Do I get DD the toys she wants or the ones I want?

[Youngfrankenstein]

This may be an obvious, "get her what she wants" but I'm not sure.

We rarely watch commercial television so dd doesn't see a lot of commercials.  She is very into art and enjoys a lot of different activites.  She's 7.

She isn't "obsessed" with any specific toy.  She has a few Polly Pockets, a few mini Lalaloopsys, and a couple of Barbies.  She will play with the loopsys and their little kitchen sets.  She hardly ever touches the Barbies.  For several months she enjoyed her Zhu Zhu pets.

A Toys R Us catalog came this weekend and she looked through it picking out things she wants for Christmas.  One of them is a Lalaloopsy "little sisters" doll.  She almost never plays with the dolls we have.  She also wants something called Zubles ( I don't know what they are).  So I know that when she looks at those toys, they all look good.  But I really don't want to get her a bunch of flash-in-the-pan toys I know will fall by the wayside.

Having said all of that, I want to get her the Playmobil grand mansion.  If I do, I can only afford to buy one or two of the "rooms"  (the furniture sets that go inside).  She she would open the house and two other packages.  I think I can try to find the rooms used (Ebay?) and then maybe get her the Lalaloopsy doll too but most of her Christmas money would be in the house. 

I know that she will play with the house and can use her mini loopsys and Polly Pockets in it.  (Not to mention she has a little sister who would play with it a few years later.)  

The babydoll I think she'd be very happy to get but I don't think she'll be upset about not getting the few other things in the TRU catalog.

I know this post is all over the place.  Any help?

[Daffodil]

If there's something one of my kids really, really wants badly, I generally try to get it if it's affordable, even if I'm pretty sure it won't get that much use.  But it doesn't sound like your daughter desperately wants the stuff she saw in the catalog.  Does she even know that the Playmobil grand mansion exists?  Does she want that, or would she want it if she knew about it?  If you think she'd have more fun with the Playmobil mansion, I'd get that.

[mamazee]

I wonder if she saw a catalog with the playmobil set in it if she'd want that. She's only saying she wants something because she saw an ad for it. I don't count that as like an actual desire for something.

I think if a child has a real desire for something, you should at least strongly consider gettting it. And if you're getting something just because you want it and aren't getting it because you think she'll want it, that's wrong. But it sounds like you know she'll love this and she won't really like the other stuff, and she's only saying she wants the other stuff because she saw advertising. In that case, I think it's fine to get the playmobil set.

[Youngfrankenstein]

Thanks for the help.  I did show her the playmobil in a TRU catalog and told her about it and she expressed interest.  I agree with both of you that if I felt she truly, truly wanted something, I'd get it.  I'm leaning towards getting her the Lalaloopsy doll and as much of the Playmobil as I can afford.  My mother also offered to buy her a "room" for the house.  I think it will get a lot of use.

Thanks again.

[LuckyMommaToo]

I think you're fine doing the PM mansion and one of her smaller "wants." My DS (age 8) has been asking for the same major things for months. (A specific large Lego set and a Wii game.) He is getting both of those for Christmas. DD (age 5) kind of waxes and wanes depending on catalogs, commercials, whose house she's been playing at, etc. I mostly chose for her. (Coincidentally, her big gift is the PM hospital!)

I think the PM mansion is a WOW gift, and that you're safe. Good luck!

-e

[Imakcerka]

Oh I love getting my girls some fun stuff.  Those zubles are kind of a throw away toy.  Easily lost.  My girls like the zhu zhu's for a while not anymore.  I would def go for the house.  Right now things are not being shared in our house because DD2 feels DD1 doesn't understand the importance of not burying all her toys.  So I'm stuck with no longer getting shared toys.  I actually think I"m going to follow your lead on this and get a doll house.  DD2 loves those.  DD1 would fill it with dirt... she did that to the last one.  DD1 reminds me of my older brother.  Geez!

[Youngfrankenstein]

Well TRU has the house for $111.00 right now with free shipping.  It's the cheaper than the Playmobil site and Amazon.

