I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Every October or November we start seeing commercials for
toys. Some are classic toys we see every year but most are in my opinion, novelty toys. You know your kids won’t play with them for long but it’s what they want. You really can’t get away from this. Toy catalogs come in the mail and most kids, they love them. Bailey goes through every one and circles everything he wants. I went into his room the other night and you could not see an inch of his carpet. Catalogs and newspapers were everywhere!! I just laughed and shut the door.
Most of the things he’s asking for are reasonable, some things he’s asking for, he’s wanted for a long time. Then there are the novelty toys. The ones you know won’t last more than a week if that. EleFun is one. It’s a plastic elephant that blows up little confetti things and you catch them with a net. He circled it…I had to remind him he got it 2 years ago and played with it a few times and that was that. I’ll admit he is getting most everything that was on his list. He hasn’t asked for anything to unreasonable. I have noticed the older he gets the smaller the things are yet much more expensive. He doesn’t really play with toys, he’s more into music and clothes and yes, video games. We’ve gotten him the video games he wants but we’ve also gotten him a jersey and hats and board games and ice fishing stuff. All things I know he will use and enjoy for months. I’ve also been sucked into buying the things he’s just gotten into that I’m not sure he’ll stick with.
I know Christmas is so much more than just presents. I do feel that some people lose sight of that. I think every year it becomes more commercialized. I guess we kinda help that along. We know the true meaning of Christmas and are thankful for what we have and always give back. When it comes to kids I do think it’s important that they know what Christmas is about.
When it comes down to it, Christmas morning, all the kids are really thinking about is what is under the tree!! Do you buy into the catalogs and commercials and get what they are asking for? Or do you get what you know they will use months from now? I think we are somewhere in the middle. What about you?
Us Girls..Our Views 
My kids are too young for all that. But from my vast experience with my large extended family, I think what I’ll do is maybe buy a token item with the “faddish” stuff and focus on things of lasting value for the “real” gifts. For example, buy cheap stationery items or a small doll in the “popular this year” category. My parents didn’t buy us that type of stuff at all – it always costs multiple times as much as similar items just because of the overpriced trademarks, and we didn’t have money to waste. I learned very young not to put value on superficial things. Honestly, I don’t remember ever asking for one of those “theme toys.” Probably because every time I said “look, Mom” she replied with “no way I’m paying $10 extra just for that ridiculous design.”
My kids do like Dora, and I’m inclined to let them have some Dora stuff because they’re Hispanic and most of the other girl stuff features blond-haired princesses.
If I can find something cheap I might indulge a faddish thing that will go to Goodwill in a week. But in general I stick with quality things that I am certain will get played with a substantial amount.
I feel lucky in that, since my kids were young, I’ve taught them to be super-critical of the tv to the point of actually talking back to it and saying things like, “yeah, right, that’ll break after five minutes.” It’s kind of funny, actually. My six year old still gets taken in by some of the flashier things, and there are occasionally things that we can agree look like they might actually be fun, but in general they know it’s all a scam to get our money. Reverse propaganda wins the day! 😀
Oh, my kids can recite MANY commercials. I tell them to put it on their list. I was done shopping for them b/4 Thanksgiving, but of course they don’t know that so they ask for anything they see on TV. I like a couple of the cute/fad things, but I’m also practical whether they like it or not. Clothes, pj’s, things like that from mom and dad and then Santa brings the toys. Although with the size of our family, I wouldn’t have to give them anything and they’d still end up with too much stuff!!!
No I dont not buy into the this at all. My children are into the same things pretty much, 2 of them are girls, so babies, is always a top hit, and they have plenty of varies. My son is and has been into Spongebob since he has been like 18 month, he is also into monster trucks and has been for awhile. But i do understand what you are talking talking about Nicole, and my kids have done this play with it for a week, then it sits, so i try to get things that they are going to play with. We did the EleFun, thing too, it was hit for like a week or 2, but only because it looks funnier on TV, then at home, it doesn’t go that fast really. Girl I miss you!!!!!!!
I actually called my husband while I was Christmas shopping this year and told him I was not going to buy junk that was just going to break or be given away in a month! With my kids getting older it is getting easier to buy them stuff that just isn’t junk.
For example my 9 year wants to redo her room because it is too babyish. So Santa is getting her a new bed set. My 16 year old daughter is freaking out because her tv will not be able to upgrade for the new digital signal. Santa is bringing her a new tv which she can also use in college when she leaves home.
I think kids are so bombarded with ads and commercials that I really feel they don’t even know what they really do want.
I’m guilty of buying the grandkids what they want but I don’t really think I buy junk. I start buying very early so what I’m getting them usually are things they’ve asked for before the onslaught of Christmas commercials for the “Moon Sand” and those kinds of things. Bailey has been the hardest for me to buy for this year as he’s really not into “toys” so much anymore. DAMN, I told him to stop growing but he’s not listening!!!!
I also feel the circling of stuff in those catalogs is kind of like a fantasy and they really don’t expect nor want everything they circle. They are just daydream believing.
Elena, that is so funny about your kids!!! I actaully think Bailey was pretty easy this year. I guess for Grandma it would get hard because you can’t buy toys for him anymore. The Teck Decks are about the only toys we bought him. It’s his new thing and everything else we’ve gotten him are things he will use for sure. He’ll be loaded up with his OWN ice fishing pole and everything to go with, we got him a Wild jersey and hat, he loves having his own anything and loves smelling good, huh Joy?? Even at football he wears his cologne!! So for us he was easy. More expensive though!! We went more practical this year but it’s stuff he has asked for. He will not be getting Elefun again!!!
Just a Mom, I think that is what we’ll do next year..his room. Great idea!!
My ex- mother in law had the most brilliant solution to christmas advertising for her children. Her kids would see things on telling and go begging. One day she said to them “You know, if the toy was so great, why would they have to put it on tv to try and sell it to you?”. From then on the kids never asked for those novelty toys. They got it. I thought, that was brilliant!