To buy or not to buy?

[Annwithnoe]

Back in the 80s my DPs sensibly didn't buy me Mr Frosty, thus scarring me for life and setting me on a road to be the ultimate Christmas consumer of mindless tat.
So my DH bought it for me one Christmas thus condemning me to years of ice-grinding mum-slavery. My dc adore the stupid plastic grinning idiot, and wheedle, beg and cajole me to turn the unturnable-by-any-child-ever hand crank to crush a thimbleful of ice despite there being a perfectly functional blender available to make glassfuls of ice in seconds.

Posted before I finished
So do you buy the overpriced crap you know will ultimately disappoint your dc but that they really really want? Or do you parent sensibly, but possibly setting them up for a life time of plastic-snowman induced misery?

(Do I need to point out this is light hearted? )

Imo birthdays are for sensible essentials and Christmas is for frivolous gifts!! Santa is supposed to grant the Christmas list wishes!! Maybe not all of them but some!!

My parents never got me a single thing I asked for, which set me on the path to not caring about what anyone else asks for.

Christmas in my house is a lot of "this? why did you get me this? was it on sale?" and it always is from the sale

Yep we buy DSD(5) all the tat at Christmas!
I actually asked my DM this question last week - 'how did you get over spending all your hard earned cash on loads of plastic shit when we were kids?' And she just said that our faces on Christmas morning were worth it, and just because she thought it was crap didn't mean we weren't allowed to love it and I honestly don't remember there being anything that I asked for as a child that Santa didn't bring, and that's a nice memory that I'd like our DC to have.

(Please note that I still swear like a sailor when I stand on one of the aforementioned pieces of tat, and ask myself what the fuck we were thinking?! Who needs 53590641167 LoL dolls anyway....)

Sounds like the best reason for buying children rubbish!

I think it's the same impulse that makes me want to go to Disneyland or go on an all inclusive holiday somewhere hot! Never did that when I was younger and it always looks so amazing!

I can count on one hand the toys I remember getting at Christmas as a child, these were either special surprises with a lot of thought gone in, or something I’d asked for. The rest of the tat that came with it I don’t have a clue!

So I am keen on getting my dc thing I know they’ll treasure, use or ask for. I don’t buy tat

If it's an absolute "hearts desire" type gift we'd get it (well, assuming it didn't blow the budget). If they're more about a particular brand/range though and I know it's rubbish I'd aim to get one of the cheaper items rather than as a main gift.

DD went through a my little pony phase a couple of years back, she had her eye on a few items but you could tell they were ridiculously priced shite even looking at the pictures online so rather than the castle type thing which was @ €80 we got one or two smaller MLP items. It ticked the box for her and meant she also got decent stuff too. It's trying to find that balance between pleasing them on the day and knowing there'll be tears if their Christmas gifts are in the bin before New Years!

Christmas is a time for fun so yes we buy what they want even if I think it's not great or there are better items. It's their wish list not mine.

As adults we waste a lot of cash on non essentials that bring us pleasure so no different.

I wanted a Cadburys Chocolate dispening thingie (put in 10p or something, it was much less when I was a child, 2p or less) and get a mini bar of CDM. Like the ones you used to get in Roses and you could buy boxes of.

My DM told me I couldn't have one because you cannot get refills.

What a blatant LIE from a good Christian woman

Left me scarred for life buying those widgetty bars of Nestle at the underground stations.

Though when my DC were little and the adverts were on in the KidzTV times , I knew they were CGI enhanced, the children were actors (look surprised kids. Soooooper) and you;d have the batteries out before 12th night !

70isaLimitNotaTarget
Feeling very nostalgic now about rooting through the box of roses for the tiny bars of chocolate.

Ah, 70, I wanted one of those too! I also didn't get one. #sadtimes

I never ever got a Tiny Tears or a Girls World .... but I did get lots of other things that I loved over the years

I have just spent £38 on a NERF gun for sons birthday (to be fair in the catalogues its £55ish) & I did um & ah about it but then said to my DH that just because I think its Tat doesn't mean DS will think so - tbh his face when he sees it will be worth the £38 & then some.

