Watching your child circle everything in the catalogue is a long standing tradition but of course doesn’t help when it actually comes to choosing what to buy them. Confronted with a mass of toys etc you can bet they are going to go pen happy and wish for everything they see. These days though they are more likely to want everything they see on YouTube or adverts!
A good way to work out exactly what they want is to sit down together and tell them that Santa has asked for a little help in narrowing things down this year and although you might not get everything at least it will make his job easier!
With that in mind grab a pen and paper, or prep the notepad on your phone, and get ready to ask them some questions:
What kind of toys would you like? Whittling down to a couple of statement toys that you know they will love and play with regularly will save you spending a fortune on boxes of plastic that you just know will be broken or missing pieces within days. Maybe they collect certain items that you can buy additional pieces for? Evie loves Our Generation, so this year I am sourcing bits that I know she will love and play with, I don’t mind paying the extra for something I know will last a long time. The ice cream truck I bought her last year is still played with almost every day – it has more than earned its worth!
Would you like some new reading books? Whether you read to your children at bedtime or they read on their own, the same books can become a little tedious after a while. How about suggesting some new ones? There are some fabulously illustrated or beautifully poignant with a strong message, children’s books available. The girls love ones that build each other up and show how strong women can be, we have a beautiful one all about Maya Angelou, who still is one of my favourite women and I know there is a full series of Little People, Big Dreams books available featuring everyone from Amelia Earhart to Agatha Christie.
How about clothing? We all need new clothing, kids tend to go through growing spurts so getting new clothes at Christmas can be turned into something special. Maybe there is a designer they love, so you don’t mind spending a little more on a special piece, or they have something that they would like that all of their friends have but you keep telling them it’s not something you can just pull out on a regular Tuesday etc. Christmas makes shopping for clothes that little bit more special, Evie is a huge girly girl and has spotted a beautiful pink Moschino tracksuit from Strawberry Children that she loves. I love that she is at the stage where she wants to pick out her own clothes and is finding her own sense of style!
Would you like chocolate or candy? OK, trick question….you want ALL the sweet stuff!
Once you have worked out a hopefully much shorter and more determined list you can actually hit the shops and feel like you are getting them something they really want, rather than something that caught their eye while flicking through pages of a catalogue!
XOXO
Debbie
This is a collaborative post
