Christmas Toys has gone up again as a search phrase in Google. This tells me, as a Mother, not as a Comms Bird, that I need to get thinking about what to buy for the boys for Christmas. Their love affair with Christmas Toys is mythical – they don’t believe in Father Christmas anymore, but they do believe that Christmas Toys come from a place where there’s an amnesty on realism, budgets and common sense.
Every year, I fret that we’ve not bought enough for them. Every year, I phone Dr AKT and announce that we’re about to do the “I’ve not bought enough for them conversation” – she gets a gin and cackles whilst I whitter on at her. It’s hard. I don’t want to spoil the boys, but I do want them to feel that Christmas and the Christmas Toys that they receive are special. That in itself has brought something else up.
The bigger bear, has just had his second Manchester United football kit. The first was worn as a baby, before he could roll over, so I couldn’t stretch it to him wearing it now for football training, more’s the pity. He wants more football kit, more cool clothes now, but he’s only 8 and I think he shouldn’t be getting clothes for Christmas yet. He’s got the rest of his life to get socks and pants, and I think that a cool ‘animal hoody’ is starting us off on a long, and slippery slope with that kind of thing.
So, I want him to have Christmas Toys. But what should he have? We have So Much Lego. It drives me nuts. I will not be buying them an XBox, because we have two ipads, two laptops and two tvs. We do not need any more stuff in that category. And nor do I want to buy them credit for games on their ipads. That irks me as well. But what do I buy them?
I’m going down two routes. One is to spend lots of quality time on fundamentallychildren.com – it’s a client site – I’ve worked for Dr Amanda Gummer for years and spend time on there, but not enough for myself as a parent. I’m going to check out what’s good for a nearly 9 year old and 7.5 year old. I want to get them science and tech and play stuff that they can do, that they will enjoy.
They will definitely be both having a Cannybot. It’s a client project I am working on right now, and whilst I’m excited by it and all it will bring, it’s definitely shown me that I don’t know how to facilitate that kind of learning and tech knowledge for them. I’m pants at it. I really need to up my game in this area – so that they see more in the world than just apple products.
And yes, some stuff that’s not educational – but just for the fun of playing! This will have to be cuddly toys and lego Ninjago to spin in the air. But what else? It can’t be everything, surely?
I also want to get them experiences. Why? Because our house if full of toys and also, because I know that’s what they will remember as they get bigger. So, if you have a baby or toddler, I cannot recommend enough, Water Babies baby swimming classes. Good grief, I shouted about them before I worked for them and I still do now. Best. Thing. We. Have. Ever. Done. For. Our. Boys. Full stop. All the full stops. Love it. Love what they’ve taught me and them. Yes, they were expensive. And yes, my Mum and Dad helped us pay for them, but I still think they are the best thing ever. I shan’t go on any more as it’s embarrassing.
I want to find a way to expand their knowledge of Kung Fu. Why? Because we go to Cambridge Kung Fu – that was work the many months of wait for a space. But I don’t know how / where / what to do. Maybe to go and watch a Kung Fu competition? Hmmmm…. The balance, strength, calm and skills it gives them, in addition to the ability to defend themselves, are excellent. Their Kung Fu Deep Belly Breaths come in useful every week in our house!
We also have the dog now, so perhaps I should look for a winter weekend away for us all, where we can take the dog. Is that a Christmas present? I don’t think that the boys would count it as one, but I would.
I don’t know. I’m stuck. What are you looking to do / buy for your children for Christmas? I need ideas….
PS. Just as a disclaimer, my clients don’t know I’m writing this piece. I don’t get paid extra for writing this kind of thing where they are tagged. It’s just that my work influences my outlook and thinking around this kind of thing, so it is genuinely what I’m thinking of and looking into….
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