& yes we can afford it & my DS probably thinks my Jo Malone candle or Coach handbag are Tat

Christmas is for children & wonderful memories.

It’s a balancing act
This year DD has expressed a wish for the bloody lol giant ball surprise thing. It’s £60 and the reviews show it’s a load of tat and not much for the money. She won’t be getting it but I will put a small £5 in her stocking. She has asked for lots of thier stuff so I’ve bigged up the stuff I’d prefer her to have so I’m getting her a foldable gymnastics beam which she also really wants (and she will use loads)
So I won’t spend a huge amount for something that isn’t worth it but I’d it was cheap I normally indulge.

We’ve always encouraged the kids to make a list of lots of things so that we can pick and choose. I know people who’s kids only pick 1 or 2 things then the parents have to stress about getting those particular things.

To be honest on xmas day they are happy with whatever they do get they forget the other stuff

I don't remember ever going without, my girls v rarely ask for things that are popular. last year dd said about a hatchimal but after seeing the YouTube video was no longer interested instead asked for a loaf of bread... Santa obliged 😂

for her birthday last week she asked for a fingerling managed to track one down and she loves it, but at £15 its not too much to spend on a novelty item.

dd2 asked for the paw patroller when it came out, cost around £130 by the time we got all the pups (imported 2 from america) but still well loved nearly 2 years later. some things are worth spending out on. no way would I spend £60/£70 on those lol dolls or hatchimals that are just overhyped and packaged crap.

I always wanted that Cadburys thing too and never got it! Neither did I get slush puppy maker or girls world, and instead of adidas kick trainers I got non branded ones 😭😭😭. Scarred for life I tell you 😂

Ha!!

I asked for a mr frosty every Christmas for years! I never got one- my mum would say Father Christmas doesn’t like messy toys!!

Well guess what?! Father Christmas has relaxed his rules around messy toys because guess what my DS is getting this year?!

I got the Cadbury's dispenser and it was emphatically not shite!

And a Girl's World.

Thinking back I'm quite suprised as my parents were 1970s hippy academic types who loved the opportunity for an educational experience but I guess they understood the fulfilment of one's heart's desire too. Which is how I like to balance things with my DC, if there's a bit of tat that have their hearts set on I'll try to get it (I drew the line at hatchimals and robot pets though, I'm not spending 60-100 pounds on something that will get cast-aside in a day).

I've bought DD and DS a Mr Frosty as a joint present this year as I'm still scarred from not getting one as a child. I've promised my sister she can come and play as well .

As others have said, it's a balancing act - I'm not going to buy a piece of tat for £60 (lol doll, I'm looking at you) but I'll happily buy a couple of the cheaper items that I know will make them happy.

I too hankered after the CDM dispenser year after year, Santa never brought it though.

However, my years of complaining must worked as Dh and dd1 and dd2 got me one for my 45th birthday a couple years ago. #bestgiftever

My DM and DF bought me the (80’s version) of the My Little Pony Castle, it was overpriced plastic rubbish, it got played with but not as much as my pens and paper etc. I still remeber the feeling of opening it up, it was magical because I never thought I’d get it and I really wanted it. So for this reason I buy plastic rubbish, I try to just buy one or two. This year DD (5) has a Hatchimal and the Nom Noms lipstick tuck. Amongst other sensible, well made gifts!

I get my dc the tat if I can afford it, and as long as it's balanced by some presents I think will get more use.

sangria you can still get them? 🙆

Oh I forgot about the little tiny bars of dairy milk in the roses. I loved the bournville as well.
How far those tins have fallen sigh
My Nan used to take the coloured plastic off of the quality street and plait them into garlands. My brother could do it but I never got the hang of it.

Sorry got a little nostalgic there. I believe in buying tat if it’s what the kids want. Christmas is not a time to be sensible imo.

When I was 16 my mum asked in front of my grandparents whether I felt like I had missed out as a child.
I said I had never been on a package holiday to Spain and I had never had a Barbie. Six months later, for my 17th birthday when I wanted driving lessons, I got.....

A very expensive.....

Princess wedding Barbie.

Lesson Learnt