Dd got BIG gift from my parents that we don't want -advice needed on what to do please!

[CantSleighWontSleigh]

They bought her this trampoline for Christmas.
She does like her current trampoline (little toddler one with a bar to hold onto whilst she jumps), but is only 22 months, and we want her garden toys to be safe to leave her to play on. We don't feel that we'd be comfortable leaving her alone on this for quite some time.

Having looked through the TP site, the only things that we can see any point in getting are this trampoline or this. The problem with the trampoline is that it will take up a lot of garden space, and we have just applied for planning permission for a large conservatory extension, so we will be losing a lot of space out there as it is.

The spiro hop looks fun, and is something that I can see that we might have got in the future, but not for quite some time (min recommended age is 4!).

I don't get on particularly well with my parents, and they will think that we are being difficult.

I have already broached the subject of us thinking that their gift was unsuitable, and they have agreed to take it back, but that was before I looked at the TP site and found that there was nothing we really wanted as an alternative.

I can't imagine that TP will just issue a refund, as there is nothing wrong with what was bought, so I feel like we are going to be forced to have something that we really don't want yet/at all.

Can anyone offer any advice on what we should do, and how I should word it when speaking (or most likely emailing) my parents?

See, that was another vote for pirate boat you notice

Or, why dont you get a climbing frame and store it in the xtrainershed? Ds2 goes on the one our neighbour and I got from the skip last time although I wouldnt leave him unwatched. Metal framed, so far less intrusive than a big trampoline enclosure. BTW, our garden is fairly good size (well, by our standards!), and the previuos owners had an enclosed trampoline, and it really did fill the space visually.

its this one at that height , but you can have it lower for dd's current age. Next door has the tarp platform across about half way up. There's a nice tddler add on for £20.

Actually, yes. The more I think about it, the better that idea is. That frame. Definintely the best option if you cant get a refund. I am a genius.

You might be a genius but you are talking to yourself now

Yep Phoenix, like you've scared everyone off the post natal thread

Pirate boat
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I agree. But not if its just as much hassle to sell the swing they already bought her. Unless the pirate boat would fit on that frame csws?

Get the metal frame.

Well csws- I hated climbing frames as a child, but I could have bounced or swung forever! (sorry mrm!)

And I loved pirate boats! (but do you need 2 to operate them? Can mummies fit in?)

Mummies with bums as big as mine would break it! At 24 months you'd be doing all the pushing, but you can get about 4 children in at once. As mine got older, one of them would stand on top of it holding onto the ropes - they referred to this as being the 'legger'! Even at the age they are now (14 & 12) they can just about squeeze in together. Honestly... they loved it... their friends loved it... it was BRILLIANT!

Hmmmm. I am liking the climbing frame idea. Poss even their 'Challenger' one, and we can pay the diff if necessary. Had thought of a climbing frame originally, but somehow had only seen the combination ones for several hundred £ when I'd looked. Dh now thinks he'd go for the climbing frame over a refund (is prone to mind changing ).

i would go for a climbing frame. we have a TP forest climbing frame, i am thinking of swapping the two seat thingy for a pirate boat.

mind you, the trampoline gets a lot more use than the climbing frame.

but dd2 is king of the castle (tower!) on the climbing frame.

I'd swap the one your parents brought you for the enclosed bouncy one, as I know that dd2 here loves bouncing on our friends one and they're the same age right, and she's safe on it, you just have to make sure you're out there in the garden with them and they're zipped and fastened into it, then they happily bounce for hours!
(and you can too! its great for ensuring you do your pelvics too! )

We had a similar thing (though on a smaller scale) with ds1's 15mo xmas present - they brought the octogonal trampoline whereas I had suggested the toddler one with bar. Needless to say the octogonal one didn't get used for quite a long time.
We have a see-saw, though not the space hopper one which looks great, and while they would be fine for your dd now (ds2 uses ours) they are useless with one child. ds1+2 use ours together, but ds2 often gets on on his own and just gets frustrated - so you get drafted it, and there is only so much see-sawing you can do!
We also have a big trampoline which we got when ds2 was a few months (so the octogonal one is redundant now), and ds2 is fine on it on his own - I just clip the netting closed, but I wouldn't want him to just climb up and go on it on his own (ie without me doing the netting up after him), so I wouldn't say it is a safe (ie unsupervised) garden toy for her. ds2 has been fine on it since we got it (he was 3.5y).
Was also going to suggest a climbing frame (and have now read the thread).
Am off to check out the pirate boat.

I meant ds1 has been fine with it since we got it when he was 3.5y.

Hurray, she likes my idea! Dont go for a huge one;it'll get on your nerves. The one I suggested can be made taller as she grows, and the tarp platform is a big hit with most kids, and there's all sorts of add-ons your parents can buy her each xmas

Only read OP.

Can't you just keep it until she is big enough?

That's hugely inappropriate! Way more inappropriate than the higher-than-she-is-tall 14' trampoline BabyDragon goes on... (accompanied or watched and it has an enclosure)