so dd believes in FC, but wants to put something ££££ on list, how do i tell her ...

[piratecat]

that there is no chance she can get it.

I did try this with another thing a few weeks back, and she said 'oh but FC doesn't 'buy' it mummy he will make it'

The thing today is a fur real puppy which costs £120. I did say that FC can't always afford to 'make' such things, but I know she doesn't get it, as this bloody FC belief is of course all about 'magic'.

magic rules over reality.

would love to hear how you put your dc's off the expensive toys.

DS1 has things on his father chistmas list - we have agreed that FC will make the decision about which things he should have.
Pass the buck

Just tell he because FC has soooo many children all over the world to give presents to and it would be a little unfair to make such an expensive present for one little girl when other children will be having things much less..so santa has a budget for all children that the elves stick to..then maybe try to get the small puppy that was £20 in toys r us the other week

father christmas only does stockings in our house so they're full of daft cheap things to open in the morning and padded out with packs of knickers and new pyjamas. always choc coins and a satsuma at the toe, of course.

so other presents come from us and other relatives. our kids write a list of things they'd really like but know that it's not the same as a shopping list. they have loads of generous aunties and grandparents so do very well out of it but don't get everything by any means.

but the divide between stockings and gifts from other people is really useful. also means we get credit for the bloomin things we actually buy!

www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Toys/Soft-Toys/Fur-Real-Playful-Pup(0019415)

I told DSs that

1. They don't get everything on the list, FC just uses it as a guide.
2. FC doesn't bring anything he knows the parents really don't want them to have

TBH, they've never had a problem with this. Even the year DS1 put every games console possible on it and got none of them Provided they get some of the stuff, they're so excited they don't worry about the stuff that doesn't appear.

We say that FC has lots of children to deliver to all over the world and that you don't get what you ask for, as he only make a limited number.!

credit for the things you buy-- ermintrude!! and as it is just me as a lone parent i am very much thinking that this year, whilst she is 6 might be the year to change the rules a tad!!

As has been discused on other threads, we all have differing traditions, on who gets what, whats in the stocking. mainly based on what we had as children.

i think greyskulls notion of passing the buck is good one. What she doesn't know is i have already purchased the white fur real cat, half price in argos, as she has wanted one for 2 yrs!! she doesn't even bloody like dogs tha much.
grrr@ saturday mornign tv.

I shall also try and say like nemo did, about FC being fair to all the children, that type of thing.

lol at mild mannered's

'i KNOW he will not bring a horse'

yes i am putting my hoof down this yr, cos i figure the older she gets the harder it will be.

we also get credit as Fc brings one gift and stocking!!

Just explain that it's a wishlist and that's not the same as putting in an order or writing a shopping list.

hmm goes away to think seriously about new xmas rules!!

lol yes, i must enforce the list thing as being a wish list.

'wish', being the word that has emphasis!!

Like Ermintrude, in our house the DCs know that we buy most of the presents. father christmas just brings stockings and a couple of little things.

DD wanted that fur real puppy thing and I have said no. My story is that actually parents have to make a contribution to presents which is why some children get much more expensive presents than others (some high spenders in her old class). I said that FC does make a fair few toys eg rocking horses, wooden jigsaw puzzles but for things like the Fur real it is easier for him to order from the manufacturers.

She wanted to know how I paid him and I was rather on the spot at the point so said I get an email in November and have to ring the elf christmas help line and confirm what it is they want and pay my contribution by card. She started going on about finding the number and saying she was going to ring so I told her she wouldn't be able to find it as it changes every year and I delete my email once it is done, and even if she rang the number she wouldn't hear anything as FC has designed it so that it operates on the frequency of adult hearing rather than children's.

Reading this back I am cringing slightly but it did the job in a tight situation at the time !

not only do i (selfishly, ok) like dc to see that we do sometimes do nice things like buy pressies they like, but there's a real gift-giving tradition in my family (not dh's - they're tight as the proverbial gnat's etc.) and fromas soon as they can comprehend, the little ones wrap presents and write tags when they can and give them to everybody. there's an exchange of gifts from everyone to everyone which is nice as long as it doesn't get expensive. they give things like a tree decoration or a pack of chocolate teddies, little things like that. they love marching around and distributing these to gps and aunts and cousins - not quite as much as they love tearing into gifts for them, but you have to start somewhere...

I have just looked on Toys R Us and the fur real puppy is £19.99.

My children believe in FC but I have told them we still have to pay him for the presents and sometimes the things they would like are too expensive.

We warned my young niece that children who are seen as being 'greedy' may end up with nothing [wicked]

She still asks me what I am 'ordering' for DS from Santa, though...

the puppy dd has seen is caled Biscuit and is a whacking £120!!!

actually she started her wish list earlier and couldn't think of anything to put on it. all except for a Power rangers white monster. To complete the set of power rangers apparently.!!

I MUST remember that they are very 'of the moment', and of course she is going to come running up the stairs telling me all about this puppy. it musthave seemed like the nextbest thing to a real puppy!

DD1 knows that Mummies & Daddies 'help' Santa with a contribution because he & Mrs Claus are pensioners & can't afford all the things the'd like for all the children. She understands that she can ask for whatever she likes but she may not get it all. She even put the cheque in with her Santa letter last year

FC chooses the presents in this house, so writing wish lists is just a game.

My kids are rarely allowed to watch tv channels which show ads - it really helps because they don't covet expensive crap so much. I've noticed that anytime they do watch ads there is an immediate request to get something "for my birthday" or "for Christmas"....

I've noticed that too GrapefruitMoon, so mine are limited to CBeebies for that reason.

Our rule is that the mummies and daddies buy the presents and send them to FC (hence why DS1's bike is behind the loo door!). FC will also bring extra stocking presents on Christmas day. Therefore I get full credit for what he gets, and anything he doesn't get but wanted is 'blamed' on FC.