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Parenting
Is anyone else's husband totally out of touch?
Maybe I'm just being abitch [believe me, it is very possible], but MH is making me really annoyed.
So he wants to just make Jackson's "Christmas budget" just come out of Jackson's regular monthly budget - to be honest, I don't really care about this. Jackson's monthly budget is generous, and it's not like the child really needs anything. I think it's kind of scrooge-y, but MH is a complete miser so whatever.
Anyway, we're discussing what to buy Jackson for Christmas and he thinks we should buy him a fishing reel and a sleeping bag. I think this is dumb b/c since the money is coming out of his "monthly budget" why not just wait until he'd actually use those completely boring gifts and buy them then since he won't be fishing/camping until at the very earliest March.
I just think this is ridiculous for a 3 year old. He likes cars and trains. He'd probably think the fishing reel is cool for like 3 minutes. And MH just thinks he'll LOVE these gifts. I told him he was ridiculous. Just because MH likes those things does not mean his 3 year old son will too.
Next thing you know he'll suggest I get Jackson an xbox360 or a PS3.
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Re: Is anyone else's husband totally out of touch?
MH sometimes recommends gifts on the side of practicality too, and has to be reminded that it still needs to be fun for the kids. Sometimes it's hard to see eye to eye when selecting gifts for sure.
I will say that DD LOVES her sleeping bags (she has 2) and has since she got them. She also has a fishing pole and besides the thing being a weapon, it is kind of hard to use and not the highest quality when you are talking about the ones geared towards kids. I kind of wish she had never received it. I also think she'll freak when she realizes what it means to 'catch a fish'. We tried to go this summer, but couldn't even get the thing to work. So, long story short, maybe a compromise with your DH...get the sleeping bag and other more fun stuff!
I got a good chuckle out of this mainly because Michelle has been begging for a fishing pole. MH is a big hunter/fisherman and Michelle has been old enough to go with her daddy even though she begs him to go with him.
I think a sleeping bag would be cool especially if it has his favorite characters on it. I dont think a fishing reel would be cool if he hasnt been asking for one.
Kind of on the same line, DH always gives the kids the same foods over & over.. because that's what DH likes. He never tries to do anything that he doesn't like, even though the kids scarf a lot of it down when they have access to it lol
DH has tried to do toys/games like that too.. "I LOVED that when I was a kid.." Yeah but DS doesn't read comic books yet. Sorry pal.
1. WHEN the hell did J get so big?? He does not look 3. He is adorable!
2. My DH is the same way, but I have to add that DH sometimes forgets that he has 2 kids and really should buy 2 of everything because they will fight over it!
"
Ethan {1.11.10} & Malia {12.28.06}
B got a fishing pole over the summer and really loved it but she got to use it right away, if she had to wait months, that would be stupid.
I think those are cool gifts but he should still get the things he absolutely loves, like trains!
So maybe I will agree to the sleeping bag, sounds like kids like those.
The thing that gets me is my husband is from a family of the worst.gift.buyers.ever. Example: for Jackson's birthday my MIL bought him four outfits that were too big, ugly and she got them on sale for like $3 each. Then when he opened them and didn't care [b/c he's 3 and his gift from his aunt/uncle was a sweet diecast car] she was all like, I guess my gift was boring. She also buys my husband clothes she knows he hates for his birthday because she thinks he needs them and they are on sale.
I guess my biggest issue with this is - since these are coming out of his regular budget, why would we buy things that we would buy him anyway in 3 months? We should buy him what he would like to open on Christmas morning if we're being cheap bastards anyhow... lol.
The other part is we're probably not going to spend a lot of money on whatever we buy him anyway, b/c we're discussing a trip for his "big" gift. So we're thinking $100 or so on gifts to open.
I'd let him buy the fishing reel. DH usually buys DD one gift on his own, and I think it is really cute that DH goes out and picks out something because DH NEVER shops for DD. So, once a year for him to take an interest in what is bought for her is good.
And then just buy DS what you'd originally planned. The reel will be a bonus.
Christmas 2011
Mine is more out of touch with reality. He would go to Toys R Us and buy her one of everything and look at me like I had two heads when I said he spent way to musch money.
I let him get her b-day gifts this year. He came home with a $300.00 barbie Quad, a karaoke machine and something else. Keep in mind we are in New England. She will be riding that Quad in the house and terrorizing the dogs for months. He thinks we have a money tree.
Well, he's not as boring as my H. My H wants to just put money into their 529 accounts and get each of them nothing else for Xmas.
But I agree with you-if it's coming out of the monthly budget money, then get him something he'll enjoy NOW, not 3 or 4 months from now.
Our "monthly budget" for K involves one or two Target clothing items if they're on sale, a weekly dinner at the fast-food-with-play-land place, and...I think that's about it. What's about five steps beyond "cheap bastards"? I want a title, too!!
I think you're right, though, about getting him stuff he'll enjoy at the time and saving the later stuff for...later. Tell your H it would be way more fun to give him the fishing gear as a big surprise on the first morning he'll be taking J fishing in the spring!
Kiwi Fruit, 10.2.06 & Ellie Bug, 4.5.09
My blog: Bear With Us
Ideas on Teaching Your Toddler/Preschooler at Home
But cubby - will you buy her toys not out of her "budget" money for Christmas? That's why I think we're being cheap bastards... the money is already allocated to him, but now we're using it for his gifts [which are usually out of Christmas budget money].
I'll suggest the surprise idea, because I really like that.
Oh - and Jackson has never been fishing or camping. As far as I know, the only person in our family who enjoys those things is MH.
Oh, yeah...it's not really even a "monthly budget" in our case. We just don't buy her a lot, because our parents and grandparents go nuts for Christmas/birthdays and she comes home from every visit with random junk from their houses. She hasn't learned to ask for stuff at the store yet--she just likes to check it out and then happily leaves--so I'm riding that out as long as I can! What we get her for Christmas/birthdays is definitely outside the "norm" of what we'd usually buy her, which is the point you're making...although I'll confess to buying them things they need, anyway (clothes, shoes) and wrapping those as gifts sometimes, too. I am 100% a cheap bastard!
Kiwi Fruit, 10.2.06 & Ellie Bug, 4.5.09
My blog: Bear With Us
Ideas on Teaching Your Toddler/Preschooler at Home
I have been known to wrap up clothes too!
Jackson really doesn't get it either, yet, and the only thing he asks for is those dumb matchbox cars that are RIGHT THERE AT THE CHECKOUT. LOL.
I just feel kind of assy buying gifts he won't like/care about when it's out of his monthly budget, too. It's like doubly bad, haha!
And I love cheap bastards, I did marry one after all.
I should add - Jackson has a character fishing pole that he broke, so my husband wants to buy him some pricier one [I have no idea the difference]. We've agreed on the sleeping bag, but initially he wanted to get him one that was $$$ from Land's End [$70]. So if we stuck to our budget, it really would have been everything he got, which I think is kind of lame.
I think we've reached a compromise of a character sleeping bag for now and a fishing pole in the spring when he can use it. And then other presents he likes/wants.
Thanks, ladies!
Took the words out of my mouth!