How do you decide what to buy your children?

[shopping mom]

How do you decide what "toys" to buy your children? Edited August 26, 2008 by shopping mom
fix post

[sunni0913]

one of my daughters gives me a huge list and the other says to buy her whatever I want to..lol

[natasha]

My kids have always been very verbal about Christmas. I normally have to figure out how to narrow down their lists. When my DD was 3, she wanted 8 or nine dolls. We told her maybe 1 or 2. My husband and I were shocked, because by the end of Christmas day, she had all of the dolls. Each time a relative asked her what she wanted, she told them one of the dolls. She didn't get a single duplicate either. We knew we were in trouble then. :)

 

I typically check the parents/parenting top toys of the year b/c they have kids in each age group test toys/electronics and let you know if they were interested or how the things held up. With electronics and video games, I always check reviews and consumer reports.

[mccabefamily29]

My son has a huge list then I go down and decide what stuff he would actually play with.

I also like to read reviews first.

[fairydustcrissy]

My kids have always been very verbal about Christmas. I normally have to figure out how to narrow down their lists. When my DD was 3, she wanted 8 or nine dolls. We told her maybe 1 or 2. My husband and I were shocked, because by the end of Christmas day, she had all of the dolls. Each time a relative asked her what she wanted, she told them one of the dolls. She didn't get a single duplicate either. We knew we were in trouble then. :)

 

I typically check the parents/parenting top toys of the year b/c they have kids in each age group test toys/electronics and let you know if they were interested or how the things held up. With electronics and video games, I always check reviews and consumer reports.

Same. My kids have no problem filling a page with what the y want. I take that, and try to narrow down teh things I think they will play with the most. From there, I start bargain shopping :) Online, B&M, whatever. And I hold out on big itmes til BF unless I see a killer deal. This year it looks like I have to buy a Pokemon DSlite. My DD9 has a pink one, but its fairly old, and the hinge cracked, which causes teh game to turn off randomly. Nintendo issued a recall on the white ones, but nothing for pink. She about had a heart attack when she saw it in person, so I know what to get her. For DD7 & DS almost 4, I have no idea yet lol.

[conj]

none of the above... I know them pretty well...

[lbuzz52]

i'm at that lucky age where my daughter is still too young to give me a list. this year, she will be able to go and point some things out for me, but i still can pick and choose based on prices

[nick_jenni_jocelyn]

well my 2 DS's will be easy to buy for, its my DD thats tricky. her bday is nov. 28th and then xmas 4 weeks later..... so she tells us what she wants(starting now, lol) and we break it up and do mostly for xmas. but she will be 6 this year and its starting to get expensive, lol. she has really gotten into Hannah Montana, Camp Rock and Justice clothing stores. Thankfully she will be my 1 and only DD, lol.

[Spotted1]

I take them to the store and let them point out things that interest them. :)

[noehlp]

I definitely choose several things from their lists. But then I always get things that I can get at super hot prices that I know they would like to have and play with.

[arci122]

I choose some from their list. But help them make it based on things I think they might need. I love to pick out items they didn't think of, and then see the looks on their faces.

[saiynee]

In the past, my girls didn't give me much info. they were too young. Though last year they said they wanted littlest pet shop toys and a fur real kitty.

 

This year however, they are almost 4 years old and asking for every toy they see on tv. So, I will use a little of both. I have already started shopping from the target clearances, and luckily, they had two things that the girls have asked for (bratz and sleeping bags).

 

i'm sure that the amazon x-mas deals will help me greatly.

[len_mullen]

My kids are getting bigger, so they help a lot When they were young, I'd hang out at toy stores (with or without them) to see what the kids gravitate to.

[mgmckny]

Mine are very opinionated now that they are older, but when they were little I could pick things out for them and then build the excitement about the item so they would be thrilled about it when they opened it.

[cassgurlie04]

I take my older two boys to the store and let them give me ideas, my youngest is only 1 so he just gets stuff babies like.

[guilliam]

DS18 makes sure we know exactly what he wants while ds6 is happy with whatever.

[msl94]

My brother-in-law's children will go through the ads will either make a list of what they want or simply circle the items in the ads so we know what store they can be found.

[berry1014]

We take the kids into the toys store and let them explore. I bring a note and pen. If something catches our daughters interest we talk about it with her to if she is really interested in it or was it because so and so has one. Our son is too young so we just take note in what he seems to like. We write down all the things in a note book and later that night we sit down with our daughter and start writing her letter to santa. She also helps me write out her brother letter to Santa. We also always add a few things not on their list

[Scanner420]

We take all four out to tru and let them jot down stuff on their lists. It's worked for us for the past six years.

[3cuties4me]

I buy things they want and I buy things I want them to have... lol!

