"sticker shock"

[Jessesbride]

My mother got my 10 year old an iPod shuffle for her tenth birthday. She got it on sale for like $25 bucks at Target.

My daughter has used it everyday since she received it and actually puts it away so it won't get lost. I am amazed.

My daughters ask me for things I think are crazy for their age, but like another poster said, they are started to add on "When we can afford it" or "if we can afford it".

For instance, my 10 year old really seems to think she needs a cell phone. Ha. I told her when she gets a job and earns a paycheck, we can *think* about a cell phone. We have a landline - that is sufficent for her to call her friends.

It is funny how some children come up with what they want for Christmas. My mom just asked me the other day what I wanted. I simply told her the only thing I really needed was a trip to the dentist. She said she wasn't getting me a dentist trip for Christmas - if I needed money for the dentist, she would just pay for it, but as far as a Christmas present goes, no way. So I told her, then I really can't help you with ideas because I don't need anything more than what you already do for me.

But I can remember a time when I had Christmas lists pages long. I also remember my mother laughing at me when I handed it to her. I got some things from my list, never the most expensive things, and a lot of things I never asked for. Wonder what I always loved the most? The things I never asked for. Funny how that works.

Yeah, my son wants a xbox, but instead of asking for it from us, he just said he wants money only for CHristmas & for his birthday that way he can afford to get one on his own! He has a PS2 but it won't play dvd's or cd's anymore & he has had it for about 3 or 4 yrs or so. BUT he also takes very good care of his stuff! So we are (secretely) getting him one... but it will be the only present from mom & dad for Christmas & for birthday (his bday is 4 days after Christmas ~ usually, he gets all seperately, but once in a while he gets one for both!). So the family knows & is getting him things to go along with it! We got ds a guitar hero (on sale for around $80?) & dh's grandma is paying us back for it so that "she" can get it for ds for Christmas.

We (dh & I) wanted a tv for Christmas (B/c our old one was waayyy to huge! as in it took up an entire wall & it dwarfed our already tiny living room) so we asked everyone for just $$$ this christmas (his side always spends about 200/person) to help us get a new & much smaller tv ok, ok, it is a flat screen but not even 1/2 of what the other was... well his Mom put it on her american express & we got for even cheaper than we had originally planned for plus a new dvd player & a stand to put it all on. This was to be in conjunction with dh's 40 hrs of sick leave that he never took (so he could get the $$$ instead) ~ & it turned out even bigger than we expected it to be!

I would never ask for such a huge item for "christmas" but have no problem letting the family know what we are saving up for ~ what our goals are, etc & that such & such would help us acheive that victory. This is the first yr that we've been able to do such a thing as normally we just ask for something we need or would like to have but normally just don't think about.

Kim

[Debbie-cat]

Boy, I hope I didn't insult anyone or hurt anyone's feelings. That was not my intention in my post at all. If I did, I am soooo sorry everyone!

[Lori Biever-Launder]

My boys asked for things that are reasonably priced. There's about $100.00 worth of stuff on each list. They know we all do the best we can, but that their list is a SUGGESTED list, not a list of DEMANDS! They are always happy with anything they get.

I can tell they are growing up because this summer, DS#2 asked for the 'cool socks that Grandma got us. You know, the soft ones". yep, you are on the grown up side when you ask for SOCKS!

[ZenTherapy]

I'm appalled that people would laugh at their kids for asking. There's nothing really wrong with asking, because you COULD find a great deal. You could win it on a radio call-in show. You could find a used or refurbished one on ebay. It happens all the time. And if you don't know that your kid wants whatever item, and you saw it come up at an affordable price, you might not think to get it. That's why I say... there's nothing wrong with asking, just with expecting.

I think you hit the nail on the head. The attitude of the girl in the original post was annoying because she seemed to expect/demand things, and big expensive things all at once!