If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday
presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Cheers Anne |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
Anne Rogers wrote:
help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Open a bank account for the kid and put the money there. When the kid is 3 to 5 years older, you can start doing investing in stocks and mutual funds. The family members will be giving him the gift of knowledge about investing. Unless there is the toy set he really must have. Jeff Cheers Anne |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
In article , Anne Rogers says...
help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Good grief. You're not the errand girl for your relatives, are you?? Of course your brain is balking - it senses better than you that you're being put upon! ;-) If they didn't bother to purchase gifts, then use the money to get whatever you may happened to have in mind for him and put the rest in a bank account set aside for him. Or all of it. Send a short note thanking them for the money. Period. Any relative asking after what was bought with the money should be met with an abrupt change in conversation. Banty (who had a relative who opened up a small custodial investment account for my son, and was shocked, SHOCKED, to find out I wasn't contributing regularly to it) |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
Jeff wrote:
Anne Rogers wrote: help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Open a bank account for the kid and put the money there. When the kid is 3 to 5 years older, you can start doing investing in stocks and mutual funds. The family members will be giving him the gift of knowledge about investing. Unless there is the toy set he really must have. I'd only do that if the relatives that sent the money are OK with it. They may want the child to have some physical toy that is 'from' them. Go on-line and look at some of the toy catalogues to get ideas and then you will be better able to shop. http://www.youngexplorers.com/search...4+Years+and+Up http://www.brainbuildingtoys.com/new-educational-toys/ http://www.discoverytoysinc.com/toys2a5.htm http://terrifictoy.com/store/shop_age_4yrs_up.html http://www.museumtour.com/site_produ...ly+ Childhood Some simple old-fashioned ideas # Stacking blocks # Puzzles # Balls # Floating Toys # Clay, chalk and boards # Books # Simple Role Play Toys # Pretend playsets like garages, airports, dollhouses etc \ Get dd a stuffed toy or rag doll of her own (probably not good to hand those down). |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
In article , Rosalie B. says...
Jeff wrote: Anne Rogers wrote: help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Open a bank account for the kid and put the money there. When the kid is 3 to 5 years older, you can start doing investing in stocks and mutual funds. The family members will be giving him the gift of knowledge about investing. Unless there is the toy set he really must have. I'd only do that if the relatives that sent the money are OK with it. They may want the child to have some physical toy that is 'from' them. Does she get to deduct gas cost and the value of her time from the amounts?? Banty |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
Banty wrote:
In article , Anne Rogers says... help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Good grief. You're not the errand girl for your relatives, are you?? Of course your brain is balking - it senses better than you that you're being put upon! ;-) If you have not had children of your own (not all relatives have or they haven't all had boys), then it can be a challenge to figure out what kinds of gifts they would enjoy. And if you ask the mother, and she doesn't know either (as Anne doesn't seem to have had any ideas) then what else is there to do but send money. Would that not be better than giving them something completely inappropriate? If they didn't bother to purchase gifts, then use the money to get whatever you may happened to have in mind for him and put the rest in a bank account set aside for him. Or all of it. Send a short note thanking them for the money. Period. Any relative asking after what was bought with the money should be met with an abrupt change in conversation. This seems ungracious to me. Banty (who had a relative who opened up a small custodial investment account for my son, and was shocked, SHOCKED, to find out I wasn't contributing regularly to it) That's the other side of sending money. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
"Anne Rogers" wrote in message . .. help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! They are both at an age to love tents and tunnels. I saw some kind of megafort thing at Toys-R-Us where you build the fort and could change it around. That would take up a lot of room but I'm sure both kids would enjoy it although the 2yo wouldn't get into the building part yet. That would be a good combined gift if they have enough smaller toys. My 4yo loved a mini indoor trampoline with handlebars. It makes sounds and counts the jumps etc. Again, the downside is that it takes up a fair amount of space and can't be stored away like a tent. Outdoor things like pools, sandboxes, bubble stuff, etc. Hmm - can you tell my kids aren't much for sitting around, lol. I do a lot of bigger ticket combined gifts if I can manage to rustle up enough money (and money from relatives helps with this). At 2yo and 4yo I imagine one of those nifty toy kitchens would be great. The 2yo won't know better so if you have the money but want separate gifts - get the 4yo the kitchen and the 2yo the dishes to go with it. For less expensive ideas a good quality shopping cart would be fun for the 2yo. Play food would be a good add on. The 4yo could get a play cash register and they could get separate gifts but play together. -- Nikki, mama to Hunter 4/99 Luke 4/01 Brock 4/06 Ben 4/06 |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
I never had any trouble buying gifts when they were younger, but now that
they are older, it gets somewhat harder. I mean there is always, money, books, clothes.. I guess it depends what your son is into and interested in. Is there a certain character or something that interests him? If so, go with that. -- Sue "Anne Rogers" wrote in message . .. help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Cheers Anne |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
In article , Rosalie B. says...
