I've ignored my kids christmas lists - now I'm getting nervous.....

[allmytimeonmumsnet]

DS was easy. He just wanted lego and thats what he's got. The girls were harder.

DD1 (7) insisted they write letters to santa and they were awful. She asked for Baby Born Boy (she has never played with dolls) and a few games plus a big chocolate snowman. She has got the snowman but I ignored the rest. She likes figuring out things on her laptop. She loves music and watching films - so we got her a nano. Fab present I think.

DD2 (4) is even worse though. She asked for a dog with shoes, a cat that sings and a baby that poos!!!!!! What kind of a list is that? She has loads of dolls and I hate the idea of spending so much on one of the gizmo ones. So we got her a DS because she constantly fights the others for theres. She will love it. Its just she didn't think to ask for one. But she is telling everyone she is getting a baby annabel now.

I don't know what to do? I've overspent already - don't want to fork out more but will they be disappointed that they didn't get their list?

Its all because Ganny lets them watch pop and boomerrang and they are reciting the adverts but I'm starting to feel bad about ignoring them now. I know they will love what they have got and they are not greedy kids. But I am still scared they will want to know why Santa has ignored them. Do I tell them he has run out? Do I write them a letter from him explaining his actions? Have you ignored your kids requests and if so how do you deal with it?

Actually cod that is true, I think OP should have got the doll - nice imaginative toy, and cheaper(?) than the nano!

I think it is perfectly acceptable to explain to kids that they can't have mobile phones, iPods, whatever, if you are trying to get them to grow up to play, imagine, interact, etc. You just say Santa gives toys to children and ask them to do another list (if you are doing the whole Santa thing).

DD asked for an electric guitar. needless to say I completely ignored this, but felt all redeemed last week upon buying her an electric guitar shaped Hannah Montana BAG . what will she do when she realises they are diamantes , not infact, working buttons??

Ps I don't think I've EVER shoved any of my kids in a room to ignore them. I have an ipod of my own which lives in the car. The kdis play games on it were each person selects a song them like and one of them will find it.
The age we live in now is one were kids play with technology instead of sitting in a corner learning to be a housewife!

And incidentally I totally disapprove of lists. What kind of a message is it to get kids to ASK for things? But everybody does it so my kids do it without any prompting from me. My quandary is whether to honour those lists even if I think a lot of the stuff is rubbish. But in response to what others have said I am going to make sure they have some of the things.

PMSL at Pruni's festive disclaimer. '....if you are doing the whole Santa thing.'

Only on MN.

a ds for a 4 year old? WHAT?

and a nano for a 7 year old WHY?

"sitting in a corner learning to be a housewife"

Do housewives not listen to nanos then?

Sorry, what is a "ds"? I have run various acronyms through my head but can't come up with something a small child might want.

like a game boy

Letters to Santa are a kind of domestic client-management exercise, & have to be approached as such.

"Yes, I see, you would like X Y Z and AAA done by next Tuesday, oh excuse me, last Tuesday. Incidentally, on that it seems B would be a good plan to put in hand to complement Y and Z ... yes, of course, once you've confirmed that with the internal team, we'll have B done right away, certainly before the year-end, then we can have a meeting - how about in the new year? - to discuss going forward on X Y and Z."

Ds (8) wants his own laptop (heh), but has been worked on, & when he gets his set of Star Wars DVDs he'll think that's what he really wanted all along.

Nintendo DS Lite
tis a handheld computer gamey thing

(I am with cod and enid so am not really posting to this thread)

Cod is that the playmobil dragons & knights castle? DS1 [7] really wants this we had already bought it for DS2 [3]

I have explained that santa needs them to share some things.

Tbh I think the santa is wearing a bit thin with the 7 year old, I keep slipping up about lego and things. [useless]

Has ds2 asked for it MCE? Or just DS1?

I wouldn't mind a pleo, but they are too expensive.

you can get a skateboard and ramp

dd1 really wantted a skateboard but I have not got on the grounds that we have no where she can skateboard (muddy, pitted lane outside a acre of badger infested grass that we laughingly call a garden)

she could have used a ramp on the patio

You are totally correct about them reciting TV adverts, that's why I try to keep my eldest on the Cbeebies channel, but his Christmas list still read like the Nickelodeon section at Toys R Us. So I have clearly failed.

However, in the end we compromised with some things off the list and some things that we just knew he would enjoy. DH however, caved and bought the Golden Coin Maker, that I was absolutely adamantly against. Anyway, "Santa" did pay attention to the list, a little.

Is there any chance that they will get some Christmas money that they can spend on one of the list items? When faced with the choice, you might find they decided to buy something different anyway.

I wouldn't feel guilty, they'll enjoy whatever they get I'm sure.

Come on you lot...stop being mean and picking holes. It's Christmas

Allmytimeonmumsnet...you did ask, so I'd say at that age I'd have been a bit disappointed at having a gift that my Mum already had v's a doll.

Also I do think that using headphones for small kids is bad news for their health. No proof just gut instinct.

ds1 - guitar hero 3 and clothes
ds2 money and stuff
ds3 a ds
dd a watch, pictionary mania and bits

I have no idea what a ds or a nano are so think I would have stuck roughly to at least some of the things they asked for.

Can someone please enlighten me? I am feeling distinctly old.

Message withdrawn

a ds is like a game boy and nano is an ipod - it plays music

So let me get this straight. Even though we have about 20 dolls of various shapes and sizes and DD1 has never ever played with any because she is a tomboy and she is a techie, not because we've forced her to veg out all the time but because that is what she likes to do - because she has been watching naff TV and like so many kids has started pattering off the adverts, then I'm a bad mummy because I'm not going along with that, I'm getting her something that will suit her character!!!! Don't really see why I should conform. Why should 7yr olds play with dolls all the time. Yes a nano is an extravagent present, could have got a cheaper version but I know where I am with an ipod.

I have more of a problem with the DS because not that long ago I was telling my SIL that her 5yr old was too young for one. But he has one and can use it happily. So can my DD2. Her older siblings have them and she constantly fights for one of them. She can use it so where is the harm. It means all three of them can play wireless together now whereas before she was left out. Plus they are very handy for practicing tables and spellings.

so get her a camera

I said this on another thread but if you'll forgive me boring everyone again- buy them toys while you can, and while they still want them. It's hard enough to come up with presents for older childen/teenagers as it is- if they've already maxed out on electronics when they are tiny there will be nothing left to get them!