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Christmas

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

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Original poster

ds now talking non stop about nintendo ds....we havnt bought one..should we?

32 replies

littlemisschatalot · 19/12/2009 06:51

ds is 6, we didnt want to buy him a ds so we bought him playmobil and lots of other stuff. all hes talked about for the last 2 days is the ds that he put on his list, and how excited hes going to be...what games he will get...how he will be sad if he doesnt get one..
i am wobbling and thinking should we buy him one? will it be forgotten about on christmas day or will it be the only present he wants?
i'm not sure what to do. dh says dont buy.
at 6 he stronly believes in santa and the magic..will this ruin it?
i have talked to him about the fact that santa dosnt bring everything you ask for, but chooses the things on your list that he thinks you will like the best...
help!

OP posts:

BlueKangerooWonders · 19/12/2009 06:54

I wouldn't! If he has other things on his list, FC will bring some of those. As you've said, it'll be forgotten in the excitement of the day.

If he still talks about it later, could be for next birthday, whenever that is.

brightspark2 · 19/12/2009 06:58

The thing he would like the best is the DS. They get so focussed at that age. If you could afford it I would get it for him - Argos are doing a really cheap bundle now.

And it's a godsend in the car!

I remember the Christmasses I couldn't get what my LO really wanted - and the ones when I could! And playmobil does sound a little young - at his age they are starting to talk about these things at school.

citronella · 19/12/2009 07:02

Hello!
I had the very same issue with ds 7. I had an issue with the cost of it for a child of that age and that once I started down that road of electronic games etc there would be no going back.
I have caved in. The deciding factor was we are going on a 24hr journey to Australia in April so it would be v. useful then and also one of my (sensible) friends with a son the same age said that they caved in but they are very disciplined with timing. Only at weekends and for max 1/2 hour at a time.

citronella · 19/12/2009 07:03

p.s John Lewis has Dslite plus Mario Kart for £127 delivered (free) in a couple of days

mmelindt · 19/12/2009 07:09

We had the same problem with DD and had the same issues with it as Citronella. I had not bought anything else though. We ordered the DS because I know that it is the one thing that she really wanted and she will be so happy with it.

I think that if you had not said that he thinks Santa brings the thing you want most then you could get away with leaving it another year.

Additions were doing then for £99 and there is a voucher for first time orders that gives another £30 off. I have it somewhere.

ChippingIn · 19/12/2009 07:10

If you can afford it I would do it - there is so much pleasure in seeing them get the one thing they have their heart set on...

I don't like them being glued to these things, but if you can limit it once school starts back (let him have free reign over the holidays!) and buy non violent games, then I guess the negative side is limited.

LilySwalLoosHerTurkeyBaster · 19/12/2009 07:22

The ds won't be a waste of money if you get one.
If you can afford to get him one i would , then put aside the playmobil for his birthday ?
It is hard when they set their heart on one thing.

Fizzylemonade · 19/12/2009 07:34

I also think peer pressure plays a part, it seems that being 6 is the age parents at my son's school all buy them. Most of the children in his class got them for their 6th birthday.

We have got ds1 one, just a DS lite as he doesn't need the extra things on the DSi plus the battery lasts longer on the DS lite.

We have cheated and bought an R4 card so we can download games.

But that is his main present and he is aware that he isn't get much else, despite the fact that his brother who is 3 will be opening a lot more presents but they have had equal amounts of money spent on them.

I would weigh up postponing the DS till his birthday or the playmobil for his birthday, also consider the other children in the house. We foresee huge problems with my 3 year old wanting to play on the DS. Gawd help us.

em83 · 19/12/2009 07:53

i would get one for my ds if he had asked
spend over £50 at very to get 20% off aswell delivery in time for xmas i believe

foxinsocks · 19/12/2009 07:57

it's been (over the years) the best present we ever bought ds and dd (the nintendo ds). They are so useful for long journeys, waiting in airports etc.

frogetyfrog · 19/12/2009 08:21

I would if he is that excited about it. Our dds have had them since quite a young age and they still love them. I think children at age 6 nowadays are equivalent to us being 10 in my day. They are so much more grown up and aware of what friends have etc than I ever was.

ApplesinmyPocket · 19/12/2009 08:22

I think you should if you can manage it, because it will Make His Day and because it will give you joy to see the look on his face and that's what makes a Christmas magical, both at the time and in memories made.

They seem to be long-term good value - most children don't seem to tire of them quickly. As others have said, fantastic for journeys, too. I love ours - great fun - games for every age (your DH will probably come round to the idea when he gets a turn!)

