With all the TV advertising that goes on, especially in the run up to Christmas, it's not surprising that children always want the latest toys. Whether it's a computer game or an action figure, there is always something new that is the must-have toy of the moment.
For parents it is always difficult to draw the line with what to buy, especially when there are so many great toys around. It gets even more difficult when your child gets invited to the birthday parties of other kids in the class, as they are expected to take a present to Childrens parties.
So what can you do about this? Of course, you can be strict and limit the amount of toys your child has but this can sometimes alienate them from their classmates and this isn't always a good idea, as peer pressure is huge on children.
A better solution is to help your child understand that they can't have everything they want, and to try and direct them to activities such as sports and nature activities, which take them away from the expensive toys. Don't necessarily deny them the things they want, just give them other options.
We all had our favourite toys, and our children will probably remember some of theirs fondly too, but they will also remember the happy times they shared with their families and their friends, maybe even more than the memories of the toys themselves.