Chicken bald back

[CatieB]

I know that in the grand scheme of problems this is pretty minor but here is my 12 year old son's christmas list

 

1 - Call of duty game for play station (not allowed by mum as its an 18!)

2 - Watchdogs game for play station (also an 18 so not allowed)

3 - jaffa cakes (a metre box of)

4 - apples

 

He is now at an age where he doesn't like us to buy him clothes and he genuinely has not mentioned anything else. We are blank and can think of nothing else!!! He keeps going on and on and on about items 1 and 2 in the hope I change my mind (I won't) and therefore doesn't tell us anything else.

 

Whilst he would accept anything, in the sense that he wouldn't have a paddy on christmas day, I can't help but feel its going to be disappointing. A metre of Jaffa cakes and some apples Any wise suggestions???

 

(and to add to my woes my ability to mooch or organise is non existent - 13500 words due in Uni on 22nd December (WHO CHOOSE THAT DATE????)

[Grandmashazzie]

Can you not have a chat 1:1 with him.When he's in good form, car a great place. He doesn't believe in Santa, I presume so have a realistic discussion along the lines, I know you really want 1 and 2 but you need to accept you won't be getting them THIS year, next years battle is a year away .Please can you give me some more ideas of stuff you would like and leave it with him.

[Alis girls]

Be glad he wants fruit. Mine would pick a years supply of Chinese takeaway. I am struggling with food stuff for this child of mine.

[soapdragon]

Taking a different tack, I have never actually asked mine what they want....more a case of have what you are given and be grateful tho that is getting more difficult as they get older! Sounds a bit harsh but its been relayed/sold as FC knows you really well and you need to trust that he will give you something appropriate which, bless him, he always does - oddly enough ! ES is 12 and I am expecting the 'does he really exist' conversation this year Am surprised its got this far, quite honestly....maybe its the Asperger's

 

We live in a very materialistic society and its a very hard lesson that you cannot always have what you want or, indeed, what others have. I admire you enourmously for sticking to your guns re the games and suitability and suspect that your DS is trying it on a bit (they all do, its natural!) What about an apple tree if he wants apples? You could give him a 'voucher' for that and make an occasion of going to the local garden centre, choosing a suitable one - having researched varieties, having tea and cake etc then a big ceremony of planting it in the garden and taking 'photos of it spring, summer and in fruit etc?

[AndyRoo]

Could you try finding a couple of different games for him maybe?

 

Maybe I'd make a bad parent, but with only a few exceptions, I don't think age ratings on games really mean too much. But this is coming from a place of "When I was a kid I used to watch movies and play games that I was way too young for and it never did me any harm."

 

I appreciate every child is different though.

 

What about board games or TV shows? What are his favourite shows? Is there anything you could buy that is related to those? Action figures etc.

[bluekarin]

I think Grandmashzzie has the right idea. Ive bought mine the metre of jaffa cakes and they loved them. There is a Tetris light you can get which interlocks in a few different ways, which would be a cool thing for a bedroom, boys or girls. Lava lamp? Poster of the games he'd love to have but is too young for (if there are appropriate ones.)

 

Can I ask why apples though?

[CatieB]

Thanks for the ideas.

 

The poster one particularly may be a hit given that we have recently decorated his room and the walls are bare.

 

He asks for apples every year, I think it originally stems from the fact that we eat a lot of apples in this house but I hardly ever buy pink ladies as they are so expensive and they are his favourite.

 

I think I could say with confidence that he would not want to get a tree though as that would require too much effort and time away from the playstation!!! LOL to be fair to him, he is at other times active (football mad, plays in a team and trains etc) and when he isn't he wants to speak to his friends on PS4 - given that he is an only child and we literally live in the middle of a field with no neighbours that is probably not that unreasonable. He said the other day, mum this house would be perfect if we could pick it up and put it in the village (where he goes to school).

 

He has now identified orange trainers online that he wants - thankfully identified this weekend as I have just managed to find them as a black friday offer costing 1/3 less. Gosh clothing etc is expensive once they are in adult sizes He now has much bigger feet than me.

[chickencam]

I was going to suggest football boots or trainers, that's what my son liked at that age and they are terrifically expensive. Does he have a favourite team? If so mug, duvet cover, posters etc and maybe football manager game, all things my son liked at that age.

[Egluntyne]

Are you sure that it is the fruit that he wants, and not an Apple product, such as an iPad?

[Groovychook]

Are you sure that it is the fruit that he wants, and not an Apple product, such as an iPad?