All tb stuff my 6yr old wants is unachievable

[Hungrycaterpillarsmummy]

He's asking for things like :
a real jet pack so he can fly through the sky
An invisibility cloak
An x box, phone and switch 🤣

So obviously pretty much everything on his list I've tried to dampen expectations of and now feel really bad. I'm sure he will be confused as to why Santa hasn't got him ANYTHING he has asked for!

The switch or Xbox is easy enough.
Jet packs are for over 18s obviously, elf and safety as per Santa’s rules
and Santa put the invisibility cloak down somewhere and now can’t find it.

I have said to him "I don't think Santa will bring this because he knows mummy and daddy wouldn't approve".

To those asking if I can stretch to a switch...I have a switch and he uses it. I restrict his time of use on it but I just think him gaining access to his own personal one will be a nightmare based on his personality!
I like being able to say "no, it's like to you need to hand it back" etc

😂 😂 this actually made laugh out loud!

I LOVE that bit about him not finding it! I will definitely use that!

I used to tell DS that people had to pay a Santa tax depending on how much money they had, which explained why some children got more than others (and it wasn’t because they were naughty or nice!)

I also said that Santa only came to young children so when he was older then we would buy his presents.

I am with other people on this. Santa has only ever done stockings and is only allowed to bring small things. Could you use this idea with your son and perhaps have a change in who he thinks presents come from?

Could you use the want, need, wear, read idea to gain ideas? Either drop in conversation or wander round some shops heading to different sections? I mean it sounds like his want would be the games console which you have ruled out, but maybe seeing other things in real life he might find more ideas.

Funnily enough DH just did this. He said he asked for some TV sword thing and I asked if he got it and he said no. Then DH asked me if there was anything I didn't get and I said a Cat.

Dh has also said that you don't really think about the list come the morning of Xmas. You run downstairs see your lot and are happy with that. I kinda thing that's true enough actually

Now thats funny but risks tears and a year of 'what did Santa do with it'

Oh my mam had this problem with me, I was adamant that Santa was magic therefore there was no reason he couldn't provide me with a unicorn.

Her way around it was to say Santa needs all his magic to be able to make Christmas work - to be able to travel all over the world giving presents to every child in just one night takes so much magic that he had to save up all his magic all year just to do it, and it means he can't use that magic to make presents - that's why no-one gets magic presents, because there simply wouldn't be enough to go around.

Santa does not by electronics. Santander gets jigsaws, books and cookies.

Father Christmas will only bring things that he knows your parents don't mind you having. That was always the rule in our house.

https://shop.sciencemuseum.org.uk/products/jetpack-backpack?variant=31348222328883&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SMG+%7C%7C+Pmax+%7C%7C+Apparel&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22233045251&gbraid=0AAAAAqC9APneZlZbM2e9ideecR433J7gJ&gclid=CjwKCAiA_orJBhBNEiwABkdmjEV0ga5MoVRCTrcO0WbVawIu7oyIhSwtRazCOyDk1YRwbgTCh5OqDxoCYmMQAvD_BwE

Oh I don't know about that.

I remember tears on Christmas morning because stocking was upstairs and kids hearts desire wasn't in it (it was downstairs under the tree).

I've also had Christmas Eve baby get upset because Santa didn't deliver whatever it was on his Birthday! He hadn't quiet grasped the difference between Birthday and Christmas even if everyone else did!

Both were about 4 when those happened but I think expectations have to be managed or it can be disappointing for both you and them!

Magic stuff is only for magical beings, so unfortunately the invisibility cloke etc wouldn't work for DS. Santa can use Magic for his own transport, but can only leave behind non magical items. If he was making stuff with Magic and giving his Magical stuff to half the world, he'd soon run out

Somewhere I have a photo of DS2’s list when he was 7. It started with ‘a phone with 12+ restrictions’ drifted through ‘a cat and a cat flap’ (on further enquiry as to why a new cat flap when the current cats have one already this was for his bedroom door) and then finished up with ‘magic snow and ice power’.

We had a serious conversation about Father Xmas not bringing unsuitable/magical/living things. And a new list. I think, retrospectively, he was testing out the idea that Fc wasn’t real.

Santa only brings stocking. You get the big presents and then you avoid this crazy ness.

We used to tell our DC that they can write a list for Santa for some ideas. However FC has lots of children to deliver to, and will only be able to send some things to everyone .So this is a good lesson in not always getting everything!(In the words of Mick Jagger "you cant always get what you want!")

Tell him he brought an invisibility cloak… can you son not see it under the tree!? Oh no. 🤭

Surely it's quite reasonable and normal to limit access?

Time to tell him the truth. It sounds as if he’s got serious doubts and is testing you.

In our house, Santa can't bring animals (chimney & sleigh ride too scary for guinea pigs). Can't bring electronics (elves can't make them in the workshop), and won't bring anything that could be dangerous (eg jet pack).

Mine were easily talked into adding "a surprise" to their wishlist, as the "what if there's an amazing thing the elves want to make just for you but you don't put it on your wishlist?".

Also, second hand gifts were hugely prized because the ones that were a bit bashed or in dodgy boxes were the ones the new trainee elves had made - you are SO lucky if you were chosen for one of those ones!

@Hungrycaterpillarsmummy

Invisibility cloak is doable. My ds had one years ago.

https://amzn.eu/d/b2VqInR

That's a clever solution.
Six is a little bit Young to be able to have an eye for the intricacies of a form letter but why not make something that looks official (think of contract paperwork or something you would get from a utility company or the government... With a logo, make it look official)

And in child friendly but still adults sounding tone (if you're having a hard time coming up with the right wording, try chat gtp. If you don't subscribe to it you can use it for free, all you have to do is ask it for exactly what you want and it can adjust the tone of the letter for you, it's quite a clever writing tool) just explain that due to health and safety regulations, it's not safe for children to have real jetpacks or even a visibility cloaks. That these things would seem fun, but it's the job of adults to make sure that children remain safe.
That sometimes it's not fun as an adult to say "no" but to trust that the adults that care about you have your best interest at heart...and that includes your mummy and daddy.
Finish off with a statement something like due to international safety regulations, Santa is only permitted to deliver the type of toys that can be found in shops, and to help you, your mommy can show you some store flyers/catalogs (if you want to do that... Might help to direct his wish list into a category / price range that you can afford)

Maybe sprinkle a little tiny bit of glitter on the envelope and the letter so it looks a little more magical?

While I agree that six year old is too young to break the news of how Santa really works, 6-year-old is not too young to reinforce the idea that your parents (and other adults who can care for you) have the responsibility of making sure that you grow up safe and sometimes that means imposing rules that they don't like. Cuz that's life, and that lesson always needs to be reinforced.

Now on that note, I'm going to do something that I don't really want to do but I'm doing to protect my parents, I'm going to go get my flu shot.

Best to set expectations early on!

Santa brings a stocking and small gift, and doesn't bring electronics or animals.
If children question the rules just shrug and say you didn't make the rules, Santa did.

This. My DH is still wounded now that he wanted a guitar and got a second hand keyboard. When you go to sleep so excited for your guitar/jet pack then anything else you get is tinged with a bit of disappointment.