Can two wow-ish presents have the same WOW factor as one WOW present?

[CoffeeChocolateWine]

...especially when you’re 8 and your older brother and younger sister are getting a WOW present??

I’m just struggling with DD2 present-wise this year. I can think of lots of options for lovely mid-range presents that I know she’ll love but I don’t want her to be disappointed that she doesn’t have the big present that her brother and sister are getting! Am I worrying unnecessarily?

They’ll have the same number of gifts and the same value but DS and DD2 will have one big gift and say 3 smaller gifts, DD2 would have two biggish-but-not-as-big gifts and two smaller ones.

With Christmas looking very different this year, I don’t want to make the wrong call and have a slightly disappointed child! I just want them all to have a happy Christmas!

I don't think a coat is a wow present compared to an electric guitar and amp, sorry op

You can listen to alexa via wireless Bluetooth headphones. You need a device to set it up as far as i remember but doesnt have to be in room to use. Only thing is if she wants alexa to do something you ask my speaking to it. So not sure if that would be an issue if sister is sleeping etc in same room

following on from @mummyof2boys30 you can control alexa / amazon device by smart phone, alexa will also read your kindle to you, even if you don't go down the alexa route now it might be worth looking at.

Get the Alexa dot, my son has one in his room for audiobooks and Apple Music and for playing roblox sound effects that I couldn't stand anywhere else in the house

My kids LOVE their Echo Dots. You can get wall mounts for them too.

If she’s now sharing her room I’d suggest wireless headphones to go with a digital rather than cd player, then help her upload/buy her audiobooks that work with it. That way it seems a more grown up gift rather than a CD player which will be defunct in a few years.

My dc are avid audiobook listeners. One thing I've found is that as they've got older, it's much harder to get decent stories on CD. There's a much greater range on audible. People just aren't making CDs anymore.

My dc are 12 and 11 and have their own audible subscriptions. I would work towards an Alexa dot plus audible plus wireless headphones solution.

I’ve never quite understood the “main gift” thing exactly. As a child I would not be able to tell the difference with a main gift or anything else. Last year my 8yoDD cared more about an 85p ruler with calculator than she did about the £120 big lol set she had to have.

Don’t over think it, get what they like.

I don’t do the whole, have x spent on each. Some years one gets more spent on them because of the type of present and other years it maybe one of the others... Last year 5yo DD desperately wanted a pink laptop 🤷🏼‍♀️ I certainly wasn’t going to buy a proper laptop and finding it in pink... DH saw an old vtec one in the charity shop for £8, she absolutely loves it, still carries it everywhere with her, she has no idea with was only £8. I do try and get number of gifts To unwrap to even up though, but I can even them up with small stocking fillers if need be.

My 3yo DD will be getting some of her older sisters toys we have packed away in the attic as gifts on top of a bunch of toys I bought in home Bargains off the clearance shelf for 99p each. All she will see is the stuff she’s told me she wants, she will have no idea it’s a hand-me-down or it was in the toy clearance.

Dose she like gymnastics? We were stuck at the beginning of lockdown as 2 DDs had birthdays, the plan was to take them shopping for roller skates but we couldn’t do that. I ended up getting 8yoDD a gymnastics beam off amazon as a spare of the moment present, she loved it, she dose her sisters. She already had a mat which quite often gets turned into a den.

YY to wireless headphones and a device for listening to the audiobooks.

Not a coat or CD player.

What about a peripage photo printer? The paper is thermal and you can get all sorts of colours and sticky versions - and the paper is cheap. If she's into making things at all and has access to a phone she could have great fun. My DD loves is and uses it often. www.amazon.co.uk/Aibecy-Wireless-Thermal-Printer-Smartphone/dp/B07Q6JCXHJ/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=photo+printer&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1603792124&sr=8-6

Dont worry, OP, Im a total dinosaur about technology. The echo dot just plugs into a plug socket. It is activated by voice. You can subscribe to audible for audiobooks and amazon music for music. I dont know about spotify, that may do both? So she would just say "alexa, read Harry Potter" and she does. You can get one for yourselves downstairs too. I use it for making shopping lists, answering the kids maths and science questions, talking about pokemon when I can't take anymore...and music of course.
You can set it up on your phone or her tablet but you dont need the device there to use it.
But if she had loads of cd's already then a cd player sounds fine.
And I would have been VERY excited about a sparkly coat at that age. (And this age).

