Is this too much for a nearly 4 year old ??

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, our daughter is 3 years and 10 months old, for christmas we've bought her

• a set of plastic schleich farm animals

• a fur real piglet

• a horse riding dressing up set

• a few books

Does this sound about right for a child of her age? or is it a bit spoiled?
She is increadably easy to please, but is this enough to make her little face light up?
She is getting other pressies from family members, like a talking doll, tea set etc.

I really don't want her to grow up to be spoiled, and want her to enjoy the true spirit of christmas. Every year I think to myself, I won't give her as much next year. But I keep seeing things she'd love.
I could always put some back for her birthay if it's too much.

Not too much at all. In my infinate wisdom I started buying early this year and put it all away, thus forgetting most of it was there and adding to the pile I think I am actually going to save some of it for her birthday in June now [mean mummy emoticon]

I've found that she can become overwhelmed with too many gifts. Last year she didn't want to open any more, as soon as she had a little fluffy toy lamb, she was satisfied and didn't feel the need to open any more. ( which is a bit when you have all the family waiting for her to open their gifts).

Have you noticed a trend ? I think she's going to follow in Grandmas foot steps and be a farmer when she grows up. (Or a vet of corse)

...

Sounds lovely. dd is the same age - she's getting a bike with stabilisers from us and a book. Then FC is bringing her some doll's clothes and a spirograph as well as some little bits and pieces (including a lunch box which she needs for pre-school next term). She's get lots of stuff from the family, so don't want to go overboard.

It isn't how much or little you spend or the number of gifts that would spoil a child. It's ensuring that they appreciate what they have and never expect to get things.

Thanks, I thought about a bike but she hasn't mastered a trike yet. She just sits there waiting to be pushed.

i spoil mine at christmas.... they don't get random presents through the year and generally only get one present at their birthdays so at christmas i go absolutely crazy and shower them with toys

they don't expect it though and i think that's the key.... they don't ask for toys in shops... they enjoy looking but they never hassle us for them and they're so incredibly grateful and happy at christmas for every present big and small that i love doing it for them.

dd will be 4 at the end of jan and is getting; a big dolls house with furniture (joint santa present for her and ds) and the barbie with the horse and foal from us and probably something else as well. ds is 2 and is getting a wooden digger, a woooden workbench and a tractor from us. realistically they share all toys so all that is for both of them really... i also spent 70 euros on books for them and will fill their stocking with small things like cars and sleich animals as they love them and will pick up smaller bits and bobs as i see them as well.

we're not well off, far from it we're quite broke again this year as dp has been off work sick recently but i bought alot of this stuff months ago and we don't spend much really on ourselves or on other family and i think they deserve to be spoiled just one day a year as they go without compared to other kids the rest of the time.

SOunds fine to me. I generally only buy DS 2/3 presents at Xmas because my parents buy him tons and there are quite a few relatives and friends who buy him something (my DS is 4). I grew up in a family who all buy each other several presents at Xmas (including presents 'from' the pets) though.

Please, what pray tell is a "a fur real piglet"?

Aah she will love the piglet - I always unbox and battery up toys like that before I give them to DCs - that way they can play with them straight away and you're not stuggling with the box and those b-gg-r-ng little plastic ties that just don't untie.

Okay, you're giving your daughter a battery pig, boxed and bound in twist ties? Hope the RSPCA don't find out!

It is a toy piglet that acts like a real one. It even has a bottle and birth certificate.

Awwwww.... cute.

we spoil ours at christmas too pinktulips - we dont spend on them through the year!

mll not too much at all

well, it all depends how much other relatives buy her, I find. The gps go over the top which means ol santa can be minimlaist

She gets little gifts through out the year too. If she's acchieved something or some times I'll just give her a small gift (like a hair band wrapped up) and say this is for always using your manners and being so caring of your friends etc.
Her little face lights up as it's so unexpected.
She says "Thank you Mummy, that is very very kind of you"
She never askes for things though and when I asked her what she wanted for christmas if she could have anything in the world, she said "some pink sunglasses with a pig on them".

merrylegs is right..... make sure you untie and battery up all toys before the day.... it makes it so much more enjoyable on the morning if they can just take the toy out of the box and play with it instead of waiting 20 mins for mommy or daddy to wrestle it out of the twisty ties, hunt down a screwdriver and put batteries in.

(learned that the hard way unfortunately!)

pointydog lucky you!!

no family here so old FC has to be generous!

yes, iz lucky