Homemade castle not good enough for Christmas??

Bettyxx

Hi

I am on a seriously limited budget just now and have been looking at castles for my 4 year old for Christmas this year. He loves dragons and knights (especially Mike the Knight on cbeebies).

I am very good with sculpture and making things so I was thinking of making him an opening dollhouse style castle out of wood and cardboard and other materials. I have fabulous memories of a dolls house our grandparents made for my sister and I one year with our initials in stained glass...it was beautiful we grew up with money so we had a lot but it will always be that house that I loved the most.

My mother though says homemade presents are not good enough....will I be letting down my beloved little boy if I don't buy a huge plastic "proper" castle from the toyshop?? If I made it I could get him some wonderful dragons and knights to go with it...

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julie03

your 4 year old will probably be thrilled and it will probably be alot better that some of the stuff you get from shops

take no notice of your mother, i think she is talking nonsense

DomRavioli

If YOU think (being the child's parent) he would like the home-made castle, then make it. Don't be concerned with what others think, including your family, as you know your child best.

Not to tread on tails here, but if that is your mother's opinion and she is dead set on it, then why doesn't she buy said expensive castle? I'm sure she may change her mind when her own money is brought into it - it did with my family.

Hope everything goes ok, and I'd love to see the castle when you're done

kjp

Absolutely not! That sounds lovely, and it doesn't matter how much you spend on your kiddies for Christmas or whether their presents are home made! I'm sure your little boy would much rather a homemade present and a happy unstressed mummy than a plastic castle and a stressed out mummy with money worries!

My most memorable birthday present was a doll's house my dad picked up off the skip and renovated with scraps of wallpaper from our house. It cost nothing and I played with it for years.

Go and start planning your castle, it sounds amazing!

torbrex

I don't believe in Christmas but even I know that anything you can make yourself to give to your son would be more from your heart than anything that you could buy in a shop no matter what the price.

Your mother is being a snob and you should tell her so and put a stop to her attitude.

Fae

The home made castle sounds wonderful, when I was growing up my Dad built me a sindy house, because he said he could do better than the plastic ones in the shop, and he did, it was a wonderful dolls house made just for me, I'm sure your son will feel the same.

Can we see pictures when its finished

Fae

cdsmiler

Definitely go for it. However, I love the idea of suggesting to your mother that she should buy it then if she feels so strongly about it!!

whitewing

I think home made would be absolutely amazing. The pleasure of a castle and the pleasure of it having been made by you.

Why are you even listening to your mum if you know you are good?

(Downside may be that she buys a castle, knowing that you are making one).

mrs_baggins

definately do it! luckily he is at an age where he is not concerned about what something costs. I am doing a fairy castle one for my g daughter

Bettyxx

Thanks everyone...you've made me feel so much better about it all!!

Of course I'll share photos

Quite excited with ideas...

JimmyTheWig

I guess it depends on how good and sturdy it would be.
If I was to try to make a child a castle it would look rubbish and fall apart during the first play session. I think in that case I would be letting the child down.
But it sounds like you know what you are doing and could make one just as good as the ones from the shops.

Maybe your mum doesn't realise how good you are at making stuff?

You also need to consider other siblings (e.g. if you spend lots of money on a 7 year old and nothing on a 4 year old, the 7 year old might notice and think it's not right).
And there's the whole Father Christmas angle. Obviously it depends on your family tradition, but would it be hard to explain something that you have made as having come from Father Christmas? Again, maybe not to a 4-year old but to an older, believing, sibling or cousin? In some ways the home-made feel would be ideal for this (it was made by the elves) but not so much if it is easily identifiable as being home-made by you yourself, if you know what I mean?


But in general I think it's a great idea.
I'm sure the majority of people on here will agree.
Others (like you mum) won't agree, but it doesn't matter what they think - it's your son who is going to be the one who will love it.