Dealing with 'fake' Christmas Presents
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So, my 4 year old (just turned) asked for Lol dolls.
She likes them, so I brought a few Lol for her, the wife did so and she has a little collection.
Her Aunt (my sis in law) brought her a car set. Initially this took me back, as I said I wouldn’t expect her to have spent so much money. She came up with a response that was slightly condescending, as is her style.
So, me and the daughter opened it. When I opened it, the inside of the product was of really low quality. Quite a bit of the glitter on the doll, came of in my hand. There are no Lol markings on the car. In one of the clue sheets, it is clearly marked Lql instead of Lol, which is another marker.
I didn’t say anything, but my daughter looked at me and said ‘Aunty S has got me a fake present, hasn’t she daddy?’
Apparently, Lol have done some videos showing the differences between real and fake on Youtube, which she likes watching other kids play with thier figures.
Now, she’s not fussed, but she keeps going around telling me she likes her fake present. She seems really chuffed that she has got a fake toy from the youtube videos.
I think it’s a bit of a cheek as the Sis in Law tried to make out she had spent a fortune on it. She’s quite clued up, so she wouldn’t typically spend a lot of money. Her kids got less overall, but they got genuine Disney and Marvel merchandise, so probably more expensive overall, but she’s thinking she got one over us.
I’m thinking let it carry on and if my daughter says thank you for the fake lol present, not a lot I can do?
Don’t do anything. Your daughter likes the present. Even if she didn’t, it would be uncalled for and rude for you to mention to your sister that you think she bought a fake toy. She may not even have realized, as those lol toys are cheap crap anyway (yes, i know they’re the hottest thing right now with little girls).
If she did realize, well, she probably thought she could get her niece something really cool that she’d like, and also save money.
How about just be thankful your kids had toys to open on Christmas and are happy?
Ya I mean your kid will toss this aside before you know it anyway. It is pretty easy to assume aunt didn’t know or thought “wow who would spend this much on a toy I’ll buy the same thing that is half the cost”. Don’t be the jerk who compares against what you gave vs received.
Your SIL bought your kid a gift and you’re really trying to find a way to make this a slight? Who cares if it’s real or not? They’re both cheaply made in China or Taiwan anyway.
If this is really something you feel worked up about, you lead a privileged life and should chill the f out. It’s a Christmas gift that will be played with for approximately four days anyway.
Look at the bigger picture here. Be courteous and be a good role model for how to accept a gift. And maybe watch less YouTube? That has never hurt anyone.
She’s four and you want to be insulted that the gift her aunt gave her isn’t name brand? Just admit you don’t like your SIL and stop trying to justify it with this nonsense. Also—your kid should say thank you no matter what she gets. Is that not taught on YouTube along with how to spot knock offs?
I find it really odd that a four year old would be able to spot a knock off.
Anyway, agree with everyone here. Sounds like you’re hoping your daughter will thank her aunt for the *fake* gift, to be honest. You said yourself your daughter likes it, so what’s the issue? And agreed that this can be a teachable moment in graciously accepting gifts, and that the dollar value/name brand of a gift isn’t what’s important.
I would tell my daughter it is not a “fake present”. It’s a real present and that it may not be made by the company she originally thought, but it’s the thought that counts and to send a thank you card not mentioning the issue and not say again how it is “fake”.
She’s four and she’s brand-conscious? The world sure has changed since I was a kid. Or parenting has changed.
There’s a teaching moment here for the kid about how its the thought that counts and that sometimes you don’t get exactly what you ask for but should be grateful for what you do have. And maybe also a teaching moment about respecting the gift-givers feelings by not calling out the gift.
Not surprising that the kid hasn’t learned that, since clearly the parent missed that lesson as well.
And yeah as others have stated, there can’t be that much difference between cheap plastic crap and cheaper plastic crap. Its gonna end up forgotten in a landfill when the next new hot toy comes out, anyways.
Also maybe time to exercise more parental control over what she watches on you tube if she’s getting brainwashed about branding and spotting fakes at age 4.
Apparently kids are sitting around obsessively watching toy unboxing videos on YouTube. One 7-year-old kid made $22M last year making videos of himself opening toys and playing with them by himself. I was aware of this, but then I looked up lol dolls because I was shopping for toys for local kids… my husband was picking out cool superhero and car stuff for boys, but I had no idea what girls are into now. So I watched a girl about 8, and she was looking at these lol toys that I thought were just cheap pink crap. Her grandma got her one. So I grabbed some too. Then I read about them, and omg, what a strange world we live in. Basically they’re an offshoot of toy unboxing videos. You unwrap layers and layers of glitter and paper and shit, and you get to this tiny plastic surprise. Part of it is, kids are lonely and don’t interact with kids irl anymore, or they live in unsafe neighborhoods… so watching these videos has kind of a social / play aspect. But it also has to be making them materialistic and acquisitive (and, sorry, dumb and shallow) AF. It’s just sad.
A “fake present” ? What the hell. Name brand or not it was a present… And a real one at that. Are you seriously comparing the quality of gifts she bought her own children verse your child. Christmas has become so materialistic and more about what im getting verse what I am giving. The only thing you and your child need to say is thank you aunt we love the gift.
