Help - ruined Christmas present for 3yr old daughter

[W12GT]

We bought our daughter a dolls house for Christmas from John Lewis. Ordered it ages ago and it turned up late yesterday. Put it together tonight and it's rubbish - really poorly made and nothing lines up. A lot of her presents were orientated around the house. Now have about 8 presents we can't give her as there's no way we can give her a piece of cr4p for Christmas.

Got a few little presents but now looks like we've failed to get her a present. So upset as she had a tough year after her grandad died.

How the hell can we save Christmas for her - she's only 3 so too young to explain.

So annoyed.

Any ideas?????

[Impasse]

She won't care how shoddy it is. Nail it together as best you can and wrap it up.

[spaceship]

Impasse said:

She won't care how shoddy it is. Nail it together as best you can and wrap it up.

This.

Then after Christmas you can look at replacing it. Tell her it'll be better than the one you've got her.

[Flipatron]

Your idea of rubbish will be a lot different from a 3 year old's idea. Trust me, she'll be a lot happier with it tomorrow than without it.

Give here the house and contact John lewis after xmas.

Oh and don't go telling her it's crap tomorrow morning.

[LordHaveMurci]

She's 3, she'll be more interested in the box it came in than the gift itself

[ClaphamGT3]

As the others have said, she won't notice. My girls at that age would have been worried about;

It's size

It's pinkness

[Anubis]

The great thing about 3 year olds is their imagination - they won't care.

Replace it later on. That's why kids love old and well loved toys whereas their parents wish they left them alone

[W12GT]

Thanks all.
Took some time away from it and broke the tools out to try and make the best of it. Now looking better - not what is hoped for but at least she' will now have somethings to open!

Hope you all have a cracking and safe Christmas!

[benjj]

What they all said.

Here's my 3 year old daughter after we'd sorted about £300 of climbing frame and bouncy castle for her on her birthday.

[Anubis]

Remember to take a picture of it so when she is older you can say "you loved that toy!" with a look of disbelief on both your faces. Truth is, she probably will love it

[Einion Yrth]

benjj said:

What they all said.

Here's my 3 year old daughter after we'd sorted about £300 of climbing frame and bouncy castle for her on her birthday.

I put it to you that your daughter is actually a cat. they're buggers for cardboard boxes.

[benjj]

Quite possibly. Living as the only man in a house of 3 women I try and avoid looking at stuff too closely.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Unrelated on the presents front but linked to John Lewis and crap quality . just spent a few hundred on curtain poles and they're awful (to my inner engineer). I had one pole 1 mm bigger diameter than the other and the centre holes drilled off centre so they don't screw together well and I couldn't fit the final without taking it to a belt sander.

That was only the start. Myriad other gripes followed. I guess they have zero quality control. If I'd have wanted I'll fitting crap I'd have gone and bought it from the B&Q bargain bucket.

[Neil H]

Impasse said:

She won't care how shoddy it is. Nail it together as best you can and wrap it up.

This. She is a 3 year old, not an architect. She will be thrilled with it, guaranteed.

[BryanC]

Have sent the picture /\ /\ /\ to my son as its a dolls house for 4 year old grand-daughter tomorrow. Cardboard can be all things to a little creative mind. Everybody is right - she will never realise the difference.
This was the toy that captivated my attention as a little boy and remains in my memory over 50 years later:

Edited by BryanC on Thursday 24th December 22:38

[Vaud]

W12GT said:

We bought our daughter a dolls house for Christmas from John Lewis. Ordered it ages ago and it turned up late yesterday. Put it together tonight and it's rubbish - really poorly made and nothing lines up. A lot of her presents were orientated around the house. Now have about 8 presents we can't give her as there's no way we can give her a piece of cr4p for Christmas.

Got a few little presents but now looks like we've failed to get her a present. So upset as she had a tough year after her grandad died.

How the hell can we save Christmas for her - she's only 3 so too young to explain.

So annoyed.

Any ideas?????

You are being crazy. She won't care. Only you do. Providing it hasn't got jutting spikes, carry on...!

(father of a 2.5 year old who knows that the box will be the best thing tomorrow)

[1ians]

As others have already said she really won't care.

My four year announced earlier that she doesn't want any other presents apart from a hairband.

Have a good one.

[norush]

BryanC said:

Have sent the picture /\ /\ /\ to my son as its a dolls house for 4 year old grand-daughter tomorrow. Cardboard can be all things to a little creative mind. Everybody is right - she will never realise the difference.
This was the toy that captivated my attention as a little boy and remains in my memory over 50 years later:

Edited by BryanC on Thursday 24th December 22:38

Crikey, that brings back memories; my brother and I used to have races with them when I were a lad :

[ali_kat]

And?

Come on OP!

[Vaud]

ali_kat said:

And?

Come on OP!

Given the recent trend of threads, he's probably issuing an MCOL claim and spending the morning researching his 'ooman rights whilst his daughter is not allowed to play with the slightly imperfect toy.

Bahh humbugs.