What do you buy your child for Xmas??

[Tylers-mum]

My son has toys under his bed in plastic boxes that he does not play with. He is content with his Playstation and Gameboy but nothing else. No figures, cars, colouring, crafts, board games, bikes etc etc etc. His PS and his Gameboy are it! Although he likes any computerised things which make sound and lights (or movement on a screen or physically).

 

Asked him what he wanted and for the first time ever, he answered me!! (instead of the usual "I don't know" reply. Guess what he asked for?? Games for his PS and Gameboy and DVD's!

 

I mean, I can't just get him them?? But I'm lost as to what else to get him. He has no imagination at all and I've drawn a blank this year. Most of his toys from last year he don't play with but now I'm closer to an ASD dx, I'm really baffled on what to buy him??

 

Please help. BTW, he is 6yrs old.

Edited July 29, 2005 by Tylers-mum

[hollymg]

Gosh my son is easy to shop for LOL, but of course not from the toy aisles...

 

He currently wants a phonograph player (must have a stacking arm, 33 45 and 78 speeds, headphone jack...), ABBA movies and CDs, and that's just off the top of my head from this afternoon. He just discovered an actual toy he spends time with that I plan to buy more pieces for called Capsula (I think that's it) that is great because it is a building toy with mechanical parts, but big enough that his little hands can keep up with his brain.

 

Does he have any obsessions even if they aren't along normal kid lines?

[KarenT]

We just go with the obsessions, and it works out much cheaper than for nt kids because I buy everything for a fraction of the price off eBay. For the third year running he wants Thunderbirds stuff, and we'll also get him some Harry Potter things and Robot Wars. Already got a few things in the cupboard because I buy all the year around.

 

Karen

x

[mossgrove]

Sometimes you just need to relax and go with it. You may feel you are'selling him short' by only gettin games and DVD's but if that is what he wants and has asked for, why not just let him have what he wants? You might want to ease him gently towards other things by buying toys that tie in with his favourite games/DVD's.

 

 

Simon

[Guest flutter]

after spendinga absolute fortune on toys, that have been givein away, cos we dont know what to do with them

i am now going with the flow, if it be 100 different types of notebooks then soo be it

go with flow, dont be logical and buy what you think should be bought ( age and stage and all that rubbish)

tc

C x

[Zemanski]

We have the same problem with Com but we try to watch what he's doing and pick up for ourselves what he might like so there is always something extra to his demands for games.

He likes mixtures so we got him a chemistry set and a crystal growing set, both very successful, he likes technology so we got him a graphics tablet and a joy stick to get him more involved with the PC rather than the game boxes, and a subscription to a robot building magazine was a great investment although we had to do most of the building.

 

sometimes we go with his needs - he has motor and balance problems - and get him fun physical stuff like his trampoline (best thing we ever got him for physical and social development) and one of those strange rocking floor seats from IKEA - just a circle with a curved base - both kids love to play at balancing on it.

 

It's a bit early to panic yet though - we've got the summer holidays to get through!

 

Zemanski

[Brook]

My son who is nearly seven, is into X-box, Playstation, Gamecube, and Starwars

Year after year we buy all sorts of toys for christmas and they get played with for about two days, then they end up cluttering the house up, then they end up in the summer boot fair

 

I know what you mean, the games do not look much wrapped up, but we all know they are not cheap, especially when you buy four or five of them, so in the past I have bought other toys so that his christmas pile is bigger

 

This year we are going to buy the new gameboy DS, and some games and keep an ear out for anything that he mentions he wants, but I must admit, I am a soft touch throughout the year, and if I can afford the latest starwar toy or videogame, then he usually gets it

 

I dont normally even think of christmas yet, but I suppose it will be on us before we know it

 

Brook

[lil_me]

Last year (probably be same this year) We usually have give him 3/4 catalogues to find out what he wants.

