Alright, friends.
I need your help!
I have 2 boys, as you know, and as they get older they get harder to buy for. The stuff they want is more expensive and they are much more picky!
Take for example their Easter baskets last Sunday. Little Boy actually said to me, "Wow...there isn't as much stuff in here this year."
What?! Okay, well, fine, we did sort of "skimp" this year. But the economy is horrid, gas prices are killing us and we're trying to save because we hope against hope that we can take them on a trip later this year.
I wish we had a boatload of toys r us discounts and coupons because then we could go crazy getting DS games and things like that for em.
See, it's not that they're getting less as much as what they get is smaller. Do you notice that? The older your kid gets, the smaller the things they want are in actual size, but the more money the cost.
"Here ya go, son, it's a 1x1 inch square of plastic that if you blink you will lose it. It's also a $200 iPod!"
So it looks little, but it's not.
My oldest is going to be 9 this year. Nine! Eek! And I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what to get him. He's kind of at a weird age, ya know? Too old for certain things, too young for others.
He loves to read but I don't want to get him all books. Although, looking at his birthday list, I did see that he wants a gift card to toys r us. That could work!
Even my youngest who has always had a soft spot for Hotwheels is starting to be more into video games and Legos than cars.
Have you priced Legos lately?? Holy crap! He wants Lego City. Any Lego City, really. Those things are at a minimum $100 bucks.
Momma's 'po! If I got him that, he wouldn't get anything else.
Which reminds me of Christmas. Each kid got only 2 or 3 presents because they were so spendy we couldn't get more. Why can't I win the lottery?
Alright, so that's where your ideas come in. What to get them? Did you end up spending more and getting less as your kids got older?
I have until the end of May to think of something he'll like that won't break the bank. Suggestions??
Did you go ahead and get them less expensive things that you knew they wouldn't want as much? At a certain age you can do that...trust me, I've done it. At 4 they might not have asked for what I got them, per se, but they like it enough and they aren't disappointed and grumpy.
At 9 I think it's different. Not that I'm going to spoil them...in fact, I saw the funniest thing I've seen in ages the other day.
My son's birthday list:
Books
Games
LAPTOP COMPUTER
iPhone.
Bahahahahahaaa! Funniest. List. Ever!
Fat chance, kid! FAT. Chance!
I need your help!
I have 2 boys, as you know, and as they get older they get harder to buy for. The stuff they want is more expensive and they are much more picky!
Take for example their Easter baskets last Sunday. Little Boy actually said to me, "Wow...there isn't as much stuff in here this year."
What?! Okay, well, fine, we did sort of "skimp" this year. But the economy is horrid, gas prices are killing us and we're trying to save because we hope against hope that we can take them on a trip later this year.
I wish we had a boatload of toys r us discounts and coupons because then we could go crazy getting DS games and things like that for em.
See, it's not that they're getting less as much as what they get is smaller. Do you notice that? The older your kid gets, the smaller the things they want are in actual size, but the more money the cost.
"Here ya go, son, it's a 1x1 inch square of plastic that if you blink you will lose it. It's also a $200 iPod!"
So it looks little, but it's not.
My oldest is going to be 9 this year. Nine! Eek! And I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what to get him. He's kind of at a weird age, ya know? Too old for certain things, too young for others.
He loves to read but I don't want to get him all books. Although, looking at his birthday list, I did see that he wants a gift card to toys r us. That could work!
Even my youngest who has always had a soft spot for Hotwheels is starting to be more into video games and Legos than cars.
Have you priced Legos lately?? Holy crap! He wants Lego City. Any Lego City, really. Those things are at a minimum $100 bucks.
Momma's 'po! If I got him that, he wouldn't get anything else.
Which reminds me of Christmas. Each kid got only 2 or 3 presents because they were so spendy we couldn't get more. Why can't I win the lottery?
Alright, so that's where your ideas come in. What to get them? Did you end up spending more and getting less as your kids got older?
I have until the end of May to think of something he'll like that won't break the bank. Suggestions??
Did you go ahead and get them less expensive things that you knew they wouldn't want as much? At a certain age you can do that...trust me, I've done it. At 4 they might not have asked for what I got them, per se, but they like it enough and they aren't disappointed and grumpy.
At 9 I think it's different. Not that I'm going to spoil them...in fact, I saw the funniest thing I've seen in ages the other day.
