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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

How to know what the kids want for christmas

22 replies

Laureli · 03/10/2023 08:08

Boy age 10
Girl age 7

I want to know what to get the kids for christmas so tey are excited when opening presents but i also want it to be a surprise and not tell them what they could be getting.

for previous years i have always just gone with surprises.
however i do seem to get a better reaction / excitment when they get a present they asked for/ seen in the shops.

i first asked them to circle a few things in the smyths toys catologue but they only circled 2 things! now i do actually have an album of potential presents im most likely getting them i could show them the screenshots and be like would you like this. or i could print/ cut out said presents from album from the smyths catalogue and do like a sicking activity on a 'santa list' or what my partner said is take them round smyths/ the entertainer and tell them to pick out some stuff but say were not buying now its for xmas ( i dont like this idea)

just wondering what everyone else does re kids and xmas presents and santas list etc :)

OP posts:

magic9 · 03/10/2023 08:14

Ask them to write a letter to Santa with the gift they want most? Or you might just get an idea closer to the time from speaking to them they should tell you some new interests etc?

FinallyHere · 03/10/2023 08:26

however i do seem to get a better reaction / excitment when they get a present they asked for/ seen in the shops.

And there you have the power of advertising.

It might be worth also thinking how you can get them to experience the magic of giving. Could they choose to donate some of their existing toys that they may have outgrown? How else?

FinallyHere · 03/10/2023 08:28

Posted too soon

It's gratifying for you now to fulfill their consumerist dreams. If their wildest expectations continue to be fulfilled, they might end up as teenagers who have come to expect their hearts desire will arrive at Christmas.

Original poster

Laureli · 03/10/2023 08:38

Please no negativity on my thread i am only asking for advice. Might be too early to ask for some and may be the right time for others. :)

OP posts:

dayofcheese · 03/10/2023 08:39

Letter to santa

Original poster

Laureli · 03/10/2023 08:40

<3 I like your name ! :D

OP posts:

Parlourgames · 03/10/2023 08:41

I’ve found this gets a lot harder as they get older and tbh I can’t surprise them any more. But we are all tiring of stuff, they don’t want much, so you have to get creative - theatre tickets or experience rather than stuff

SkankingWombat · 03/10/2023 08:41

I get them to tell me one thing they really want, which as long as it falls into the 'reasonable request' category (you can give parameters around cost or size etc), they will get. They can tell me other things, but know that is a wish & ideas list which they might get something from, something similar, or nothing at all (I usually get a few of the smaller items, especially if they're stocking-sized).
Everything else is based on things I think they'd like or items they need. I think this gives a good balance of what they've been really hankering after and surprises, as well as them getting things that they didn't know existed (because it isn't heavily advertised) but are right up their street.

DCs are 9 and 7yo.

cocksstrideintheevening · 03/10/2023 08:41

My ten year olds have been writing lists since august! 🤦🏻‍♀️ I'd just ask them to write a list or letter to FC if they still believe

teenysaladandsniffofarose · 03/10/2023 08:42

FinallyHere · 03/10/2023 08:26

however i do seem to get a better reaction / excitment when they get a present they asked for/ seen in the shops.

And there you have the power of advertising.

It might be worth also thinking how you can get them to experience the magic of giving. Could they choose to donate some of their existing toys that they may have outgrown? How else?

Oh for gods sake, there's always one.

"My jimmy would be happy with a satsuma and a 2002 Argos catalogue for Christmas"

Original poster

Laureli · 03/10/2023 08:44

My oldest is 10 and i agree. I think boys are hard enough to buy for and 10 i think is an awkward age to buy for but me and my partner try our best. we have craft activities every saturday of december and we all put the xmas tree and decorations up together and watch a movie aswell as the odd day out experience so the magic is still there :) <3

OP posts:

user1492757084 · 03/10/2023 08:47

Look at the letter to Santa before you post it.

Ask for their help in purchasing a gift for their cousins.
Going into the shop with them will be educational.

Buying at least one gift that they want is crucial.
Also remember what you had fun with at their age - a gift can be a way of sharing skills - like using Knitting Nancy, tennis or scateboarding.
Art supplies are fun.
Keep your ears open to what is the craze of the moment at their school - Pokemon cards, elastics, marbles or something else.

aSofaNearYou · 03/10/2023 09:54

Do they watch tv with adverts? This year I am experimenting with just buying Dd things she has got excited by watching the advert on TV, and seeing how it goes.

TheGirlWhoLived · 03/10/2023 11:48

I usually buy what I know they want and manipulate them into wanting it by the time xmas rolls around

TheGirlWhoLived · 03/10/2023 11:49

Manipulate seems aggressive… maybe more like “oh yeah I saw a cool car like that earlier, it went up the wall following a laser!” Cue dd2 being like omg I so want one of those!!!
me “oh but it’s too late to put it on your list… oh well, just have to hope he knows!”

Footprintsinthesand · 03/10/2023 11:57

Do they have any birthday parties for other children coming up? If so take them to Smyths to choose a present and see what they take an interest in

Nonplusultra · 03/10/2023 14:37

Take them to Smyths or similar, but instead of going directly, take them to a shop nearby and then have a look in Smyths while you’re there, or as a reward for them being good while you looked at the boring hardware or whatever.

Then take an interest in what they look at, and just listen a lot. Just make sure that you know the difference between looking because they’d love to get one, and horrified fascination that such a lame toy exists!

WaitingfortheTardis · 03/10/2023 16:36

I agree with @Nonplusultra go shopping for something else and then happen to be around some toys.

Snuzzle · 03/10/2023 18:58

I always take DD to smyths around mid October to buy a birthday present for her cousin.
It really helps to see what she shows an interest in and sometimes what she isn't interested in.

reluctantbrit · 03/10/2023 21:00

I went by DD's letter to Santa she did in November or nowadays her email to me with her wish list (she is 16).

She has some friends with autumn birthdays so I could see what was the current in-toy and go by that if I wanted to add some things.

But - DD hates surprises, she is autistic and not knowing what to expect is a big trigger for her. So we try to go by her ideas and just add on.
If she opens enough presents she knows she can expect than a surprise can work, we just have to be careful when she opens presents.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 05/10/2023 14:47

We used to go food shopping then call into the toys r us( at the time) " to kill time" and watch for what they went for
Particularly useful for a size of bike etc
I would have general ideas of things i knew they'd like too( all typical boys interests)
I think your DP has the right idea, but not to literally let them pick it out

ITSSSSCHRISTMASSS · 06/10/2023 12:49

mine do Santa list early, they have my Christmas gene 🎄

One of them is difficult as she’s not been into toys since she was about 5, she’d just say the same as her sister and never touch anything. She’s very niche in her likes so I tend to go ott on anything I find she likes.

When they were younger the toy catalog and visiting toy shops were the go, now I just ask the older 2 (11 & 9) I know them fairly well and know what they like but I’m still surprised by some of their asks. My 6yo is easy it’s barbie barbie barbie and a bit of other very girly bits thrown in.

They get to ask for 4 Santa gifts, 2 from us and everything else is a bonus.

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