Not All Christmas Toy Wishes Can Come True

There are only a few more shopping days left and I know that finding the right holiday toy isn't all fun and games. List in hand, you may find yourself staring in wonder, or horror, at what your kids are pining for. They may have given you a 'wish list' but where’s the roadmap for how and where to find the items on the list? And, do you even want to buy what is on that list?

Still, long faces on Christmas morning are no fun. So it’s time to get clever! Maybe you don’t have to camp out for that oversold toy that every other kid on the block has asked for. Or traipse all over town to find every last thing on their list. And you certainly don’t have to get them something that is impractical, inappropriate or worse – just plain junk!

The first step to ‘wish list sanity’ is to remember that it is just that – a wish! And even kids know that not all wishes come true. Thinking of yourself as an editor-in-chief, it is time to start cutting and revising.

Depending on the age of your children, you may want to include them. If you do, be sure your kids understand the guidelines. For example:

• You will get some – not all – of the toys you ask for
• You may ask Santa for no more than 3 or 4 toys  

There’s fun here too! You get to introduce new ideas that your kids haven’t thought of because they don’t even know they exist. A visit to your local neighbourhood toy store will remind you and your child that there are a whole host of fascinating, fun and educational toys that they will love, even though they will never see them on TV.

But Santa makes them...

Of course, if your child believes that their gifts are coming from the North Pole, you will have to come up with some clever explanations for why he may be unable to deliver. Here are a few that have worked for us in the past:

• Santa couldn’t bring you all of the toys on your list because the sled was full!
• Santa knows that Mommy doesn’t think that is a good toy and he wouldn’t want Mommy to be upset!
• Santa couldn’t make enough for all the children who wanted it. He knows that you already have so many wonderful toys, so he decided to give them to other children who have less than you

Can you add to this list? Got any good Santa explanations to share? We’d love to hear them!

Judi Meade is the owner of Art-enfant in Westmount and the co-owner of LearningToys.ca. In between, helping customers fulfill their kid’s wish lists, wrapping gifts and shipping orders, she occasionally finds time to post on her blog Toying Around.