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Original poster

I messed up with her presents didn’t I?

43 replies

Hocuspocusnonsense · 27/12/2023 13:15

I have a lovely 7 year old DD. Her list for Santa is always long and has lots of things she’s seen advertised on TV

This year she had the following….

Bluey toy kitchen
happy napper
Vtech globe
Lets go pink gecko
Magic mixies lamp
book on space
slippers
Barbie dreamhouse
lots of magic mixies stuff
Lots of surprises
and some other stuff I can’t temembet

She received the gecko, magic mixies lamp, slippers, book on space and the Barbie dream house plus a new Barbie doll, a remote control skating girl, a set of those little animals you colour and wash and can recolour, a hooded blanket, slime, a new personalised notebook, a game.

Bur she’s disappointed she didn’t get the Bluey kitchen, really disappointed 😳 Barbie dream house hasn’t been touched since Christmas Day.

What would you do? I’m really tempted to tell her we can’t return it to Santa but we can sell it (in reality I’ll dismantle and return to Smyths) and replace with Bluey kitchen and keep the difference which will be about £140!

I thought the Bluey kitchen was a passing thing and didn’t realise how much she wanted it. Also it’s tiny isn’t it and more suited to a 3/4 year old? I am kicking myself about the globe because I almost bought it but after buying the dream house I didn’t have the budget of £80 for the globe.

Posting on this board because I don’t need posters to say she’s ungrateful, she hasn’t said much at all but I know she’s disappointed and would rather have received the Bluey kitchen then the dream house.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 27/12/2023 13:17

I think the bluey toy kitchen is aimed at a much younger age group. What I suspect would happen is that she'd get it, be excited for about 5 mins and then be disappointed that it's really a toddler/preschooler toy and doesn't do very much. I'm sure she'll get much more enjoyment out of the Barbie dream house in due course.

Glamourreader · 27/12/2023 13:20

Oh love it sounds like you put lots of energy and love into getting it right but sometimes things don't live up to expectation. Don't beat yourself up this is the stuff that just doesn't make its way into anyone's Instagram stories.

Deep breath and she can probably sell and buy gifts via ebay or something similar.

Xxx

2dogsandabudgie · 27/12/2023 13:24

I always told my children to put the toy they want most at the top of their list and then they would get a few other things on the list as well. Some years they would get everything they wanted if it was a short list other years just some things.

JassyRadlett · 27/12/2023 13:24

I tell my kids that Santa is really brilliant at knowing what kids will really love - and knowing what things that might look good but that they won't actually enjoy playing with if they got it. So Santa must have known the things on her list that actually weren't that great for her.

We've always made a point of only ever giving them about half their list though so there's no expectation that they'll get all or most.

WGACA · 27/12/2023 13:25

Can she put the kitchen on her birthday list and if she still wants it then get it for her?

AmazingBouncingFerret · 27/12/2023 13:25

Is there anywhere she can see the kitchen in real life. I imagine it would be an easier disappointment if she didn’t actually own it!

I wouldn’t beat yourself up, it’s good for kids to not receive everything they ask for, otherwise we’d all be in debt and have spoilt children!

toomuchfaster · 27/12/2023 13:25

Bluey toys are definitely pre-school, I had several conversations with my DD about how she won't be getting more than the couple of figures she has as she wanted the Hammerbarn play set! Give the dream house time, she will come round to it. DD got a Playmobil hospital instead and bloody loves it!

bloatedbobby · 27/12/2023 13:27

I tell my kids that Santa is really brilliant at knowing what kids will really love - and knowing what things that might look good but that they won't actually enjoy playing with if they got it.

yep, my dc never get everything on their list

NoSquirrels · 27/12/2023 13:28

You didn’t mess up - it’s fine she didn’t get the Bluey kitchen. Honestly.

baubl · 27/12/2023 13:28

I'm not sure Smyths will take something back for a refund if Its been taken out of the box and built will they?

NuffSaidSam · 27/12/2023 13:29

Has she seen the Bluey kitchen in real life? I'd maybe take her to see it in a shop so she can see how small it is and then see how she feels about it. They make it look great on TV, but might be different if she can see it in real life.

In future I would get her to commit to one big item that is her top pick (that she can ask Santa for if you do that) and then make clear that the rest of the list is just ideas that she might get/might not. Or get her to picks a top three, but definitely make sure you know which is the main thing she wants.

