My husband and I are having a majorly heated debate about buying our son a Power Wheels for Christmas this year. He is 3.5, and I agree the perfect age for it.
However - we live in a place that gets tons of snow and does not have sidewalks, which means he would be riding (or attempting to ride) it through the snow in our backyard.
My husband assures me this is totally possible and that it would not harm the battery. He also argues that there is not snow on the ground EVERY day of the winter.
My arguement is that he could really only use it 3 days a week - if there is not too much snow - since all but one week day we get home after dark. Add to that, my husband works long hours and Saturdays, so it would be me out there in the cold with him all but 1 of those days. I hate the snow, really really hate it and I am dreading this situation. Also, I am pregnant and don't want to be trapsing around in snow drifts, dragging a power wheels around when it gets stuck.
His birthday is in May, which I think is the more appropriate time for a gift like tihs.
Am I being selfish here? Has anyone ever given a power wheel at christmas when you live in a snowy area?
Your opions really matter.....and will mostly settle this debate!
thanks in advance!!
oh my goodness , thank you thank you so much!!! I really was starting to feel selfish and you have all made me feel so much better...and sane! I think you are all right about him not understanding why he can't ride it ,and then having a toy he basically can't use. That is exactly my concern. He is not asking for one, has actually never asked for one even though his friends have them so it's not like he would be disappointed to not get it at xmas.
And I really appreciate the practical info that they in fact do not work in the snow well, if at all. This fact alone will probably convince my husband that's it's not a good idea - instead of just feeling like he's "giving in" to me.
Thanks again! Now I just have to find an alternate idea that my husband will be as equally excited about giving :)
Wait until May. We don't live in a snowy area, but my kids bikes and powerwheels are ridden much less in the winter. Summer...few times a day, winter...once every couple of days. Maybe it could be an early B- Day present when it starts getting warmer and is not snowing so he can have more time to ride it. They are super fun! We have the small Barbie 4 wheeler and the red mustang.
My daughter bought my grand daughter a Barbie car at Wal-Mart for her 2nd birthday, yes 2nd, and she could not drive it or anything, just sit in it and listen to the radio. It sat outside under my deck and she was used it when she got older. They are a really good toy for an older child, maybe at 4 years old. Steering and all the other things they have to be able to do at the same time is hard for them.
If it were me, I would wait until May. I may be selfish as well, but there is no way I would be outside in the snow in the middle of winter versus just waiting a few months! Unless your son is specifically asking for a Power Wheels, I say wait it out. (However, if he is asking for it, I would probably give in and get it at Christmas.)
Yes i would also wait until may. We bought my daughter a power wheel for her 2nd birthday in sept. And she had a ball with it. But during winter we wont be riding it either its put up in the shed. So i would wait until may were he can ride it all the time:)
I think your are right! We live where it gets really cold and snows. I thought about getting my son a car/truck for Christmas but I decided to wait until his birthday in June. There's no reason to get something they can't even use.
Oh my goodness! Tonight I talked my husband out of buying our son a _soccer ball_ for the holidays because it would be too cold and snowy to use until spring. Wait until May. Otherwise it'll just torture him knowing that it's there but he (mostly) can't play with it.
Wait until May, also I really don't think it will work at all in the snow. My son has a power wheels quad and it will not even work on wet grass. It needs to be dry and a hard pack surface to be able to go anywhere.
Have a wonderful Holiday!
I would wait until May. The snow CAN damage the battery. Well, not the battery itself, but the exposed connections. Power wheels tires don't really have any tread on them, so he probably won't be able to ride it in the snow anyway. I am very familiar with the weather where you live and there's a lot of ice mixed in with the snow. The Power Wheels would absolutely slip and slide on the ice. Definitely wait until May. He'll get MUCH more use out of it.
Hi, Personally, I would wait until his Birthday. It's not that much longer. Good Luck!
Wait till May. There's nothing suckier than having an awesome present you can't use! Get him a cool snow toy for Christmas and the power-wheels for his b-day. It would be like getting him a bike that he couldn't ride for months. And I think most power-wheels cannot be used in the snow.
I don't think Christmas is right for this type of gift either. Another issue might be that he would be to scared to even ride it at this age. That was the issue with my oldest grandson when he was about that age. The other Grandma and Grandpa bought him one and it was ages before he would even touch it. It just seemed so big to him. When he was 5 he rode it everywhere but it stayed in the garage for ages.
Wait until May if you don't want to have an unhappy kiddo wanting to be out on it after dark and in the snow!!! Regardless of how much sense it makes to US that they can't be ridden after dark (be it powerwheels or a new bike), it doesn't make sense to THEM. Begging, and crying, and unhappy kid = no fun.
Caveat: If you have a garage that can be emptied and heated, go for it. I MISS having a garage for "outside" play in the winter. The cars can just get yucky. Having a comfy chair brought out there so I could read while my son went round and round on bike/ razor/ scoocher/ skateboard was the BEST.
Go with your husband! =) He's excited to get this for him and I think he'll have fun with it no matter what the weather is. Your hubby can have fun with him with the gift that day or on the weekends and then he'll get a little tired of it anyway. Then he can enjoy it again in the spring. =)
I'm with you. My husband bought our 3 year old one off of Craigslist last summer and he actually just put it in the basement to store for the winter. We don't have sidewalks either and it's fine in the grass in the summer, but I can't see it working well in the snow.
My kids have all had one a total of three and they are junk junk junk. I wouldnt buy another one ever agian (it was the Jeep, Harley and then a 4X4) The snow ruins the battery and they tip easy.I live in Colorado and we get tons of snow dont do it is my adivce.... Good Luck
we wanted to get our daughter a power wheel for either christmas or her birthday this year too. but her birthday is the end of january so it's the same problem. haha. but we had the same debate. so because he is crazy he just bought it for her a few months ago so that she could use it now. but i would say wait for good weather. because the one we got is supposed to be able to drive in the grass, but it doesn't very well at all! so my advice would be to wait for his birthday when he could use it right away. sorry hubby, your wife is right lol. i would also say to put it together and charge it before he "opens" it cuz it takes like 13 hrs to charge before the first use. and that's about 6 years in a 3 year olds view
absolutely get it for his birthday. he'll get more use out of it and he will be a bit older.
