What do you think of this birthday gift alternative?

[Anonymous]

We will be visiting Disney World, arriving on DD’s 8th birthday. Last time we were there, she wanted every overpriced thing in the gift store at the resort ($30 Mickey ears, $6 pencil, etc.) As an alternative to gifts at home, we thought it might be fun to let her instead go hog wild (with a budget) when we arrive and allow her to get all the junk she wants. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

You do you

[Anonymous]

Fine I think

[Anonymous]

I'd ask her. I'd get a gift card for her instead of a budget.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried a similar thing before? One of my kids is great at this and loves the independence and choices involved. The other just winds up sobbing because he ant have everything but he wants it all and he is overwhelmed by the options - analysis paralysis. I might worry about that, especially with heightened emotions of a Disney trip.

[Anonymous]

You still end up with a lot of overpriced junk plus have to schlep it back home, but if that's what you want to do, it's fine.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you can give her a prepaid visa gift card that she can use there and save any non depleted funds for something else if she wants.

[Anonymous]

So - we did something like this with my then-8YO step-DD when we went to Disney and it was awful (we've made similar mistakes on following vacations, too, so we haven't learned our lesson apparently). We told her she had $X to spend and she blew it all within the first few hours of being at the park. Cue the tears when her "budget" was gone and she saw something new that she "didn't even know they had!" and then she "didn't want and hated" everything she had already picked out (I vividly remember her throwing a bubble wand thing on the ground and me having to walk away). It's especially hard when pretty much every store exits through a store! She's not a brat, either, she just had no idea how to handle all the decisions.

What I would try is say she can pick, say, 2 things each day, or something along those lines. Break it up so things stay fresh and it's exciting each day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So - we did something like this with my then-8YO step-DD when we went to Disney and it was awful (we've made similar mistakes on following vacations, too, so we haven't learned our lesson apparently). We told her she had $X to spend and she blew it all within the first few hours of being at the park. Cue the tears when her "budget" was gone and she saw something new that she "didn't even know they had!" and then she "didn't want and hated" everything she had already picked out (I vividly remember her throwing a bubble wand thing on the ground and me having to walk away). It's especially hard when pretty much every store exits through a store! She's not a brat, either, she just had no idea how to handle all the decisions.

What I would try is say she can pick, say, 2 things each day, or something along those lines. Break it up so things stay fresh and it's exciting each day.

This is excellent advice - we do something like this too, otherwise dd would blow her entire spending money on day 1.

[Anonymous]

You could still give her the funds as planned, but tell her she can’t use them until the last day. That way other days are for building her mental wish list and prioritizing the things she sees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So - we did something like this with my then-8YO step-DD when we went to Disney and it was awful (we've made similar mistakes on following vacations, too, so we haven't learned our lesson apparently). We told her she had $X to spend and she blew it all within the first few hours of being at the park. Cue the tears when her "budget" was gone and she saw something new that she "didn't even know they had!" and then she "didn't want and hated" everything she had already picked out (I vividly remember her throwing a bubble wand thing on the ground and me having to walk away). It's especially hard when pretty much every store exits through a store! She's not a brat, either, she just had no idea how to handle all the decisions.

What I would try is say she can pick, say, 2 things each day, or something along those lines. Break it up so things stay fresh and it's exciting each day.

Why not teach her how to shop like a big girl--I like to see what all my options are, then I return to what I REALLY want and buy that. Let her shop, and whatever she remembers wanting at the end of the day she gets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So - we did something like this with my then-8YO step-DD when we went to Disney and it was awful (we've made similar mistakes on following vacations, too, so we haven't learned our lesson apparently). We told her she had $X to spend and she blew it all within the first few hours of being at the park. Cue the tears when her "budget" was gone and she saw something new that she "didn't even know they had!" and then she "didn't want and hated" everything she had already picked out (I vividly remember her throwing a bubble wand thing on the ground and me having to walk away). It's especially hard when pretty much every store exits through a store! She's not a brat, either, she just had no idea how to handle all the decisions.

What I would try is say she can pick, say, 2 things each day, or something along those lines. Break it up so things stay fresh and it's exciting each day.

Why not teach her how to shop like a big girl--I like to see what all my options are, then I return to what I REALLY want and buy that. Let her shop, and whatever she remembers wanting at the end of the day she gets.

I see your point, but it's not always easy to go back and get something later at Disney. Different parks = different merchandise. I made the mistake of making my dd wait for something she really wanted because I swore we were seeing the same thing in every shop and I figured she'd find a hundred other things she liked more in the meantime. Nope, and by the end of the day we couldn't backtrack to that shop. Ordinary shopping, sure - wait and see. Disney shopping - unless you have unlimited admission or visit all the time, it can be now or never.

[Anonymous]

Will she know she isnt going to get any non-disney items for her bday? When you arrive home and looking for something to do, she wont have, for example, the lego set or craft kit, that she woukdve gotten for a bday present if it wasn't for the DW shopping spree.

Echoing Pps, too, about the overwhelming decision. Dd thought she found her perfect princess hat at the one kiosk, but then a different kiosk found a different and better one. There are so many choices it is hard for anyone to really "know" and decide how to spend the money.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t. My kids got the fan mister and bubble wand at Disney. They have both been sitting in my mud room unused since we got home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So - we did something like this with my then-8YO step-DD when we went to Disney and it was awful (we've made similar mistakes on following vacations, too, so we haven't learned our lesson apparently). We told her she had $X to spend and she blew it all within the first few hours of being at the park. Cue the tears when her "budget" was gone and she saw something new that she "didn't even know they had!" and then she "didn't want and hated" everything she had already picked out (I vividly remember her throwing a bubble wand thing on the ground and me having to walk away). It's especially hard when pretty much every store exits through a store! She's not a brat, either, she just had no idea how to handle all the decisions.

What I would try is say she can pick, say, 2 things each day, or something along those lines. Break it up so things stay fresh and it's exciting each day.

I can see this happening easily. It is consumer overload x1000 at Disney. I think a trip to Disney is a big enough birthday present. Let her have a friend or two over for dinner on her actual birthday for dinner, make a cake, blow out candles. Perfect. Disney is already mega expensive to get in the door. Let her appreciate and be content with the experience and not all the stuff.