Banty wrote: In article , Anne Rogers says... help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Good grief. You're not the errand girl for your relatives, are you?? Of course your brain is balking - it senses better than you that you're being put upon! ;-) If you have not had children of your own (not all relatives have or they haven't all had boys), then it can be a challenge to figure out what kinds of gifts they would enjoy. And if you ask the mother, and she doesn't know either (as Anne doesn't seem to have had any ideas) then what else is there to do but send money. Would that not be better than giving them something completely inappropriate? Nothing wrong with giving money. A lot is wrong with expecting that they fund presents quickly gotten by someone else for you. If they didn't bother to purchase gifts, then use the money to get whatever you may happened to have in mind for him and put the rest in a bank account set aside for him. Or all of it. Send a short note thanking them for the money. Period. Any relative asking after what was bought with the money should be met with an abrupt change in conversation. This seems ungracious to me. Why? A gift is a gift. One doesnt' have to say what was done with a gift. One thanks for the gift. This time, the gift is money, so you thank for the money. Now, I do understand that a very elder person who is having trouble getting around may make an arrangement with a parent. Or someone deployed overseas, etc. But that's an explicit arrangement. Then more would be said in a thank you note. (And it's getting less and less necessary given the internet - fewer and fewer people really are in that position.) But on the other hand, I've seen (and had) a lot of simple laziness or "If I can't find it at Walmart I'm just sending the money for it" or "I don't know what to get", but expecting that $xx.xx that they sent be accounted for with the description of some single tangible something fitting the value of the check, and on time by golly, from some relatives. When Anne says it's several relatives and she doesn't have any idea what to do, I'm fairly sure she's describing the latter case. Or at the least, she's allowed too many relatives to have that understanding with her. Banty |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
help - need b'day ideas
On Sat, 26 May 2007 01:02:38 -0700, Anne Rogers wrote:
help, I'm feeling brain dead, I need to get my act together and buy birthday presents, DS is 4 on Monday and has had money sent for me to buy presents from various relatives. I've got a bit more time for DD, who is 2 in two weeks, but I'm particularly stuck for her, as being a 2nd child, we've got most things already! Cheers Anne Does she like dolls and other girlie toys that perhaps DS didn't have? My DS is 5 and DD is 3 and birthdays are not a problem because she is very girlie and he was very boyish. Personally, I put all money sent to my children into their college fund. We don't need more toys and people sending money never ask us to use it to buy anything. I don't feel that's right, but if they do that, then I would pool their money and buy something big, like a playhouse for the backyard or something. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
any ideas? | Anne Rogers[_2_] | Pregnancy | 1 | April 15th 07 05:44 PM |
need help/ideas | Anne Rogers | Pregnancy | 12 | May 31st 05 11:34 AM |
Name ideas? | Beach Mum | Pregnancy | 31 | January 11th 05 08:58 AM |
Any ideas about.... | Tall Kate | Single Parents | 12 | January 4th 04 09:07 PM |
Any ideas? | Kat | Pregnancy | 11 | November 12th 03 03:48 PM |