Hi all,
I really need some advice. My son is 5 and during lockdown in the summer he began using my mums iPad (she was shielding with us) to complete school work on the app they used set by his teacher. At the time he expressed a desire for his own iPad because he obviously had to keep asking her permission. Mum and IPad returned home in August.
In September, I began asking what he would like for Christmas. He is a huge train fan so unsurprisingly he reeled off a number of Thomas engines and also Batman toys. Over the last few weeks I have purchased these and other gifts that I think he would like. I am on mat leave and saved an amount of money to spend on his gifts before the baby was born. Wooden Thomas trains aren’t cheap (even 2nd hand) so with the extra bits the money is now spent. My husband has been unemployed for a year now and has struggled since the pandemic to even secure an interview so things are pretty tight.
Fast forward to yesterday when his godmother asked him on the telephone what he was going to ask Santa for and his reply (a very excited) ‘I would like an iPad’ 😱
Two issues - we can’t afford one and secondly I also think he is a bit young. I’m not so naive to know that times are changing but he loves being outdoors, loves playing trains, etc long may that continue until we really have no choice.
How on earth do I let him down gently? He’s a good kid, not a ‘I want this, I want that’ all the time and previous years requests have been pretty modest and he’s been really happy.
He is an absolute 101% avid believer in Santa and all that he stands for so I definitely don’t want him to think Santa has let him down or Santa doesn’t think he has been good enough.
This must be an age old problem (albeit not always with iPads!) how do I prepare him/deal with it please? x