When do kids start asking for stuff in particular?

[vonfirmath]

When (what age) did your kid have specific wants? i've heard people hearing saying their kid wants This or That thing. So they are trying to get it for them. And I wonder if my 2-year old is behind on this? Because although he points at stuff and says "I want..." -- its nothing consistent (Laundry detergent, games with lights or bright colors, then a ratty dog bone, etc). it's something right in front of his face. He's easily dissuaded and we walk right past it.

And when occasionally I HAVE gotten it for him, its just as easily forgotten!

So when do they start having true wants that last more than the 30 seconds they see the item in the store.

[egoldber]

With Sarah, it was somewhere between about 5 and 6.

[maestramommy]

Dora is just 4, and we still haven't gotten there yet. Even though she will occasionally ask for something in the store, if I say, "oh we aren't getting that, we already have that, we don't need that, etc" she just drops it. The only thing she (and her sister) really insist on is goldfish (Thank you Target!), and even then they will drop it if I insist we still have tons of goldfish:p

I'm thinking it might vary from kid to kid though.

[Melaine]

A couple times my girls have said, "Can we buy that?" but they also said that when we were watching a sitcom with newborn babies on it.:ROTFLMAO: They have only recently started to ask and are totally fine when I say "No." We just had their third birthday and I think they are really starting to grasp the gift concept so we may have more of this coming up soon.

[Mikey0709]

My son turned 4 in July - and BOY is it coming on fast and furious. See it on tv is one thing - but we have had meltdowns at Target....8 of 10 times we get out of there with an understanding.... those other 2 times i usually carry him out one way or another. Not fun.

[JTsMom]

Just recently- around 4.

[mommylamb]

My DS is 2, and he doesn't ask for anything in particular. Then again, the only kids TV he watch is on DVD, so he isn't exposed to ads geared towards him yet. Then again, he does know what is his... as in, some other kid wants to play with his garbage truck and he'll say "no, that's mine!"

[katydid1971]

I think TV is a big infulence on this. My DS only watches On Demand or DVD so no ads but a good friends DC watches regular TV and is always saying "I want ..." and recite commercials to us. The people who make tv ads for kids really know how to push their buttons to make them want something. JMO

[KHF]

DD has just recently started doing this at 4. It's usually framed as "I wish I had {insert whatever toy she's seen her friends with or on TV}" I tell her to put it on her Christmas list and Santa will pick out some good ones for her.

[strollerqueen]

For DD, really only this past year, and she is 11! Seriously. (She even had trouble asking Santa for anything, until the last couple of years when she wanted an AG doll. )And for DS, pretty much started as soon as he could walk by himself in a store. I would turn my back for a minute, and see this big box with a truck in it, or something like that, "walking" towards me. The box would be twice the size of DS, but he would still manage to grab it and carry it over!

[citymama]

The only thing DD asks for (and has since 2.5 yrs) is specific stuffed animals to add to her collection. Last Christmas, she asked Santa for a raccoon. This year, it's a badger. Simple, and makes her very happy.

Now at 3.5 she asks for some specific art supplies: can you get me glitter glue like we have at school. She doesn't watch any ads, and we don't take her to toy stores, so she doesn't really know the universe of possibilities out there!

[MaiseyDog]

DD1 will be 5 in February and still doesn't ask for anything in particular. I know I should be happy about not having to deal with the gimmie's but honestly, sometimes, I think it would be nice to have a little guidance at gift giving times. I have absolutely no idea what we're going to get her for Christmas and then I'll have to turn around and do it all again for her birthday.

[sarahsthreads]

DD1 (who will be 5 on Saturday) does the "I want" thing when she sees commercials (rarely) and sometimes in stores. We head off the store thing with suggestion that she add an item to her wish list - it's usually forgotten by the time we get home. If it's not, we add it to her wish list. Also, I model a lot of "sticking to the list" behavior (i.e. no impulse purchases for *me* either) so she can't say the policy is unfair. The bigger thing is that now her favorite toys all come with little catalogs (My Little Pony, Calico Critters, etc.) in the box that show other toys in those lines that you can buy. So she'll tell you she wants this thing and that thing out of that little mini catalog.