Dartmoorcheffy · 27/12/2023 13:29

Whats the difference between what you got her and what she wanted?

MeinKraft · 27/12/2023 13:32

I think you did the right thing. Don't worry about her not having played with Barbie dream house yet, my kids have things still unlooked at under the tree, it takes a few days for them to get round to looking at everything properly.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 27/12/2023 13:33

Life is full of disappointments. It's how they are managed that makes the difference.

Maybe you can ask her to write a 'thank you' letter to Father Christmas for what she got (concentrating her mind on the nice things she did receive rather than what she didn't), and maybe work out a way of telling her that Father Christmas can't bring every single thing she wants (otherwise you're leaving yourself open to lists that start 'a pony' and work in everything she's ever seen on TV) but he tries to bring things that he thinks she will enjoy.

Give it a few days anyway, she'll adjust and start playing with what she's got. Incidentally, what was your plan if she DID start her list with 'a pony'? Expectations have to be managed and this might be a good lesson.

cigarettesNalcohol · 27/12/2023 13:34

I know how you feel op but remember this will be a good way for her to learn that in life we don't get everything we want and try to use this opportunity to remind her of that, and work on being comfortable with the feeling of being disappointed.

BettyOBarley · 27/12/2023 13:35

Yeah I wouldn't worry, she will forget about the Bluey kitchen soon enough (or if not put on birthday list!)

My DS7 has gone back to wanting younger kids toys recently - play kitchen etc. after we sold his original one a while back. He begged for a play workbench for his birthday so MIL bought him one and he's literally not touched it since the day, such a waste.

EmptyYoghurtPot · 27/12/2023 13:36

When is her birthday? Could she ask for the kitchen then? Or does she have any Christmas money to spend?

TheSmallAssassin · 27/12/2023 13:49

I think you did the right thing. And disappointment is just part of life, we can't (and shouldn't try to) eliminate all negative emotions for our children, learning to deal with them is a really important thing to learn.

Serene135 · 27/12/2023 13:52

Maybe next year you could ask her to choose one main expensive present (globe etc) and a few smaller ones that Santa will choose from. As long as her main choice is not excessive then you can guarantee that she will be happy when she receives it. Her main choice could be the globe or a wooden kitchen with wooden play food (Asda do a nice wooden kitchen for a reasonable price). My children have got the globe and it is fantastic; very educational and interesting to learn about the different places. It plays little videos on the screen. The bluey kitchen is definitely aimed at a much younger age group.

If you do decide to swap the dream house for something else then you could try selling it. I don’t think it would be fair of you to return the dream house to the shop because it might end up being sold on to another person which isn’t fair as they will be expecting a brand new item.

You sound like a fab mum who bought her child loads. She might not play with the dream house now but might do a little more eventually. I’m sure she appreciates it 💐

Pineapplewaves · 27/12/2023 14:01

baubl · 27/12/2023 13:28

I'm not sure Smyths will take something back for a refund if Its been taken out of the box and built will they?

No they won't, unless it's faulty. Can a Barbie Dreamhouse be taken apart once built anyway? DS got the Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage and I can't see that it would come apart. There's a couple in our local charity shop, fully assembled!

You might be able to sell it on FB or Vinted for collection only.

AhBiscuits · 27/12/2023 14:02

She's definitely too old for the Bluey kitchen, it would be gathering dust after a day.

Shewhobecamethesun · 27/12/2023 14:02

Nope you bought her what she wanted from her list. That is not messing up.
Santa can't get everything, so I've always told mine to only write down the stuff they really really want, and the less they put down the more chance they have of getting it. Although, then I have the problem of being faced with a 15yr old who has only asked for two gifts and wondering how I can bulk that out.
Lesson learned for next year

roarrfeckingroar · 27/12/2023 14:09

My 3 year old has and loves his Bluey kitchen. I thought it was aimed for younger kids.

SingSongVerilyTheSky · 27/12/2023 14:13

I wouldn’t change it now. It’s hard dealing with the disappointment but imagine if you get it and then she gets bored with it quickly! The disappointment could have just as easily been the other way round - she could have been upset about the dream house and ignored the kitchen if you’d bought that. It’s not your fault at all 💐

MeinKraft · 27/12/2023 14:33

My son was disappointed that he didn't get a squishmallow, I told him he could use some of his Christmas money to buy one. Maybe you could try that with your DD? She might change her mind when she actually goes to buy the Bluey kitchen.