I gave up on buying presents for the grandchildren. They already had so much stuff, and it was impossible to work out what they already had, to avoid duplication. I give everyone, children, their spouses, and grandchildren the same amount every birthday and Christmas. Originally the idea was that son would spend the grandchildren’s money on sensible stuff like new shoes, sports gear, or to pay towards swimming lessons. Actually had a lovely thank you note from elder grandson on his last birthday, to let me know that the money has gone into a savings account towards a car when he passes his driving test - only another 7 years to go then! I do buy them little odds and ends for when they visit, mainly books, and Games we can play with them while they are here. My sister has eleven grandchildren, and has no worries about buying toys for them in charity shops, either as presents or to keep at her home for when they visit. A good clean up, and the kids are perfectly happy. No guilt or disappointment if they don’t like them, or get bored with them quickly. Back to another charity shop ready to please another child.
My sister was a child minder for years, and she gradually replaced some of the plastic toys with better quality wooden stuff. Charity shops are only too happy to take it too, if it's in good nick. I expect @Lyn's daughter did something similar, or gave stuff away. I hated most of the plastic toys the girls got given when they were little, when they really didn't want or need them. Trying to get certain relatives to see that some money in their little bank accounts was a better idea, usually fell on deaf ears. Easter and Christmas were more crudfests of rubbish. They still get given cr*p by those relatives now, and they're 24 and 27.
A much better present for your grandson @Ergates - and also a good lesson for life in learning to save for something important.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl " Easter and Christmas were more crudfests of rubbish. "
There was a pumkin grower on the radio yesterday bemoaning her shipment of " carving tools and scary lights" being held up in transit. Let's grow a food crop, throw away the edible bit and cut the rind up , then chuck it away, and throw in some plastic landfill fodder made in china and shipped half way round the world.
I have a plastic comb that came free with my daughter's Mizz magazine sometime in the 80s that I use every day. My granddad and uncle were into making toys - we got a farm, a garage, a zoo and I got a dolls house. My sister still has the zoo, I have the farm (my granddaughters played with it when little). (Metal trees and fences but mainly plastic animals). My daughter played with the dolls house but it had to go when we moved as absolutely no room anywhere for it. But I kept the handmade wooden furniture (and some tin furniture bought in the 50s). I still have my black doll (the lovely Susan), but she is plastic.
Open containers in supermarkets are awful. I remember my sister telling me about the salad bar in ASDA, where people could fill a container. One person used the spoon to taste something with, and then put it back in the tub of coleslaw. Fruit that is peeled is different.
My nephew's wife turns her nose up at baby clothes that aren't 'designer label' too. I don't think I've ever seen the baby in the same outfit more than twice. We did manage to force her hand for his birthday though. My wife bought him an outfit with "When I wake up tomorrow I will be 1" on it, and gave it to her when they popped in to see us. She had to dress him in that one - it wasn't cheap but not one of her preferred designers!
All of my sons clothes apart from 2 doz nappies were borrowed from my friend who then had them back for her 2nd one. I hope the young don’t carry on about the hardships of this country now! My dad made a farm and a zoo for my son who has now passed them on to his grandson. He made all the babies we knew a wooden swing, last forever.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
@WonkyWomble had the best dolls house ever (the house we lived in, made in miniature) and her brother and his friends had more toy airplanes and boats than you can imagine, and they spent many happy hours helping Ron ‘test drive’ his toys. Toys were made for the playgroup and the village school … and I am so lucky to have a Sheepshearing Man made and inscribed especially for me.
My children had some Lego and the normal stuff …. but the toys they got most fun out of were the toys they’d watched Ron make in his shed. ❤️
They were the luckiest of children.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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I do buy them little odds and ends for when they visit, mainly books, and Games we can play with them while they are here. My sister has eleven grandchildren, and has no worries about buying toys for them in charity shops, either as presents or to keep at her home for when they visit. A good clean up, and the kids are perfectly happy. No guilt or disappointment if they don’t like them, or get bored with them quickly. Back to another charity shop ready to please another child.
I expect @Lyn's daughter did something similar, or gave stuff away.
I hated most of the plastic toys the girls got given when they were little, when they really didn't want or need them. Trying to get certain relatives to see that some money in their little bank accounts was a better idea, usually fell on deaf ears. Easter and Christmas were more crudfests of rubbish.
They still get given cr*p by those relatives now, and they're 24 and 27.
A much better present for your grandson @Ergates - and also a good lesson for life in learning to save for something important.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
" Easter and Christmas were more crudfests of rubbish. "
There was a pumkin grower on the radio yesterday bemoaning her shipment of " carving tools and scary lights" being held up in transit.
Let's grow a food crop, throw away the edible bit and cut the rind up , then chuck it away, and throw in some plastic landfill fodder made in china and shipped half way round the world.
Gotta love the Halloween crudfest too
… it should never ever make financial sense to do this
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/traffic/freightliner-axes-electrics-for-diesel-8410802
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I hope the young don’t carry on about the hardships of this country now!
My dad made a farm and a zoo for my son who has now passed them on to his grandson.
He made all the babies we knew a wooden swing, last forever.
you can imagine, and they spent many happy hours helping Ron ‘test drive’ his toys. Toys were made for the playgroup and the village school … and I am so lucky to have a Sheepshearing Man made and inscribed especially for me.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.