5 yo dd has been asking for a 'surprise' for weeks. However...

[Haylstones]

at school yesterday she wrote a list, which inlcuded none of the 'surprises' we have bought her.

What do I do? She still firmly believes so might be confused if FC doesn't bring anything on her list...

Returning items isn't an option- I bought most of them ages ago, they're all wrapped and some were from Ebay.

The only option I can think of is to keep some of the surprises as a birthday present instead (in February) but I already have ideas for then!

Aaaargh. Should I just buy her the extras and forget about it? Or hope she forgets what she asked for?

(Nothing on the list is majorly expensive-she wants a gold teddy bear, a DS game and a silver ring We bought her singstar, games, clothes and a few other bits)

I'd buy the gifts on her list and give her the lot (finances allowing, of course) but I do have a horrendously over-indulged child...

Well, I've just bought another present now that my DD has actually come up with a suggestion!

I think she will be thrilled with whatever she gets but as what she has asked for is not expensive I would get them too and maybe put some of the other bits away.

I'd buy some of the extras (ring and teddy) and hold back one or 2 for birthday if it seemed too much.

THanks. I'm tempted just to buy the other bits to make her happy. We also have ds so might have to buy him extra to keep things even...

I could keep a couple of bits back for her birthday but they're all wrapped in Xmas paper [lazy]

Ds2 (5) keeps doing this. He's changed his list about 3 times

His lists are as long as your arm anyway so he has been told quite firmly that FC will not bring everything and the lists have now been posted so he knows he can't change his mind.

Next year you need a deadline. Letters go by this date or not at all. I need to set the deadline a bit earlier next year....September maybe

this is such a familiar thing in our household every Christmas!
I set a deadline and let dcs know that if they've decided on a surprise and then change their mind after the deadline, it's just going to be an exciting surprise as Santa has to get all the pressies wrapped if he's going to have any hope of getting round all the childremn in the world on Christmas eve!
Luckily FC has brought some great surpises in the past, so they know they won't go without something faberoony!

Would it be really bad if I got one of the 10000 teddies in her room (most still with labels on and NEVER played with!) and wrapped it up? Is that bad karma?!

I just got a set of silver- effect rings from Ebay- she's 5 so will probably lose them within a week anyway

she will know it's one of her teddies even if she's never played with it! Children have worrying good memories!
Every time I send to charity something my boys have never ever played with and not even looked at for over a year, about a week later one of them will ask for it!

Just go heavy on the whole FC does great surprises thing - and phone your relatives to give them the list she's written for FC so at least someone buys her one or two of the things on it!

she will definitely know if it's her own teddy!

Thought I might get away with it as she really has hundreds of teddies and never looks at any of them plus Xmas morning will be total chaos so she might not notice
Ok, it's a bad idea!

buy a few of the extras on the list and perhaps 'recyle' some of the presents you'd bought for when she goes to other parties or keep for her birthday

In my experience they never remember on Christmas morning exactly what was on their list anyway. I would just keep calm and carry on tbh. I did panic a bit the Christmas DD3 asked for a Nintendo DS and got Magnetix, but she was delighted with it and never thought of the DS on Christmas morning.

Put the pressies you have already bought away for her birthday.

dd1 has done this to me. Decided she wanted nothing for her birthday, so we got just a few bits (an outfit,cd etc) and ordered an ipod from asda as a surprise. On Friday (her birthday is on Wednesday) Asda canelled the order, dd1 spotted us looking at alternatives and decided she does in fact want something for her birthday, A Hello Kitty ipod imported from China. And a purple DS (which does not actually exist). Hence, she will have very few pressies to open on Wed, as they are all still being shipped.

Why do schools do this? I think its a really bad idea!

DD wrote a letter (at preschool) and posterd it with a request for iceskates, we dont celebrate xmas....eerm...

I specially asked teacher so she checked in dds record book to see what dd had asked for, the other parents will get books at end of term, with 5 days left before xmas.....what do they do then if their kids have requested totally different stuaff and posted the letter expecting at least some of it to appear on xmas morning?