Does anyone else find it hard to buy presnets for their child with additional needs?

[Thomcat]

I just struggle with DD1. I know all she'll really end up being into is the new DVDs.

Whereas DD2 I can think of a million things she'll be into.

Makes me a bit sad in a way.

DD1 is into her own little imagination games, pretending to nurse Aslan back to life, fighting the dragon, talking to the Tin-man, marrying a prince etc, or her etch-a-sketch or watching DVDs. And that's pretty much it.

Finding things to buy her that will get used is getting harder and harder.

Anyone find it hard?
Actually I know the answer to that, lots of you will find it hard I'm sure.

yes, mine are really hard to buy for. It doesn't matter though, because no matter what we buy, half of it will be broken by boxing day and the other half (those items that will not break despite repeated pounding ) will be played with obsessively for a month and then never touched again.

Same as every other year.

ho-hum.

saker have bookmarked that for ds3's birthday ta

Boxing day Hecate?

your kids need to raise their game, we're lucky if anything makes it past lunch! [msl

NMC would DD like one of these
I can just see her in it

Oops will try again these

And this is lovely too.

SAKER great link and a very reasonable price too. I can imagine its great fun

what a fab idea for nmc fbb

also- something I have sen in boots (know its hard to get but worth a rummage)

its a photo album so I know would be useless for the pics becuase of her VI but crucially it lets family emmebers friends etc redcord messages as well- so a talking book of memories in effect

If you want I wil call Mum (know she has one for Bas) and see who makes it

peachy. I think their all time record was actually breaking something BEFORE they got it completely out of the packaging. I think they do it to drive us insane, don't you?

the talking photo frame in boots is made by Tomy, i think (the butterfly one?)

inclusive technology have one too, which is plainer, same price iirc (around £20, but boots always have 3 for 2 so better deal)

The talking picture frame is a great idea - I think Ds2 would love that!

fbb, I know this is expensive, but would

this
be something you would consider for your ds?

perhaps the family could contribute?

That is really weird wannabe. NMC showed me some pictures of her DD and she had one of those. I had no idea it was a 'real' thing IYKWIM. So, we got all blue peter and made one! He loves it - it has a perspex lid and is a bit bigger than that and its full of xmas tree baubles, CDs, a glo-stick and a strange fibre optic sparkler-type-thingy I stole was given at a kiddies party.
It is expensive tho, isn't it? Our (fairly crap but safe) can't have cost more than £10). Again most of the items were theived donated from work

I struggle buying for DD2 too.

Her interests are Something Special, and, well, Something Special! Our Sky Plus hard drive is just full of SS and Mr Tumble

She loves books but buying them is hard because you never know what she'll like and what she won't even pick up. She also tends to fixate on one book, and we have to read it over and over for weeks on end.

She loves to paint but her lack of co-ordination means doing it indoors is really hard (imagine having your dining room spray painted!) and winter is too cold to paint outside. I might get her some finger paints and see if she'll do those.

It's hard isn't it? I'd say 90% of what's in the shops wouldn't suit her or be appropriate for her. And most of the other 10% we have already!

So this year sidge is buying

her own blessed hard drive for justin free peace

a library membership with short loan return so minimising fixation possibilty

and either a shed for painting in or thermals and a brolly to allow art outside

you know that would work for us too lol

Sidge, did you know there is a Something Special CD out now, with all the songs on it. Ds2 loves it!

Dd is very much into barbie, so she will be getting some of those for Christmas. I'll also be buying some dressing up stuff.

NMC, could you get some pink clothes for her? I don't know many girls who don't like pink, btw. My DDs, especially dd1, love pink

Peachy thanks that's my list for Father Christmas sorted!

Saker I have seen the DVDs but not the CD so will look out for that thanks! Where can you get it? (Off I pop to check out Amazon...)

yeah, Amazon. It's cheap compared to the dvds I remember.

Some great ideas here. My dd2 has down's syndrome and is 9. I have found electronic toys very successful- alphabet and number based ones have been great. I love the idea of a talking book, will look in to that. Another successful present this year was a photo reading book from a company called www.love2read.co.ukwhich she loved and can read...again and again and again!!!!