Today was supposed to be a Weston Academy Field Trip. We were going to go to Appleland to pick apples, pet the farm animals, play on that massive sand hill (which half of comes home in our van) and shop in the cute little store. No such luck.
It's cold and rainy. So...we went to the mall. Now, I must preface this with We Had to Go to the Mall because Nate's license plate sticker was due today...so we went to purchase a $75 sticker. I wouldn't willingly drag four children to the mall for fun. But we wandered a bit looking for a birthday gift for my 5 year old daughter -- soon to be six in a week.
She's a tough one to purchase for and I need some serious inspiration. She is obviously a girl, but not a girlie girl in any sense of the word. The Big List of NO's includes dolls, Barbies, stuffed animals (even Build A Bear doesn't make the cut), Polly Pockets, Little Pet Shop thingys etc.
She doesn't want Hot Wheels or Lego, like her brothers. All the poor child wants is a guitar. Heavens, the last thing I want in this puny little house is a noisy toy. So...what to do?
I think it's sort of unkind to have NO presents for her. But really, she doesn't want anything. She did ask for a bathrobe, so I picked up a camouflage one ('cause pink and purple are on the Big List of NO's) that I got for less than $20.
I'm sorta happy that I don't have this 8 foot long list of "wants" from my daughter. I would love to think that I've raised some sort of non-materialistic offspring, but alas, she's heard her own mother and father speak of all the things we want. So that's just not the case....quite the opposite, to my shame.
The plain and simple fact is ~ she has everything she needs...and more. My dear friend (aka Big Liver Girl) tries with all her might to fight the senseless gift-giving that happens in our culture. Not that she's cheap but she doesn't believe that "stuff' expresses true love, gratitude or blessing. I think I need to think more like her....but in the mean time, what do I do about my daughter??
I know some of you out there in reader-land have daughters....stop reading and start typing. I'm begging you! I'll go whip up a cup of tea and a Mars bar while I wait to read your responses. I've got 7 days till B-Day...
I'm not sure why its so much fun to think of ideas for other people's kids... maybe its like shopping with other people's money, and I need not give consideration to co-exisiting or storing the gift of choice, but you knew I"d put my two cents in... so here goes
ReplyDelete1. at the risk of appearing girlie (and its NOT) I'm a fan of the cooking prezzie. A cute cookbook for kids is called "Pretend Soup" and I"m sure there are a hundred more by now, plus an apron (to put over her camo robe (LOVE that!) and her own bundt pan and little oven mitts. It requires time though taken, together to give her one on one baking time.
2.high top converse. She's styling and you can get them in lots of colours (in montreal anyway). A very big hit with my kylie-ish girl here.
3. the no -stuff gift of going to a show. There look like there are some cute shows at the McManus (downstairs at the grand) that might work. A night out is always a win-win.
4. Favourite book of all time: The Story of May.
I can't wait til E's birthday because I have the perfect one for him!
I have three girls and each requires something totally different. Bekah is 8 and is a girly girl and only wants girly stuff all the stuff you said where no's in your list. then Gaby is probably more along the lines of Kylie. Football shirts and a dirty face and she is somewhat happy though she does whine about everything. She is most happy when sat on her own watchign a movie. not something we like to encourage but she really does enjoy it and I have to say I spent many a morning noon and very late night watchig movies and I didn't turn out so bad. Ideal present for Gaby would be a Tree hosue with lots to climb to the top then a big widescreen and DVD palyer in the house section.
ReplyDeleteHope now hope is a mix of both the others she loves cute stuff but is a total monkey and loves nothing better than watching Brum the little yellow super hero car, so her presents are simple Brum toys, she got a big pedal brum for her birthday which we took back to NI with us from our trip here in July and now it is in our roofspace so hopefully we will get it shipped before she grows in and out of it.
So I hope i have helped. Sign Kylie up to a girls soccer league you might know one.
Too bad about the field trip...
ReplyDeleteI think the cookbook, apron and oven mitts is such a GOOD idea...Love it!
Both my daughters love helping in the kitchen and have a couple of their own kid cookbooks that they love.
Bettcha that would be right up Kylies aisle!
I know Kylie is into the craft stuff like my girls, Vienna loves her rug hooking kit...and I'm planning on getting them Knitting rings for Christmas, since youre a big knitter, do you think she might like one of those? It's suppose to be really easy.