Can we talk about kid's Christmas stuff?

[neatokimmo]

My son is 9 going on 10 and my daughter just turned 6.

We gift ALOT of experience gifts...mini golf, roller skating, baseball game tickets (my daughter loves to go to them!), movie theatre tickets, concert tickets, pottery place, mani/pedi etc. last Christmas the big gift was a set of 4 tickets to 8 baseball games at our local affiliate on fun themed nights. On Saturday - we have Princess Night! Ha!

Other things - gift certificates to pick out own clothes, shoes, a new 'winter' coat, headphones, bedspread, 'new' music, jewelry, sneakers, backpack, new bike, new scooter..

Now - all those suggestions later - I have to ask - what does your 9 year old do with a phone?? Do her friends have phones? Do you have rules for it? Definitely not judging with these questions - just trying to learn what others do so that I can make some decisions about my own kid! Feel free to PM me if you don't want it to turn into a debate here!

Her phone has 200 minutes and 200 texts (or it might be 400 of each). She can use it if she is bleeding or lost, that is about it in the past three months she has sent four texts and not called anyone.

 

[neatokimmo]

Btw you all are awesome!

 

[lorijohnhill]

Now - all those suggestions later - I have to ask - what does your 9 year old do with a phone?? Do her friends have phones? Do you have rules for it? Definitely not judging with these questions - just trying to learn what others do so that I can make some decisions about my own kid! Feel free to PM me if you don't want it to turn into a debate here!

We got my daughter a Gizmo when we upgraded our phones in December. It goes on her wrist like a watch, but is actually a phone of sorts. It has it's own phone number and we program 4 numbers into it (we have my cell, daddy's cell, grandma's cell, and home). Those are the only four numbers that can call her and the only four numbers she can call. It also has GPS, so we can see where it is if we lose it (or want to know where she is). We really like it. When we are ready to upgrade, we may up it to the one that can also text (for those difficult to hear times).

 

[princessesintraining]

I'm not sure if you're in the Pittsburgh area, taking a wild guess because your tour of champions is coming in October, but I know University of Pittsburgh gymnastics team has really cheap group tickets. One of my daughter's teammates gifts was to take her teammates to a gym meet after Christmas. The girls loved it and I think it cost $5.00 a ticket under the group rate.

 

[neatokimmo]

LOL. Sounds like she doesn't need anything!

Ya probably not lol

 

[neatokimmo]

We got my daughter a Gizmo when we upgraded our phones in December. It goes on her wrist like a watch, but is actually a phone of sorts. It has it's own phone number and we program 4 numbers into it (we have my cell, daddy's cell, grandma's cell, and home). Those are the only four numbers that can call her and the only four numbers she can call. It also has GPS, so we can see where it is if we lose it (or want to know where she is). We really like it. When we are ready to upgrade, we may up it to the one that can also text (for those difficult to hear times).

Her friend is getting a gizmo for her birthday this weekend. I have ring plus for her free phone and my $13 phone. Does it just work on certain plans?

 

[neatokimmo]

I'm not sure if you're in the Pittsburgh area, taking a wild guess because your tour of champions is coming in October, but I know University of Pittsburgh gymnastics team has really cheap group tickets. One of my daughter's teammates gifts was to take her teammates to a gym meet after Christmas. The girls loved it and I think it cost $5.00 a ticket under the group rate.

We are in NE TN. I might be able to do the NC/FL meet. We get our meet schedule this week sometime to see what weekends we have free. Since tickets are so cheap I might get four and she can take friends

 

[lorijohnhill]

Her friend is getting a gizmo for her birthday this weekend. I have ring plus for her free phone and my $13 phone. Does it just work on certain plans?

I don't know, I have Verizon. I would think it should work on other plans as well.

 

[FoxC63]

If I had a daughter I would get her a State ID on her birthday, a new purse and wallet for christmas for her to keep her ID and gift cards in. I would get the wallet from Identity Strong Hold:
http://www.idstronghold.com/
If Disney is her thing, buy her Disney Stocks and frame it! I would sign her up for sewing classes too.

 

[neatokimmo]

If I had a daughter I would get her a State ID on her birthday, a new purse and wallet for christmas for her to keep her ID and gift cards in. I would get the wallet from Identity Strong Hold:
http://www.idstronghold.com/
If Disney is her thing, buy her Disney Stocks and frame it! I would sign her up for sewing classes too.

She is getting her first passport this winter. I could get her a passport holder. Added to the list!

 

[FoxC63]

She is getting her first passport this winter. I could get her a passport holder. Added to the list!

I highly suggest you get it from the same store as mentioned. FYI my son 13 has both, State ID & Passport. State ID is recommended for domestic travel and can also be used in conjunction with Amber Alert. - just sayin

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

You have a lot of good suggestions - I recommend saving some for next Christmas so you don't run into this problem again

 

[FoxC63]

Oh, a watch not just a basic time telling watch but one that has cool & unique features! Sorry I have no links for this but they have to have some really cool watches these days.

