What about this for christmas?

[2littleprincesses]

My odd got 2 guinea pigs for christmas 3 years ago and an Itouch for her 10th birthday. Now ydd wants a hamster for Christmas. Dh and I really do not want another pet. We have a dog, the guinea pigs and a fish. The guinea pigs are messy and I have to nag odd to clean the cage every week. Ydd said that she only wants the hamster or an Itouch.

Dh and I will be getting iphones for christmas. My itouch is only 1 year old and a 32g. Should I give her that for Christmas? I feel like I am somehow jipping her because I am not really buying anything for her. She uses my itouch at certain times so it would not be new to her. What do you think? It would definitely be a bargain!

 

[disprincessatheart]

Maybe you should get her a new case for it and an iTunes gift card. As long as it becomes hers, and thats what she wants, I think it's ok!

 

[Marionnette]

My odd got 2 guinea pigs for christmas 3 years ago and an Itouch for her 10th birthday. Now ydd wants a hamster for Christmas. Dh and I really do not want another pet. We have a dog, the guinea pigs and a fish. The guinea pigs are messy and I have to nag odd to clean the cage every week. Ydd said that she only wants the hamster or an Itouch.

Dh and I will be getting iphones for christmas. My itouch is only 1 year old and a 32g. Should I give her that for Christmas? I feel like I am somehow jipping her because I am not really buying anything for her. She uses my itouch at certain times so it would not be new to her. What do you think? It would definitely be a bargain!

Will the older daughter also be getting some sort of hand-me-down present? Is gifting used items common in your family?

If giving previously owned items is something that you regularly do in your family, then I guess that this is not a bad idea. But I would be very careful about the message that this sends to your second child if it is not. And especially if the older sister will be getting a brand new whatever-she-asked-for item.

 

[skip323]

well...pretty much every electronic item we have in our house is "used" as it is refurbished. My kids, therefore, have used itouches, used nanos...maybe even used shuffles. We have a used Iphone and a used Nook too. They work GREAT and nobody really cares. All of those things were given as gifts. They just want the items and they need to work.

Clean/polish it up, clear out your apps etc. and load it with some things she would like. Do what a pp mentioned and get a new case and an ITunes card so she can load even more things to. Maybe get a little carrying case (we use the Vera Bradley tech cases). Place it all in a basket or a nice little box. I bet she will be more than pleased...especially if some items are already loaded on there!

 

[mrseace711]

My odd got 2 guinea pigs for christmas 3 years ago and an Itouch for her 10th birthday. Now ydd wants a hamster for Christmas. Dh and I really do not want another pet. We have a dog, the guinea pigs and a fish. The guinea pigs are messy and I have to nag odd to clean the cage every week. Ydd said that she only wants the hamster or an Itouch.

Dh and I will be getting iphones for christmas. My itouch is only 1 year old and a 32g. Should I give her that for Christmas? I feel like I am somehow jipping her because I am not really buying anything for her. She uses my itouch at certain times so it would not be new to her. What do you think? It would definitely be a bargain!

If she would not mind then gift it to her, maybe not as a under the tree item it may disappoint her (I know my DD7 who always gets hand me downs would be sad and try not to show it) If you plan on giving her the iPod, talk to her say okay you said you want an iPod Touch OR a hamster and explain why you do not thing a hamster is a great idea right now and offer her the iPod as like an early Christmas gift. Under the tree wrap the new accessories. I did this a few years back with a DS, I bought my oldest a DSi and knew how much my middle daughter wanted one, but I had my pink one that I rarely played anymore. My oldest opened her gift and was gushing I could see the envy in my middle daughters eyes and I said "Oh how about you can use Moms DS so you can play games with your sister" She lit up like a Christmas Tree so she still got her gifts and I just handed her the DS I had charging on the table. Worked out great.

 

[luvmy3]

I would give hand down the Ipod Touch but not as a gift. Then I would purchase a cute case, cute earbuds or headphones, an Itunes card and a docking station as her gift.

 

[Priorityonecb]

That is what I would do as well. I'd shine up, clean up the apps etc and give her the Touch but not in a gift she opens. I'd purchase a cute case, carrying case, ITunes card, new headphones etc and give that as the gift.

 

[Shelly888]

You got some great suggestions!! MY DS 7 would freak if he got an itouch, it would be like haven on earth for him, my old one or not!! I think getting her an awesome new case(have you seen the Disney ones?) and an itunes gift card is perfect, upload some new apps, get rid of some old ones, wrap it up and that is a wonderful gift for CHristmas morning.

Can you get her one of the fur-real hamsters instead

 

[Angela0917]

I would give hand down the Ipod Touch but not as a gift. Then I would purchase a cute case, cute earbuds or headphones, an Itunes card and a docking station as her gift.

 

[2littleprincesses]

Thanks for the advice. It is something I need to think about. I think she would be pretty responsible for the hamster or rat, but dh and I are not crazy about another pet.

Still thinking about the Ipod. Don't know if I should wait til she is 10 too. It would be less expensive gift with getting her itunes and a case. Any more ideas?

 

[ZehnJahren]

I would give hand down the Ipod Touch but not as a gift. Then I would purchase a cute case, cute earbuds or headphones, an Itunes card and a docking station as her gift.

Agreed. I'd wrap the iTouch with the cute case (still in the box, of course). Then earbuds / headphones in another present (maybe a travelling pair of headphones that cancel noise, and then some earbuds), and then an iTunes card in the stocking. Maybe a docking station or a docking stereo.

I see no problem with hand-me-downs, especially for children and especially in these cases! But extra pets??? Haven't you learned your lesson?

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

I am very surprised that others see something wrong with gifting her your itouch...it is a 32, and costs $300. What would you do with it if you didn't give it to her? Would you sell it? Then, you could take that money to buy her a "new" one...probably a 16. Would she know the difference between a new and used? Load it up with stuff for her, get a case, itunes card and save yourself money if you believe she would be responsible enough to care for it.

 

[squirrel]

Thanks for the advice. It is something I need to think about. I think she would be pretty responsible for the hamster or rat, but dh and I are not crazy about another pet.

Still thinking about the Ipod. Don't know if I should wait til she is 10 too. It would be less expensive gift with getting her itunes and a case. Any more ideas?

I don't think your 8 yr old should have to wait til she is 10. She isn't getting a brand new to the house iPod, it's one you already own and will probably not use now that you are getting iPhones. I know you are trying to make everything the same, but it's impossible. You can however try to make things fair.


Here is an example of what my parents did that I think wasn't fair:

I was started on a silver place setting set when I was an infant. It wasn't complete and when I was a teenager my mom was going through it (It was similar to my mom's so it was used for dinner parties) and decided for my birthday and or christmas she was going to make it a complete 8 piece place setting.

Then when my Nana passed away, my sisters each got a set of silver place settings for no occassion. Not sure who got what - one set was one my dad found and the other set was my Nana's.

So basically for quite a few birthdays and Christmases I got very little presents as I was getting my silver place settings. My sisters got theirs as a gift for no occassion. I wasn't given a gift when my Nana passed away.


I don't think giving the younger daughter the iPod as a bonus gift is fair. I would wrap it up as a gift and give it to her as a present.