But I think if you asked her to name something she wants for her birthday, it would be more of the things she plays with (the aforementioned ponies, etc.) so the particular items don't stick necessarily.

Scholastic books orders are horrific for us, where she practically asks for every.single.book in all *four* flyers they send home, and then we have to somehow narrow it down to something within our budget. It's *days* of negotiations. But that didn't really start until this school year.

eta: I just asked her what she wants for Christmas: a winter scarf, training ice skates, a pony she can ride (DD2 has one of those walk-around toys shaped like a pony and DD1 is clearly too big for it and quite jealous) and roller skates with training wheels. So I guess she does want specific things!

Sarah :)

[willow33]

My oldest son started asking for specific things around age 5. My youngest son is now 4.5 and basically wants whatever he sees last. He likes to take the toy catalogs and circle things *he wants* from Santa. The entire catalog is full of circles.

I wouldn't worry...it sounds like your ds is right on track. Be thankful...once it starts it is non-stop :)

[AnnieW625]

Gift wise DD has just started recognizing that she wants things from ads on tv/catalogs/newspaper. DD couldn't talk well at all until she was well over 2/1/2 due to a speech delay (from numerous ear infections she had between 1 and 2 yrs. old). DD did point to things in the store related to food, Dora, Thomas, or silly things like socks or clothes, but didn't start asking until she was around 3, which I honestly think is the normal age when they start getting it at least in the store. DD has now told me everytime she sees the Zhu Zhu pet commercial she wants one and has already told me she wants a Bitty Baby while looking at the American Girl catalog, but hasn't told me since I threw the catalog out the other day!

[Piglet]

DS1 was older than DS2 - possibly because DS2 sees DS1's things and wants them. I have a hard time remembering with DS1, but I would say around 5-6-ish?

[mariza]

DD just just recently at 4 and 9 months started asking for specific items, sometimes like last night it was as easy as a PB&J sandwich for her lunch today :) She hasn't askd for specific toys yet besides "bouncy balls".
3 yo DS on the other hand is obsessed with Thomas. He got a couple of trains for his birthday and those of course came with a printed guide to all the Thomas Friends Trains. He circles the ones he wants and asks me thier names. Then he will tell anyone who will listen which trains he wants. He has now started telling people which trains his "sister" wants. He's caught on to the fact that she doesn't ask for anything and decided he will do the asking for her, except he's asking for stuff HE wants in her name :rolleye0014: .

[traciann]

My dd is almost 4.5 and this is the first time she has ever asked for anything specifically for christmas. She does ask for stuff in the store and I always say lets put it on your christmas/birthday list and that works for us. Before this I would always get her what I think she would like or enjoy.

[elephantmeg]

DS just recently so a little over 3.

[Gena]

The first toy DS specifically asked for was a Leapster when he was 4.5.

He is now almost 5.5 and does ask for some things he sees in commercials. But not toys - for the last few months he has been asking for a glucose meter and a hover-round power chair.

[hillview]

DS is almost 4.5 and asks for specific things BUT they vary and are sometimes random. Today he asked for a real live baby toy dinosour. Um ok I am off to Amazon. He has a "wish list" a mile long as he wants everything in the store etc. He doesn't watch TV and doesn't yet want anything that he asks for on a repeated basis etc.
/hillary

[ahrimie]

The first toy DS specifically asked for was a Leapster when he was 4.5.

He is now almost 5.5 and does ask for some things he sees in commercials. But not toys - for the last few months he has been asking for a glucose meter and a hover-round power chair.

HAHAH!!! I think I saw a hover-round power chair on the ROAD today!

[lkarp]

DD1 (turning 4 in a month) will sometimes ask for things at a store, but she quickly forgets about it. I think it's more of a "it caught her eye" type of thing.

She has asked for one specific thing for her birthday and it's an umbrella. She's been reminding me for the past month or so that an umbrella is what she wants.

[kristac]

DS1 is almost 5 and asks for alot of random things he sees in the store or in catalogs or his friends house. A few stick. Right now he seems to think everything should have a remote control. So he will see something random he wants and then add that he wants the remote control version. Car, dinosaur, eagle, teaset....