 

Geomag/magentix - tried these last year and my son loved them, instead of the finger flicking as much he walks round twiddling with the magnets

 

Transformers - which they are discontinuing, tends not to play with them as much but occasionally will

 

Robot Wars - which is discontinued, thank god for ebay, more interested in the ones he can build himself

 

Gameboy Advance SP and games - God send, goes everywhere with us

 

Playstation Games

 

and the most important to him

 

SEALIFE - Books, plastic figures (have to be life like) DVD's etc etc anything I can find

 

Bonus prize this year I think - Membership to a Sealife Centre/The Deep

 

Maybe some gift vouchers for bookshops as he loves book shopping

Edited July 29, 2005 by lil_me

[mossgrove]

Brook

 

Our son is obsessed woth computer games of all descriptions, but he very rarely draws a distinction between a newly-relased game and one that has been around a while, or even between new and second-hand so we keep the cost down by using car boot sales, ebay and the shops like Game and Gamestation that sell secondhand games.

 

Simon

Edited July 29, 2005 by mossgrove

[MelowMeldrew]

Seems we're all on pretty safe ground with x boxes and playstations ! Until one or the other breaks down there's nothing else my son wants, we've got prezzies from 4 years ago unopened, he's just NOT interested in Xmas (Or Birthdays), and until recently got stressed if any fuss was made about them. Mine tends to play the same games over and over again,he hates 3 dimensional games, and it's not unusual for me to have to scour shops after he's worn them out, and they have to be exact replicas. I used to buy him all the latest ones, at first he refused toplay them, then, started throwing them in the bin ! AT 40 quid a throw I soon saw the error of my ways !

 

He gets through game boys pretty quick too, if he hits a patch where it is 'hard' it's not unknown he trashes the gameboy forcing me to buy replacements, so far 4 have bitten the dust this year at 90 quid a time. Xmas prezzies this year ? maybe nothing if we take him at his word (We put the money aside now, rather than waste our time and cash buying him things he will never ever use). If he does ask for something when we walk around the shops we buy them then. We always walk around the toy game shops, to see if he fancies something or other.

 

People think we're mean not to splash out, but he just doesn't want anything. We spent about 800 quid one year and he never opened a thing.

[lil_me]

Someone did tell me that children on the spectrum have difficulty with 3D when I was saying about the problems my son has with games not sure how correct this is, but he also has vision problems which was when I invested in a Sega Mega Drive from ebay and a plug in game with all the old games like paperboy, mario etc etc on (from argos if I remember rightly) , he loves them and doesn't get as frustrated unlike when he is using the playstation.

[Canopus]

He just discovered an actual toy he spends time with that I plan to buy more pieces for called Capsula (I think that's it) that is great because it is a building toy with mechanical parts,

 

I had Capsela as a kid and that was back in 1987. Recently I discovered that you can still get it.

[Canopus]

Someone did tell me that children on the spectrum have difficulty with 3D when I was saying about the problems my son has with games not sure how correct this is, but he also has vision problems which was when I invested in a Sega Mega Drive from ebay and a plug in game with all the old games like paperboy, mario etc etc on (from argos if I remember rightly) , he loves them and doesn't get as frustrated unlike when he is using the playstation.

 

Does he have a phoria? That is when his eyes can't focus on the same point simultaneously? It is a something that opticians rarely seem to test for in children, but it can result in all sorts of practical difficulties such as lining things up or judging speed and distance. The traditional way to test for a phoria is a Maddox rod but I think newer computerised tests are also available.

 

Another possible problem is poor colour vision. Many of the latest games require very good colour vision to be able to play them properly.

[lil_me]

He has poor colour vision, a very bad squint in both eyes and a bad astigmatism, long sighted. I haven't heard them mention phoria but his eyes are always in 2 different positions when looking at something. The optician and orthoptist he sees said he'd no doubt have problems with complex 3D games, he prefers the old stuff, nothing like sonic, ecco the dolphin etc etc

 

Just been looking at Capsela and similar toys, my son would probably love that type of thing. Maybe Mechano aswell, think we'll have to just try things and see how it goes. Want anything that will help his fine motor control.