You won't 'spoil' a child by making the occasional dream come true and giving them something they really want if it gives you pleasure to give it - only by giving in over and over to every demand for a quiet life does the dreaded spoiled-brat-syndrome result.

Original poster

littlemisschatalot · 19/12/2009 08:24

thanks guys. the issue we had with it is that he has a 4yr old brother....who would want it too. we could see lots of arguments, but cant justify buying 2, and i think the 4yr old needs to understand that his brother is older, and that brings special privlidges.also previously he hasnt been that bothered so we have been able to brush it off, now it seems his heart is set on it.
ds lite then if we go for it? what games are good at this age?

OP posts:

ChasingSquirrels · 19/12/2009 08:29

in the very first bit of your post you say "we didnt want to buy him a ds". I would think about why and whether the basis for that has changed, and base your decision now on that.
Christmas will be magical anyway.

mmelindt · 19/12/2009 08:33

We have a 5 yo who is going to want to play with the DS too, I know it will cause arguments but they argue all the time anyway.

Maybe he will be so busy with the scalectrix set that Papa wanted he is getting that it will be ok.

Rainbowinthesky · 19/12/2009 08:45

We bought one for ds a couple of years ago. He is now nearly 14 and barely every played with it. We are a little unusual in comparison to his friends as we have no game consoles other than that. Many of his friends have several consoles.
He does have a laptop though.
DD is 6 and played with his ds for a a couple of weeks but the novelty passed and neither ever play with it.
Fortuntately this means she isnt asking for her own or games etc.

That said if she really wanted games for it or her own we'd get it.

Ladymuck · 19/12/2009 10:30

I use the writing of a Christmas wishlist to manage expectations, so there isn't anything on the list that the dcs are not likely to get. So not helpful for this year, but I wouldn't have left a larger present on the list that the dcs wouldn't get. (Ds1 wanted an iphone, but no way was that going on a list!). Personally I think you need to have a think about why you've changed your mind, and if dh isn't keen on this idea then I'd consider that too, otherwise if the kids are squabbling on Christmas Day over the DS then I suspect that the atmosphere could turn chilly.

That said, does your ds actually want the Playmobil? Is that on the list as well? If so I would be bigging that up as much as possible and also managing your ds's expectations on the ds.

Another way to manage the DS is not to buy one for him, but to buy one for you or dh. That way it is yours but you can let either child play with it when you want to. Difficult if ds1 is expecting to get one from FC, but one way to manage the power struggle with ds2.

seb1 · 19/12/2009 10:32

Black DS lite £79.99 in argos plus £5 voucher HTH

Ivykaty44 · 19/12/2009 10:33

santa can not alway bring all the presents on the list, it maybe that santa might bring some things this year and others next or the year after.

I beleive in teaching children delayed gratification, as the art of waiting form something they really want can be chartecter building

my dd wanted a wii last year

she has now saved up for one and brought it herself this year with birthday and christmas money

MrsMorgan · 19/12/2009 10:37

I agree that if you can afford it, then get it.

My ds had his when he was 5 and I limit his time on it and so it's not been a problem.

MrsMorgan · 19/12/2009 10:39

Oh also agree that if you knew he couldn't have one, then it shouldn't have been allowed on the list.

If my children ask for something that I know I cannot afford, then I tell them thre and then that they can't have it.

Dd1 asked for a laptop and was told definatly not.

HellBent · 19/12/2009 10:40

We told our DS(5) last year he couldn't have one when he asked a week before Christmas day. It helped that he hadn't said to Santa at Debenhams for one so I told him he might end up with a pink one or something leftover, so he'd best wait for his birthday and pick a colour he'd like! By the time his birthday came round he'd forgotten he wanted it so I'd say don't bother . He is playing with the Playmobil pirate ship he asked for as I type so I'm glad I didn't swap it!

lissielouskissingsantaclaus · 19/12/2009 10:48

we tell ds that FC is a sort of magical postman. we buy the pressies (which is why he doesnt get everything he wants) and FC delivers them.

lucykate · 19/12/2009 10:56

given that you have already got his christmas presents, i wouldn't get the ds too. what we do is get the dc's to write a list for father christmas of 3 things they would like, and explain to them, he will pick one off the list, and that they won't get everything they ask for. hopefully your ds will write, playmobil, nintendo ds, etc, then as you already have the playmobil, you're covered!. there's always birthdays for the things they didn't get.

ShinyAndNew · 19/12/2009 10:59

Santa only has a certain amount of pressies to go around everyone you know. And he will have organised who is getting what weeks ago.

The first year dd1 asked for a ds, she was very dissapointed when she didn't get one (she was 3 fgs). Santa left her a note on boxing day to say that if she was good she would be top of the list for a ds next year

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