Mom gets angry at grandma for buying her 4-year-old son a $400 toy instead of a $340 Nintendo Switch that she asked her to buy: 'Why didn’t you just get the Switch like he wanted?'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Dec 23, 2025 8:00 AM EST

Shouldn't she be glad Grandma is getting him something fun and age-appropriate?

It's wild to think that the Elder Gen-Zers are the last generation to go through early childhood without access to the internet. I will always cherish those years before I could Google anything, because once I could look up exactly what the characters on South Park were talking about, my childhood officially ended. 

When you're a young kid, having access to endless websites and apps full of more information than you'll ever be able to process isn't the most critical factor in your development. When you're 4, 5, or 6, developing motor skills is far more necessary than developing skills that can be self-taught on a tablet. A little kid's ability to write their name is an important milestone. If a kid is entering 1st grade and can't write their own name but can scroll through short-form videos for hours on end, there's probably a problem with their parents' priorities.

The thing about giving a loud, annoying kid an iPad or a video game to make them quiet is that it's incredibly easy and convenient. Occupying a kid with screens is always going to be less messy than giving them a puzzle or paints, but it will hurt their development in the long run. A kid will learn so much more by playing with their hands because that is what kids are wired to do. Playing is their job, and robbing your children of the chance to play like kids, in favor of them playing like adults, will only hurt them in the long run. Adults can play video games without jeopardizing critical developmental milestones, but 4-year-olds can't quite manage that. 

Most parents would be thrilled to hear that grandma is getting their toddler a toy instead of a video game console so he can have a few more years of being a kid before gaming takes over his life, but the mother in this story is not one of them. 

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  • A little boy standing near a big stack of Christmas presents Christmas tree on the background
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I'm so upset about my son's Christmas gift

    My son is almost 5. My mom asked me what to get him as the "big ticket gift" and I said a switch would be fun because we both like Minecraft and don't have a console. She said it was too expensive so I dropped it, not upset or anything. Then
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • today we're wrapping presents and he got her some ball thing with tubes idk what it is specifically yet but it's just... first off so many pieces and clutter, we don't have space. I said it
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • looked cool anyway and my mom said it cost her $400. I said why didn't you just get the switch like he wanted and she yelled lol.
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • Woman with black hair screaming
    via engin akyurt

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I'm not mad really, it's her money to spend. I just don't understand why she wanted a bigger, more expensive, probably won't even be used as much toy over something he
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • actually wanted. It's so annoying because I'm annoyed but can't say anything bc at the end of the day she still got him a cool gift. I'm not joking the thing would take up half our living room and I'm just so bummed
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • Edit: just want to say I'm not unappreciative, she shelled out a lot of money for a cool gift!! And I understand people saying a whole console for a kid isn't that great, but it would be monitored. He'd get the exact
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • amount of gaming as he always does, but his face wouldn't be an inch from the screen. That's mostly why I wanted it for him. He gets 30 mins a day. Yes he's 4, almost 5. I also understand that some people don't allow their kids games or screen time and that is completely fine, but
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • this is not that. If anything, my mom lets him watch/play stuff for longer than I allow. This is simply me gritting my teeth to the universe and random strangers so I can get over feeling annoyed at a very nice gesture
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • turtledove93 My immediate thought is when grandma heard switch, she wondered who it was really for, you or him. I say this because it's exactly what my parents would think.
    via u/turtledove93
  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 That would be bananas considering she already bought Minecraft on her phone for him to play! Like yes I would have enjoyed it and used it even when he's at school, but it would have been his!!
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • curlycattails Oh is that the Air Toobz? That's actually one of the hottest toys of the season and I've seen a lot of positive reviews. The Switch (assuming she were to buy it brand-new) still costs quite a bit more than what she paid - it's like $500-600. I get why you're upset, but she was probably thinking it's better for him to play with a physical building toy than an electronic device. It's a generous amount to spend on a gift for a grandchild too. Maybe think it over for a few days and jus
    via u/curlycattails
  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 And yes it's air toobz, I'm sure it's cool but I also know it'll be played with for a month tops and then just be shoved in a corner, cluttering the house more than it already is
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • abiggscarymonster As someone with two almost five year olds, I think your mom's gift is way more age appropriate, but it's definitely OK to be upset about it as long as you keep those feelings to yourself. The fact is our parents aren't going to buy exactly what we tell them to. It's super annoying when they ask us because that gives some kind of idea that maybe they might listen and then they turn around and do something completely different. It's like OK. Why did you even ask?
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  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 That's why I came here, I kinda even feel bad for saying "why didn't you get what was asked for". I'm so happy my kid gets presents, cool ones at that, even if it's not what was asked for. It's annoying because, why ask, but who cares at the end of the day. My kid is still going to be opening presents and having fun with new toys
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • Cleanclock Maybe she's against the principle of gaming/screens? Just guessing.
    via u/Cleanclock
  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 I'd say yes but she bought Minecraft on her phone for my kid to play, so it's not that.
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • ans524 There's a huge difference between letting a kid play a game on your phone and getting them their own dedicated screen. Especially if they don't even live with the kid.
    via u/ans524
  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 Well she does live with us, and he wouldn't have his own screen. It would just be on my tv, just technically his console. Still monitored and all that
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • SummitTheDog303 This was my thought as well. Airtoobs retail for $160. Not $400. A Switch is $340 and a Switch 2 is $450. That's orders of magnitudes more expensive. Anecdotally, my kids do enjoy the AirToobz, and they love pulling them out whenever they have friends over too. We do have a Switch (which I mostly use to play Just Dance and Ring Fit as an at home workout) and my 3.5 and 5.5 year old have no idea what to do with it. My husband tried introducing the older one to Mario Kart and she j
    via u/SummitTheDog303
  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 I already mentioned this but she bought three boxes, so it all added up to around 400. I didn't ask the exact penny amount but she said around 390
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  • allthestars93 So it's a gift for you/the family, not him specifically. Honestly I wouldn't have bought it either.
    via u/allthestars93
  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 Okay, I don't understand this logic, genuinely. Do you not play with your kids toys? It would be his 100%, but it'd be monitored. I wouldn't avoid it just because it's his though. I mean, I play with his playdoh and building blocks. sometimes when bored, should I only let him play with those/only play with them when he's around? I'm fr asking
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • themajordutch Me and my son and wife play the switch here and there and we have fun...I get you
    via u/themajordutch
  • Person holding black and orange Nintendo switch
    via Alvaro Reyes

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 I'm really not understanding the controversy lol, if he's going to play what's the problem with me playing with him? Or playing when he's at school? I don't get the hate tbh
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • vnessastalks I'm so bummed I just found out what air toobz are and it's too late to be a Xmas gift. My kids would go ape shit for those. Ugh Anyways, it's okay to be slightly bummed.
    via u/vnessastalks
  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 They do look cool, I just hate that we don't have space. I'd bring it outside but it's rainy!!
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • moonjellies "what do you want for a gift?" "an age inappropriate gaming system i want so he can play a game about building" "i don't think that's the best choice for me to buy. here's a really cool and developmentally appropriate building toy"
    via u/moonjellies
  • OP Shoddy_Nectarine_441 The last quote was not at all part of any of the conversation or even how she views screen time etc. she said it was too expensive and I said ok and then she got something more expensive that he most likely will use for a month tops. Idk why that's hard for some of yall to get, you're adding context that isn't there
    via u/Shoddy_Nectarine_441

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toy toddler nintendo switch gaming christmas presents family expensive grandmother mom son
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