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Parenting
Let's play..........
What don't your kids have what other kids have...
the angel tree always gets me.. I really don't think the excuse they ask for it because "other kids have it" is a good one. When I grew up we had nothing. We got very little in the way of gifts because there were so many of us and we are fine and love our parents.
My kids have no:
cable
video games (neither did we as kids)
battery operated ride on toys (the Gator was vetoed)
battery operated toys
no kitchen (but will get one for xmas as a gift to both kids)
very little toys. VERY little. We cleaned and cleared out
no outdoor play equipment (just a sand and water table)
all the things above are what are immediate friends have for their kids and while I feel a twinge of jealousy that my kids play with rocks and sticks in our backyard as apposed to a big fat swing set. I am also glad that my kids even for how little they are really seem to not give a damn!!
of course that may change in 5 years..
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Let's play..........
Wait, there's no cable in your house?
My list:
No TV in her room
no motorized vehicle (yet)
No Piano (yet)
No Uggs
no video games- and never will. I refuse to have them in my house
no outdoor climbing stuff- my cousin is giving us her old one next spring, though
no crazy expensive toys- the most expensive item ever was about $60, and most were much less
DS - December 2006
DD - December 2008
I'd get rid of cable if DH didn't insist on having it.
and our swingset came with the house.
The Wii was for me......and has been nice in the winter to get them moving and wear them out.
Kitchen--a garage sale find for $15.00
We have very little toys....for 3 kids who are home all day...very little.
I get a twinge of jealousy at my SIL who has so many that there are 3 or 4 play areas set up in her house and since they still have more toys than will fit in those areas, she rotates them out monthly......but my kids LOVE coloring/painting..>Audrey will do the same puzzle over and over for 45 minutes straight....etc.
cable/satellite isn't an option right now due to the forest that resides next to us! So it isn't like I don't want it.. I miss it.. dammit I miss home improvement shows!
DD has everything your children don't have...lol. She has outgrown most of her toys, but she's getting several things for Christmas. She doesn't have a t.v. in her room (yes, I've known people who put a t.v. in their toddler's room). DD also doesn't have any video games, but she's too young for them anyways. My DD gets bored EASILY. If she doesn't have toys or something to entertain her, she's very cranky/fussy.
On your list we do not have outdoor play equipment or batter operated ride on toys. Although, full disclosure, we had a pool in our yard at our CA house and a park across the street and when we moved here it was fall...next year we will probably get some type of swing set.
I see your point about big ticket Angel Tree gifts for the smaller kids, like toddlers and preschoolers, because their parents make their wish lists and it maybe seems a little greedy. However, for the preteen/teenagers, I just think it is hard enough being that age and all of the peer pressure and competition, I am sure it is much harder if you don't have what the other kids have.
Although I do think that it kind of depends on the area too. If the kids live in an area where most people don't have nicer things and they are going to be the only kid WITH and Ipod then it seems out of line as an Angel Tree request. On the other hand if they are one of the few families that have less in an area where most people have more then I can understand why a 13 year old would want the same things as the other kids.
That's just my opinion though. However, more full disclosure, Ian's school does a Giving Tree and each grade adopts a family. I left a message for the gift coordinator for Ian's grade today and am planning to volunteer to buy the big ticket item for the 17 year old.
That's probably way longer and more info than anyone cares to read.
Sigh, no Rainbow Systems swingset b/c we have no yard room. ?
Of course no TV in rooms or video games (too young)?
Our swing set and outdoor play equipment are all used, the swing set was given to us. The only thing we paid new is her sandbox and she loves it, it was worth every penny. Her ride on Jeep is used. Her play kitched we got at a yard sale for $5.
She has a lot of baby toys because a lot of those were given as gifts. She doesn't have a lot of toddler toys but we will get her a few for Christmas.
No outdoor stuff as we have two great parks within walking distance, no electric cars, nothing like video games/computer, no TV in her room...not sure I'll ever do that one, no train table, I'm sure there are other things....
She has MORE than enough stuff.
I guess people that come over assume that because DH makes a great income that they will be walking into I don't know..something like DandR SIL.. house but truthfully we have very little not because of cost but because DH really has issues with having all that stuff.. he has become his father!! His parents said no to everything but books. I may have to start a "save my children" fund in order to get them some better toys...
Well Jackson is spoiled rotten, but we don't have video games (yet - MIL bought him one for Christmas), a tv in his room, outdoor play equipment beyond the sand/water table, or a battery operated ride-on (yet - inlaws have some sort of ATV deal for him).
I've been trying to get rid of stuff, because it honestly irritates me. And on top of that, I think if he had less toys he'd be less likely to need constant stimulation. But that's JMO and it's not like I've done a great job of sticking to that.
Recently I got rid of a bunch of toys from our main living area; he started playing with other toys more and became less needy and easily distracted. It's nice.
Things she will NEVER have:
gargantuan play set in the yard
tv in her room
crazy expensive toys (like that damn $60 Elmo. WTF?)?
My daughter doesn't have anything on your list except we have cable (but she doesn't watch tv ever). But I wouldn't say she has very little. We have a big, nice house in a very nice town. She has a very large, nice park a few blocks away. We have two cars. We take mommy & me classes, music class, she goes to MDO, etc. She has A LOT, just not a lot of electronics or toys.
I sort of feel like A&C does about Angel Tree. I alway try to buy for older kids (and an iPod shuffle is only $49 now!) because I feel like it is harder for them to go without.
Yeah, the problem with my SIL....they don't have the money for it...seriously. It's pathetic that their kids have SOOO many toys they don't need and they can't afford.
SIL took a job at Toys R Us overnights (in addition to her regular full time job) in order to pay off their maxed out credit cards and "because the discount will be nice for Christmas!"
No way in hell I would work a second job to provide my kids with more toys.....
I envy you. I wasn't by any means spoiled as a child and I still had so much crap that it was overwelming. I never wanted that for DD but if she as much as LOOKS at something, one of the grandparents insists on buying it for her (no matter how much DH or I oppose). I hate it.
That being said, she does not have any video games, motorized riding toys, her own tv, trampoline, lifesize doll house, or most of the things mentioned above.
No video games of any kind
No battery operated ride on toys
No scooters, roller skates or the like
No TVs in their rooms or play room
No pretend cameras or computers
My DD's will never have video games. I can't stand them. DH may argue with that one but I'm not backing down.
She just has a cozy coupe and a wheelbarrel outside. She's more interested in sticks and bugs anyways..
No big swingset. We can see the park from our backyard.
No expensive clothes. I don't think I've ever spent more then $15-20 on an outfit. It doesn't mean I don't want to, I just have a hard time justifying it.
I do buy her nice shoes but when it comes to clothes, it's Target and ON clearance rack for us or hand me downs (those are the best at this age). That'll change when she's older and can wear something for more than five months at a time though.