[love2beurwifey]

My daughter is still to young to really know or ask for anything for Christmas which I am glad about. So as for right now I can shop and buy when I see stuff on clearance that I think she may like. More than likely when she gets to the age where she will be making a list she probably will still get most of what she wants because her birthday is on Dec. 21 so we will have to do her Birthday and then Christmas. Her dads birthday is on Dec. 22 so I need all the deals I can get and I try to get their gifts ahead of time

[katiesmommy01]

I buy things they want and I buy things I want them to have... lol!

haha, that's me! DD6 makes a list, but its usually a picture list (so far anyways) of things she sees in the paper ads...whatever is on tv is usually on the list. Additionally, I bring the BF ads to Thanksgiving dinner and make my family go through them and pick what they want for the holidays from the ads :) That way I get a deal and they get what they want. My sister has her birthday on dec 9th, then we celebrate hannukkah AND x-mas! So she usually cleans up.

[MeliesMom]

How about other? My kids are only 2 and 5 months right now. They don't tell me what to buy for them...yet. I just pick whatever my 2yo is into and some things I think she'd like.

[shopping mom]

How about other? My kids are only 2 and 5 months right now. They don't tell me what to buy for them...yet. I just pick whatever my 2yo is into and some things I think she'd like.

When I did the poll I didn't think of that option. (I haven't done too many polls on here) But don't worry they will be telling you what they want very very soon. Enjoy these years when you know whatever you get them they will love.

[zoemariesmamma]

zoe goes through the big toy book and circles the things she wants, sends a letter to santa with her "order" (that's what she has called it for 2 years now) so we get her some things off her list...this year she is getting chitty chitty bang bang tickets though..she doesn't even know it is coming!! it is her favorite movie and it is part of our local broadway series..so she will probably get a fancy dress to go with them.

[MeliesMom]

When I did the poll I didn't think of that option. (I haven't done too many polls on here) But don't worry they will be telling you what they want very very soon. Enjoy these years when you know whatever you get them they will love.

I'm glad I don't have to hear I don't like this, I didn't want that, etc. I remember one year I was probably about 5 or 6 and my aunt got me an umbrella. My mom took me to the bathroom and I was mad saying I don't want this umbrella and throwing a fit. I am embarrassed by myself when I look back on that. I hope my kids won't do that...but I'm sure they will.

[kas3]

For Easter this year, I only bought a little candy and then I bought my oldest daughter (16) a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble (she's a HUGE reader), my 14 year old a $50 gift card to ITunes, and my 9 year old daughter a $50 gift card to Toys R Us. All three were absolutely THRILLED. So I am thinking I will get them stuff they say they want, stuff I think they want, but I am also going to do gift cards again. But since it is Christmas, I am going to up it to $100 each kid, and maybe divide it into gift cards from different stores so they can shop at a couple different places and get different stuff.

 

Lynn

[sm1kla]

So, my list begins. My kids have started their Santa and it is on the fridge!

[jbdinos]

For Easter this year, I only bought a little candy and then I bought my oldest daughter (16) a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble (she's a HUGE reader), my 14 year old a $50 gift card to ITunes, and my 9 year old daughter a $50 gift card to Toys R Us. All three were absolutely THRILLED. So I am thinking I will get them stuff they say they want, stuff I think they want, but I am also going to do gift cards again. But since it is Christmas, I am going to up it to $100 each kid, and maybe divide it into gift cards from different stores so they can shop at a couple different places and get different stuff.

 

Lynn

You could also do the Visa gift card so they can shop anywhere they want :)

[jbdinos]

none of the above... I know them pretty well...

Same here. I never really asked them for Christmas lists and they have not made one. 3 of their bdays are in Jan/Feb so I generally ask for a list for relatives sometime around Thanksgiving because the relatives have no clue and they want me to come up with something off the top of my head. If something catches my eye on the relatives Christmas list I mark it off and get it for their bdays.

 

However, last year DD14 decided she was going to make a Christmas list... Now she is old enough to know that Santa shops and drops gifts off early at our house... lol.... but she did it. She wrote down 8 items. 7 of them had been in the closet for over 4 months prior to the list. So yeah, we've got a great handle on what types of things they like/enjoy by watching them over the year, etc. So we just keep going with that around here. :)

 

I did try the going to the toy store with my oldest (now 20) when she was younger. You want to know the results. All the toys I thought she would love were returned for the flashy ones that caught her eye in the store. Basically she got them out of the packages saw how they worked, they hit the toybox to not return. It became a "this is cool for a day" thing. Not things she would truly enjoy for a while. The bells, lights, whistles, and curiousity just grab them in toy stores sometimes and it wasn't a real interest. So moms and dads... go with instinct.. you know your kids and even if they ask for something make sure you really think they will like it long term.... that's my advice :)