DC asking for rubbishy, but pricy, present!

[jemsywemsy]

What do you do if your DC wants something really crappy looking but expensive for Christmas and puts it in their letter to Santa?

My 4 year old has asked for a Shopkins mall thing that's £80 and it looks shite. We can afford it but it just seems like the kind of thing she'll get bored of after 5
minutes and it feels like such a waste of money that it just makes me feel uneasy to buy it her. She has no concept of money yet really, and just thinks it looks cool.

If she asked for something smaller I could also get her a few nice surprise things too that I think she would enjoy more in the longer term.

Her brother has asked for something that's £60 so I could just say that's Santa's limit?

Or do I just say Santa won't bring it because he doesn't think it's very good and there are other things that would be better?

Persuade her to ask for something else?

Or just bite the bullet and buy the tat?!

I agree, have a look on Ebay for pre owned.

I was broke one year and my dd asked santa for an extremely overpriced doll. I got her another doll that I could afford and wrote her a letter from Santa apologising for having run out. She was so thrilled with the letter she didn't mind about the doll in the least.

Dd and ds wanted those crappy hatchimals last Christmas. There was no way I was paying €80 per piece of shit.. Santa told me that they stopped making them as there was a fault with them that meant they stopped working after Christmas Day

At 4 surely you can affect what she wants? Tell her it's rubbish and keeps breaking and because of this the Elves don't give it away. We always have a few suggestions. Take her to a toyshop for a look and she's sure to find other things.

In our house Santa has a limit. My DC ask for various things about now in the hope by Christmas they've forgotten most of it.

eBay preoowned (and played with for 5mins) is your friend. I would definitely get your dd what she wants. When dd was 4, we gave her a second hand brio train set. It was fab. Kids just don’t notice whether or not something is brand new when they’re little.

My daughter has been obsessed with shopkins for 2 years and I have bought several play sets, they have all broken apparent from the mall carry case thing, I refuse to buy any more sets, if she wants them then she has to use any money she gets from relitives. My dd is old enough to understand this though, it's a bit more tricky with a 4 year old who expects santa to bring what she has asked for so I would probably buy it to make her Christmas magical.

I have told my ds that even santa has a price limit for presents and what hes asked for is out of his price range. Besides that hes been bought said toy for his birthday at the end of November!

When the dc were little we always gave them their gifts pre-assembled. It wasn't my intention but it made it much easier to buy second hand as they didn't expect everything to be boxed.
I'm soft about this stuff too. I generally buy them the rubbish they ask for, but I'd definitely opt for second hand on something like this. Run it through the dishwasher on the top shelf if you're concerned.

Why do people go to such a huge effort to make up intricate lies about bloody Father Christmas? We avoid all this nonsense by having Father Christmas deliver the presents. DC’s know that mummy and daddy buy them and he stores them and delivers them. Surely anyone over the age of about 3 doesn’t think that elves make every single toy in the world? I’m pretty sure my children don’t miss out on the ‘magic’ that everyone is constantly trying to create on Mumsnet.

The conversation goes like it does for buying birthday presents I presume, “I know it looks lovely darling but it’s costs a lot of money. Why don’t you have a think about something else and then mummy can buy you more little presents too.” At 4 surely they want most things they see.

Santa has to share toys out with lots of children all over the whole entire world. However, if he isn't able to bring a particular gift to you because he has run out of it he always brings you something even BETTER that he KNOWS you will love, because he knows that kind of stuff.

That's what I told my children and now my grandchildren and they always accept it!

Buy both of these and a wee bundle of shopkins as well for the same price.
Tell her santa knew she would have more fun making her own mall as the big one is rubbish!
The wee set with the trolley has been a hit here!

CLick on my photo and it has that other mall for £33 plus the trolley set.

I would get her the slightly cheaper version that everyone has linked to if you can’t steer her to anything else.

Posted too early! Sure she would be equally thrilled on the day if you manage her expectations slightly. My dd is getting an Enchantimals set - equally awful looking but only 20 pounds in Argos and comes in a huge impressive box, if you need another alternative. Is she at school yet? I find they’re a lot more malleable before peer pressure and less knowing about THE thing to have and happier with alternatives. (I didn’t get a Mr Frosty either, and it does loom large at these times when I try and balance realism with what they really want. There is a lot to be said for getting them what they really want, within reason of course)

I agree that ebay is your friend. We got 4yp ds a fab imaginext space station last year form ebay and put it in a cardboard box and wrapped it up. He didn't know orcare that it was second hand.

I have always taught DC to check reviews first because some companies rip people off. Even at 4yo she would understand a review if you read out the key points

She wouldn't want FC being ripped off.

Also I bought them a choc coin maker in charity shop v cheap, they realised how shit it was which helped them believe me about reviews.

Because her brother is getting the thing he's asked for and she's been a good girl so she'll wonder why she didn't get what she asked for!

The problem with this "tell us what you want and you will get it" starting point is that it encourages an attitude which is problematic and causes situations like this.

Present giving should not be about satisfying demands, it should be about the generosity of the giver to celebrate something. The choice should be of the giver, and the recipient should be gracious in accepting it (even a 4 year old). Asking children what they might like to have makes sense of course, but throughout the year and not directly linked to a specific present, otherwise you end up with the OP's son's belief that he is "getting the thing he asked for".

There should be no "asking for" at all. Perhaps that's the way to deal with this OP - rather than try and justify why your 4 year old is not being brought an expensive and inappropriate item, bring it back to present giving, the choice being yours and not theirs, being grateful to be able to give and receive anything etc etc.

Subliminal messaging I find works well. Now everytime my children see an advert for toys with wee,poo, snot or other body fluids they all shout 'that's disgusting - we don't want that !' In unison. It feels a bit cult like but has done the job. Anything stupid money I just say no that's too expensive which also seems to work. However I have already got too much which then escalates as I panic buy to try and even it out !!

This is really really really simple and I don't know why parents don't do this more.

When they write their Santa letter, impress on them the fact that they are simply giving Santa a few ideas, which he may or may not be able to provide.

It saves a whole host of problems around budget/out of stock/expectations and is very simple for any child about 4+ to understand.

My 7 year old wants literally everything she sees. All you hear when tell is on “I want that” she said over dinner a couple nights ago i wrote stuff for Santa and I didn’t get it but I don’t care I just live presents.

I always go OTT but I’m really starting to like the something they want, need, wear and read that’s lovely.

If I think it’s a waste or not good I have said in the past Santa gets a lot of lists and maybe his elves can’t make any more so they find something similar and they are happy with this

I'd just say Santa doesn't do Shopkins, if you start giving them everything they ask for at this age they'll think they can have everything they ask for in the future. Surely it's more fun for the kids to be surprised on Christmas Day

There are so many other Shopkins play sets for much less... maybe you could sit with her and go through those to see if anything else grabs her attention.

Failing that why don't you choose a list of things you think she'll actually play with and show her all of those and ask her to choose from there? That way she gets to choose but only from mom approved gifts!

PS I'm betting that she'll change her mind on the mall, 4 year olds change their minds by the second!

OMG I cam e on here to say I never got over not having a MR Frosty too!
I got one when I was 30 something from my boyfriend when they relaunched it. Ds and his friends loved it

I just don’t understand, if you’re going to spend that amount anyway, why buy something she might not like and might be disappointed with, rather than the thing her heart desires?
In my family, people make a list and we all pick something off of it to buy. I hate buying stuff for someone in the hopes they might find it useful - would much rather get something I know they want