How do you differentiate between the ‘want’ and the ‘need’?
Surely all children need a certain amount of toys for development and just for something to do so how do you decide which is a want and which is a need?
My 7 year old would tell you that he needs a new monster truck so he can race it against his other one, of course he doesn’t need It in a ‘would die without it’ sense but to him it’s a pretty big need - so need or want?
Is it whether the child seems it a need or the adult deems it a need?
If your child’s bike has broken, they play on it almost daily, so you’re getting a new one; want or need?
If they have used up all the felt tips and paper so you’re buying more; want or need?
All of one child’s friends are playing a certain game together on the Pc and he’s feeling left out and it’s affecting friendships, so you buy him the game - want or need?
The school moves all homework online to an app so you buy them an iPad, they can also play games on the iPad so want or need??
Also what if you have 2 DC and one needs a new bike but one only needs new socks, surely you don’t buy one child a ‘want’ plus a bike and one child a ‘want’ plus a pair of socks??
Also the ‘need’ one if you say you take it down to the very basics - shouldn’t you be providing your child with those anyway and not calling them gifts?
If my child happens to go up a shoe size in December I’m not going to buy them school shoes for Xmas, it’s my job to provide them with clothes that fit anyway, also what if then another child goes up a size in January - they get shoes just because but the other child had to count is as an Xmas present?
I just don’t know how you differentiate??