christmas presents - how do you make sure your child doesnt get a load of rubbish?

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just that really - really want dd to have fewer nice things, rather than a ton of plastic that will be discarded.

i dont want to spoil every one's fun buying for her (first grandchild etc) by telling them what to get - but they are far more likely to go for lurid plastic etc.

just not sure how to broach it

or am i being horrid?

glad to know i not the only one struggling here! just cant bear the waste plus really keen for ds to play with things in different ways rather than toys that can only be one thing.... i like the indoctrination option and shall begin forthwith!

enid, sniggering at your descripton of your mum's present-buying!

we too get Inlaws to pay for extracurricular stuff if poss.

We have a slightly different problem actually. Without guidance from us, the inlaws will buy far too staid and worthy a present. The sort of thing they would like to be given themselves. For instance, my son, age 7 got a National Trust book of the countryside for christmas. Nice.

I don't. I let people buy my children whatever they want and can afford. We have little money, so sometimes 'plastic tat' is all we can afford. At the end of the day to me its the thought that counts. In an ideal world yes I would love my kids to have handmade wooden, unbreaskable, beautiful toys, but I know its never going to happen. My children are grateful just to have something to open on christmas day.

Have to say ds2 loves tat. Would rather people boughtwhat the wanted. Having said that this year we have asked for money for ds1 so we can buy computer software- but only because no-one ever knows what to buy him and as they always ask (and he doesn't like toys anyway).

Both sides of our family give the kids crappy plastic presents. Usually ones that make stacks of noise, break within minutes or are things we've tried to avoid, eg jet fighter planes. However, these are invariably the toys the kids love and play with for ages, even when broken. Nice wooden toys they barely look at. Plus our relatives get such pleasure out of giving the kids things they know they wouldn't be allowed otherwise - I can't get too worked up about it. They're happy, the kids are happy and we can live with it. Doesn't mean I don't curse every time the jet fighter plane gets switched on or the electric guitar blares into action.

my kids love/loved lurid plastic - we are buried under a sea of it. The only nice wooden toy they played with was their train set! But I so hate relatives who ask you what sort of thing to get and when offered sugestions at prices from a couple of pounds to about £20 will spend a lot on things that are totally unsuitable. Still I once bought my husband's nephews a table football game - they adored it and their mother hated it

a quick tip - once the children are old enough for pocket money requiring them to buy their own batteries considerably reduces the amount of noise from toys. I'm such a mean mother.....

\i think you are being horrid
you are lucky they want to get you anything

ive got no problem with cheap toys from people who dont have much money. (so long as they arent dangerous) i do however have a problem with ds's dad buying him lots of pound shop ish cars. he has hundreds of cars and it just proves how so little thought goes into what he buys him. so i had a cunning plan on his birthday. ds's dad is a lazy beggar so i said "ive made up a list of the things i know he wants, im ordering online to get them delivered, would you like to choose what you want to buy him and ill wrap them up, just give me the money?) it worked a treat