Edited July 29, 2005 by lil_me

[Canopus]

He has poor colour vision, a very bad squint in both eyes and a bad astigmatism, long sighted. I haven't heard them mention phoria but his eyes are always in 2 different positions when looking at something.

 

Could well be a phoria. It is possible to get glasses with an inbuilt prism that helps to correct a phoria.

 

Just been looking at Capsela and similar toys, my son would probably love that type of thing. Maybe Mechano aswell, think we'll have to just try things and see how it goes. Want anything that will help his fine motor control.

 

Lego Technic is an excellent construction toy. I still play with it today.

[elaine1]

i only ever get my son ps2 games thats all he wants, if i buy him anything else he never bothers with it anyway. ce la vie!

[TuX]

Games are more indepth than they used to be and last for ages,it's worth buying them as a present if he plays them a lot.

How many ps1/gb games does he actually want?

[Tylers-mum]

So far he has only asked for Madagascar and Sly Racoon 2 so I'll probably shop arounjd for some bargains other than those two. He isn't interested in anything else. He had Magnetex last year for Xmas but has only played with it twice. He looses his patience and concerntration span with things quickly but games hold his attention and give me a much needed break!

If he had his way, he'd have everything he saw on the TV. LOL It's 'can I have that, can I have that' all the time with im and rather say No and risk a meltdown, I just tell him 'I'll see'! So far it's working! LOL Telephone numbers on TV I also HAVE to ring. LOL I just tell him I'll do it later - NOT! LOL

 

Thanks for all the replies and ideas. I have spoken to my sister about it and she just said get him what he wants (Games and DVD's) and that's it, but it won't look like much even though the cost will be a lot! LOL

Soo, after much delibarating, I scanned the argos catologue last night and found a motorised baike of the Power Rangers which he likes so although he has a peddle bike, he can't ride it b/c of poor muscle tone and freaks everytime he goes over a bump/stone. This would be ideal to get him out and about for walks etc. May get him some that (b/c he loved my friend's dd's one as a 3yr old) and some Power Ranger bits and bobs too!

 

Thank You all for your help and suggestions.

 

Capsela - Never heard of it but I will do a search for it and look. Hopefully that'll be a winner too! (depends on cost! LOL)

[Kazzen161]

Xmas is easy - we get him more Xmas lights to add to his collection!

 

T liked Capsela and Knex, which is easier to put together and take apart than meccano.

 

A few years ago I bought T all things he wanted (non-toys) and one toy (a barking/jumping dog). He said thank you, and then a few weeks later said woudl it be Ok if he gave it to the Twins. He said "I don't know why you keep buying me toys, cos you know I won't play with them". I know I was only buying a toy cos I felt he ought to have something "fun", but I don't bother anymore, and he is very happy with a filtration system for his pond or a new drill!

 

Karen

[baddad]

Hi Tyler's mum -

Playstation, gameboy, DVD's? all sound VERY familiar...

Ben, too has hundreds of toys he doesn't play with, but I reintroduce these from time to time and he'll have a couple of 'fresh' days with them when they're the bees knees.

Playstations can actiually be a really good starting point: Ben's first big interest was 'Wacky Races', and he got into this directly through the PS1 game... He now has every episode of WW, Penelope Pitstop, and Dastardly and Muttley on Video (WW on DVD, and the DVD versions of the other two for his birthday in two weeks) + board games, annuals, figures etc etc... This in turn led to a general 'Hanna Barbera' interest which will keep birthday's/xmas sorted for years...

He also got into Lego/Lego racers/Hotwheels via the same route...

Board game 'originals' of PS/PC 'versions' (i.e. Monopoly/Cluedo/Guess Who etc) can add a new dimension to an old virtual favourite, and open the door to a new interest in board games generally.

Like MM, I keep my eyes/ears open all year round... we went to a place where they had a birds of prey sanctuary recently, and this led to a 'general' curiosity about birds/wildlife. I've got him a cheap pair of binoculars and a couple of books to go with the DVD's next month, which might grow into something bigger... If it doesn't, i'll just use the bino's for perving outings to Brighton nudist beach, so no worries...

I AM JOKING!

L&P

BD