My son's birthday list:
Books
Games
LAPTOP COMPUTER
iPhone.
Bahahahahahaaa! Funniest. List. Ever!
Fat chance, kid! FAT. Chance!
17 comments:
You are so right. Littler stuff, bigger price tag.
I remember that hard not little, but not grown up enough age of trying to pick gifts.
One of the things we did was think about what hubby did that Bookworm could share in on a smaller scale. Hubs likes golfing, so when BW was 10 he got a junior sized, but real and genuine golf club set. I think it was like $50. Also, do you guys have Game Stop? You can get used video games for like $5-10, so we have done a GS gift card before so he could go pick a game he wanted.
Okay, I'm going to email you my other ideas or I will write a novel in your comments.
My daughter is turning 10 in a few weeks. She wants Mario cart, (minimum $50), Dance party, an iPad 3 (psht) and have a friend party at lagoon (amusement park with entry fees of $46 per person)
She's gonna have to settle for Mario cart and little Caesars pizza on the trampling in back.
*trampoline
It's so true. Kids can ask for 3 things now and it could easily be $500. Crazy.
Have you thought about getting him an ipod touch, or a kindle? Then he can have books and other things to keep him entertained?
I have long been thankful I have girls simply because of the price of legos...insane!!
I'm still a bit lucky. Mostly Turbo asks for Legos. Pricey Legos, but Legos. he has yet to seriously ask for things like DS's and things of that nature. Of course we are always trying to impress on him the cost of things.
As to his Birthday coming up in May, a request for a tree house has been made. We totally believe in redirecting toward one big thing and then go for the smaller things to fill in.
But really, I'm not sure what we are doing for his birthday this year.
My sons are grown as you know. Don't give in to the pressures or there will never be "enough"
We need to show our kids how the cost of the fun things relates to the cost of the necessities.
The IPod... how much food does that buy? Really? Then 10 IPods would pay for one month of living in this house? (Just guessing as I have no idea what an IPod costs)
We could spend X dollars on this one more expensive gift or we could spend the same amount for 3 more affordable gifts.
BTW no kid ever benefited from getting everything they ask for.
Don't feel like you owe them a ton of stuff because all you owe them is love and a good home.
Okay, it has been several years since my boy was 9 but, he still loves a good nerf toy (gun/bow). No kidding! All the grown kids had them last Christmas and it was a battle royal ... lots of fun was had. Also, he never, ever tired of anything remote controlled ... cars, trucks, etc. He was also a Lego lover and they make those for ages up to the teens. I loved Legos myself and think that they are an excellent way for kids to exercise their imaginations. You live on the coast. Does he like to fish? Summer is coming up and maybe his own little tent would be fun. You are right that boys' toys get more expensive but, let me tell you that the money you will save on prom dresses, etc. will more than pay for those toys. Hope this helps and hope he has a great birthday.
What ever happened to just giving candy?
I gots nothin. Ask me about girls & I am your gal.
I do think that at this age they "get" the cost of things & even if you only get him one thing he will know the cost of the item was the reasoning behind the choice you made of what to get him. I also totally agree with Xaz about GameStop. You know that you can even buy a game & return it the next day if you aready passed it. My nephew does that all the time.
Yes, we are getting close to this too and I am dreading it. Legos are expensive- I always try and hit the buy one get one 50% off sale and then just hide one away and save it.
Yep, my older two want the more expensive things. So if they REALLY want it, we buy it and give them only a couple things. They understand though!
I think it's good that he got a gift card. Take him and let him spend it. Ahem, TRY to spend it. It's the perfect opportunity to teach him how it's necessary to budget/stretch your dollar, etc.
As the Stones said: You can't always get what you want...
Try Legos on Amazon. Pretty good prices sometimes.
Ha! You really crack me up! Your poor son.. he just wants an ipod and a laptop for his birthday! Bad mom! Ha.. I have neither of those! :)
My nephew is 6 and his wish list is starting to get pricey. I'm afraid I'm going to have to get a second job just so I can afford to maintain Favorite Auntie status.
I am a meanie and get the kids boring gifts like paying for lessons, shoes or a new lunch box because the old one is not zipping. So, I am not a good source for gift ideas, at all!
You could always give them a set cash amount, then if they receive any other cash gifts ie from grandparents, aunts and uncles, it could be put together to get the items he wants. And then he also gets an idea of what items cost. I have done this with my gal for a couple of years, and she turns 21 in July
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