too little for board games.

In all honesty I don't think we actually need to buy her any presents but it seems a bit unfair not to

Worn out he is 7, he doesn't understand about mortgages or even the real cost of anything yet. Don't take it personally.

Can you post the games he wants and we can see if any are available on the consoles you already have?

Ah did my photo not work?? These dolls...

wornout have you checked cex to see how much you would get for trading in the old consoles and games? Not saying you should do this but it is an easy way to sell them and there are lots of stores dotted around. uk.webuy.com/

Markingmyplace How crafty are you? I made ds a lego table for his birthday 4 years ago out of an Ikea Lack table (£5) and then put 3 cut up base boards on top, which I got in an argos 3 for 2. You will need to cut them and be really careful about spacing them as even a millimetre wrong and the blocks won’t stick together. Or you could just glue the one board in the middle and leave a bare edge. I used tile adhesive, the glues I tried didn’t like the plastick finish of the table. The duplo base boards are the same size as the giant grey one I used in the middle.

Here’s a photo, ignore the mess, I daren’t move any of the blocks, even though Pa Cop and Ghost Vitruvius appears to be having a private moment.

*plasticky not plastick

my husband might go for lego dimensions for him (if we can get it in time, it's half price in smyth's for the 360..)

consoles are my husbands, not that he ever plays on them.

my kid has nerf guns, bike, heelies, lego, robots, cars, books, family games... honestly my living room mostly resembles a chaotic toy shop at the moment! He'll play for a while but only because I refuse to let him have so much screen time - he has to earn it, and I don't let him have too much in a day! but then it'll be "can I watch something on tv?"
or pleading for computer/console time...
I'm the meanest mammy he knows, apparently! None of his school friends have any restrictions on things (according to him. And to be fair, a few really don't as far as I can tell from their mothers!)

he's getting another nerf gun, and some lego-ish things from wilko's.
his brother is also getting a nerf gun and lego-esque.
His sister is happy playing with whatever, as long as there are some parcels to open she's not going to care.

I'm getting one more "large" item each (which will be about £30 each, I think) then the rest will be poundland type stuff. We already have a few "family" things we got for £5 in a sale ages ago (little football table, playdough sets, that sort of thing)

the stupid part is that when we aren't home he doesn't miss consoles at all. He can go an entire week at his grandparents without ever going on a computer.

anyway, thats' enough of my woes!
back to bargain hunting!