 

[MomToOne]

Sounds like you're like me - once we are back from our annual summer vacation, I always go straight into Christmas shopping mode. It's the planner in me - I always need something to be planning. It doesn't help that there are some good clearance deals this time of year - since we are so far out, I only allow myself to buy at this point if I get a KILLER deal, but I've gotten a bunch of stuff the last few weeks thanks to some great clearance deals and things like some Google Express coupon codes that resulted in almost free items.

DD is 16 now but I remember 9 pretty well. How about some things for her room - about that age Santa brought DD one of those sit-up-in-bed-and-read pillows (I'm sure there's a proper name for them but I can't think of it right now), in a color that matched her room. Also a saucer chair. And a vanity. Since they are starting to come out of the little girl stage, things like this that make her room feel more "grown up" can be good. This time of year is good to pick up some of that stuff - there's lots of it out for back-to-College. In about a month, there should be some good clearance deals.

My DD also started getting into skateboarding about that age. How about a Penny Board, or something like inline skates?

DD has always loved having her nails done, so one year about that age I got her a foot spa and a basket full of things related to it (nail files, salts for the water, lotion, some nail polishes etc.)

 

[neatokimmo]

I highly suggest you get it from the same store as mentioned. FYI my son 13 has both, State ID & Passport. State ID is recommended for domestic travel and can also be used in conjunction with Amber Alert. - just sayin

I will defiantly look into it. I know stuff happens that is why she is a black belt.

 

[neatokimmo]

You have a lot of good suggestions - I recommend saving some for next Christmas so you don't run into this problem again

I know really lol just wait next August I will be like help me!

 

[neatokimmo]

Sounds like you're like me - once we are back from our annual summer vacation, I always go straight into Christmas shopping mode. It's the planner in me - I always need something to be planning. It doesn't help that there are some good clearance deals this time of year - since we are so far out, I only allow myself to buy at this point if I get a KILLER deal, but I've gotten a bunch of stuff the last few weeks thanks to some great clearance deals and things like some Google Express coupon codes that resulted in almost free items.

DD is 16 now but I remember 9 pretty well. How about some things for her room - about that age Santa brought DD one of those sit-up-in-bed-and-read pillows (I'm sure there's a proper name for them but I can't think of it right now), in a color that matched her room. Also a saucer chair. And a vanity. Since they are starting to come out of the little girl stage, things like this that make her room feel more "grown up" can be good. This time of year is good to pick up some of that stuff - there's lots of it out for back-to-College. In about a month, there should be some good clearance deals.

My DD also started getting into skateboarding about that age. How about a Penny Board, or something like inline skates?

DD has always loved having her nails done, so one year about that age I got her a foot spa and a basket full of things related to it (nail files, salts for the water, lotion, some nail polishes etc.)

I love (LOVE) planning stuff. I had a friend give us a computer desk and a saucer chair. She has those sit up pillows from I think two Christmases ago?

I hadn't thought about skateboards. I will mention that and see if she bites.

She is a tomboy and will not do anything girly to her nails or hair. It kills her that her room is pink. Maybe I should wrap up paint and rollers.

 

[cel_disney]

I love (LOVE) planning stuff. I had a friend give us a computer desk and a saucer chair. She has those sit up pillows from I think two Christmases ago?

I hadn't thought about skateboards. I will mention that and see if she bites.

She is a tomboy and will not do anything girly to her nails or hair. It kills her that her room is pink. Maybe I should wrap up paint and rollers.

If she doesn't like her room - I would DEFINITELY make that the theme for Christmas or her next birthday.

My kids did their room decor for their last birthdays (last summer) and then we used Christmas to finish them. Birthdays they picked out wall colors and decor for one wall for their theme (for my son, this was 4 large poster frames - one with each Boston sports teams logo, for my daughter it was flower decal stickers) and a basic comforter. For Christmas they got a bunch more..
- winter comforters
- big magnetic bulletin boards and magnets for recent photos etc
- a small 1ft square bulletin board/pins
- 2-3 canvas wall prints in there theme
- new shelves for trophies and bobble heads and trinkets
- nice new oval mirror for my daughter

If you decide to have Santa gift paint - I would probably make a collage out of paint chips and line a roller tray with them and maybe a container of primer if the pink is dark with some wooden paint stirrers, a gift card for paint, and a good brush/roller...

Other things my kids and neighbors which have girls this age like - outdoor games like beanbag toss, kanjam, stomp rockets, local sports team gear (hats, sweatshirts etc), new water bottles for school/sports, bowling/arcade night with friends, or a smores kit! If you have a pool or water access - accessories like a new boogie board or water guns are also popular!

 

[NinaBella]

She likes gymnastics? A gift certificate to Camp Woodward.

She's going to Camp Woodward? Or another camp?

There is no other camp like Woodward Camp! My daughter has been going since age 8, although the ages are 7-18 (with adult week being week 12).

Best camp for skateboarders, BMX, scooter, parkour, digital media, cheer, and gymnastics.

I love the traditional sleep away camp mixed with her favorite sport.

My daughter attended at the beginning of summer AND end of summer this year.

 

[NinaBella]

My daughter is 13, but for the last few years I just ask her what she wants and work from there. We had to purposely become mindful to stop buying "filller gifts." We are also shifting to experiences over gifts.