Have you a link to the coat please, my daughter would love a fluffy coat.

I was reading this and thinking about my two dd’s. My eldest would’ve loved a fluffy coat with sparkly buttons at that age but my youngest wouldn’t have! Also I do second an echo for her but only if you are happy to purchase the audible subscription (think it’s 7.99/month) but double check that because it’s been a while! If not, I don’t think there is anything wrong with a CD player/headphones/audio books actually. She can happily choose and sort this herself and a smart device is something you can always upgrade to in a few years! I think the latter may look more ‘impressive’ as it can be bulked out and I like the suggestion of a karaoke microphone; Amazon do them for about £15. Whereas an echo dot is just a small black/white round thing - not as impressive to a younger child (especially if she’s not used to ‘smart’ items! Happy to be corrected and feel free to ignore me, I just wanted to give another perspective!

I just think an echo dot and audible gives you so much of a wider range of choice.

Again with karaoke I wouldn't get one of the old fashioned systems with cd's as you only get about 10 songs per cd and they get outdated so quickly! Go for one of the online subscription services like lucky voice where you have thousands of songs and they update weekly with new songs. You can just use via a iPad or patio and your tv, you can buy microphones. I think there's a huge chance that it could be novelty. This way you can just stop and start the subscription.

Obviously patio should have been laptop!

We recently got DD a cd player for her birthday (9) and it is all singing all dancing future proofed. It is also an alarm clock and has a usb port. It is fairly wow as she also got a couple of soundtrack CDs.
She would also love a sparkly coat, there's no accounting for taste!

Thanks all. I am looking into the Echo dot/wireless headphones combo now and will look at audible. If I was to subscribe to audible, could both my kids use the subscription or do they need one each? Also rethinking the camera.

Here’s a link to the jacket I’ve got my eye on. I’ve seen it and it is so beautifully soft and the buttons are stunning. I get that not every 8yo would be excited to receive it, but I do know it is the sort of thing my DD would swoon over if she saw someone wearing it.
www.riverisland.com/p/girls-beige-faux-fur-hood-coat-490480

@madcatladyforever

When I was a child I loved lots of small interesting presents. I didn't want a big present and the one year I got one I was really disappointed. I think my mum wanted the big doll more than I did.

I didnt have that as a child as we got loads but as an adult I totally get that mindset - it sucks when people are opening like 10-20 gifts and you have like 2-3 even if they are 'big ticket' gifts it sucks to be the one sat back watching.

most of the best gifts I ever got werent that expensive but more small and thoughtful but then I'm not remotely in to expensive/lush/luxuary things so most big ticket stuff is wasted on me anyway.

@Love51, out of interest what CD player was it? Still up for exploring more options!

The coat is lovely. If she already has a CD player she may not think a new one is that exciting though. My DD2 at 8 had the playmobil pyramid for Christmas and a 2nd hand iPod. DD1 had a camera at that age.

Our county's libraries have free online audio books, I assume they have children's ones too. It would be worth checking if yours does too if you do go for an echo or similar device. That saves on the subscription, or could be complementary to it.

I agree the CD player isn’t a great gift idea as the only reason she needs a replacement one is because she’s now sharing a room and can’t listen to it without disturbing her sister

As others have said, an Echo Dot would be much better

How tech savvy are you, could you rip her audio CDs and get them onto an MP3 player. That she can use sitting on her bed (I'm assuming she is top bunk).

Has she given you any ideas?

Wait for black friday for the dot- they will be cheaper. They were £18.99 last week on prime days. You might be able to get a 6 month free music or audible with them- they usually have a variety of offers.

The dot will have wow.