[Imakcerka]

I'll take a look.  I found a decent one at costco but it might be too big. 

[4Marmalade]

For whatever reason, my kids only ever ask for one thing for Christmas.  They write the letter to Santa and ask for one gift.  So far, we have always been able to provide that one gift.  I do worry about what happens when one year they ask for the unattainable.  

This year dd (6-1/2 years) is getting a Furreal cat (Lulu) which in all honesty, freaks me out.  I like cats but the motorized actions and noises of this cat are not my thing.  But, she has been wanting this cat for almost 2 years now so I have no problem getting it for her.  The other gift from her dad and I are a slew of littlest pet shops that I picked up from someone on kijiji.  She hasn't asked for them but we think she will enjoy them as she likes setting up all kinds of scenarios with animals right now.  Most times I know what my kids will enjoy but there have been times where I have been surprised at what they play with and what gets put aside.

[One_Girl]

I try to get my dd what she wants but that is because my mother almost always picked out really awful gifts that she thought we would like more than what we said we would like so I worry that I will do the same thing.  Has your dd expressed any interest in a doll house and owning one?  If not I wouldn't get a pricey one and I probably would avoid one altogether.  My dd actually had a doll house and doll castle obsession and she rarely plays with them now so I don't suggest buying something if there isn't a clear interest and if you are going to regret spending the money on if it isn't used. 

[pianojazzgirl]

I totally vote for the Playmobil house and maybe one small "other" (toy catalogue toy) if it's in the budget  .  We don't own any zoobles, but my dd (also 7) plays with them for hours at her friends house.  They're really pretty cheap and could even be a stocking stuffer.

[JudiAU]

I'd get her the playmobil which is really long lasting as a toy. And retains a lot of value if you want or need to sell it.

Maybe a stocking stuffer of one of the others which I admit I have no idea what they are. I do freely admit to recycling the Toys R Us catalog and leaving the playmobil one out. =)

[mamazee]

yeah, Zoobles are about $5, but they are of horrifyingly poor quality in my experience. We've gotten two and received another two as gifts and every single one has broken within almost no time at all.

[LynnS6]

Playmobil also has a high resale value for when your girls outgrow it.

[nextcommercial]

I think the house is a good idea, but I'd also get her a few of the things she asked for.  Sometimes, those flash in the pan toys hold the best toy memories.

[Polliwog]

My kids (7 and 4) both love playing with doll house dolls and furniture but aren't interested in the actual doll house. They prefer to play with the furnishings on the floor or on a tabletop. Thank goodness I bought the doll house used and didn't spend much money on it.

[K1329]

My ds has a zooble collection & plays with them often. They're inexpensive, & like a pp stated, they might make a good stocking stuffer.
I bought a castle/playhouse toy one Christmas for dd. I expected her to love it, but, it didn't get much play. It's all so hit or miss!
Hope your dd loves all her gifts, whatever you decide!

[meetoo]

I would skip the house and get the furnishings. My kids build houses with blocks. Or you could even do some kind of art project and build a house out of a sturdy box. :) 

[NiteNicole]

My daughter has been very into Zoobles since they came out.  I don't think she's exceptionally careful with her toys and she's only five, but she still has every piece and nothing is broken with any of them.  She also likes Squinkies and Loopsys.  Again, all are still in good working order and they see  lots of play. 

[andromedajulie]

Children are told what they want by marketers. the degree is based on how much influence, obviously. Like yours, my dd (9) watches very little TV. However, when the junk mail arrives, she too goes berserk with the catalogs. 

Ultimately, she wants something that will be fun to play with throughout the year, right? Sometimes it's nice to get them what they want even if it's not our first choice. However, you may know better than she does what that is - the thing that she will continue to enjoy and not just toss away after a couple weeks. On the other hand, I usually get something smaller that is just what she wants. it's also a learning experience that can be taught starting now - about things, how they are marketed, whether we used them all through the year, etc.