Parties, presents and a Wicked Uncle

When my kids started school I worried a LOT.

What if they
– didn’t fit in?
– didn’t make friends?
– couldn’t do the work?
– were criers?
– missed me?
So many what ifs.

As it turned out, I didn’t need to worry a thing about any of that – on the first day of school they trotted in without a backward glance and made lots of lovely friends. I was redundant.

Turns out what I DID need to worry about was the sheer amount of parties they would be invited to.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely that my kids were invited to parties but in Reception class EVERY child was invited to EVERY party.

That’s 30 parties to attend (including your own child’s – you HAVE to go to that one).
30 weekend days spent in a funny smelling soft play centre, listening to 30 over-excited children whacked on sugar, running around screaming while you try to make awkward small talk with one or two of the other 30 parents whose name you can’t recall, if you even knew it in the first place.
It is also 30 gifts to think about. You’d think buying a gift would be straightforward wouldn’t you?
Not for an overthinker like me!

I don’t want to be THAT parent, the one who gifts the 25th set of Hama Beads or that game with a thousand tiny, tiny pieces that is just going to take up space and hurt like a good’un when you step on it. No one wants to be the parent who’s name is hissed and child uninvited due one simple birthday present misdemeanour that made so much mess – that’s what grandparents are for AMIRIGHT?

So, how did I go about navigating this nightmare? I did what I always do in a time when I need sound advice, I turned to the internet where, lo and behold, I discovered Wicked Uncle.

Who is Wicked Uncle and what makes him so?

Wicked Uncle isn’t a who, it’s a what – in fact, it’s a flipping life saver when it comes to gifting.

Wicked Uncle brands itself The home of brilliant children’s presents and you know what? It isn’t wrong.

The site is absolutely rammed with amazing birthday presents for kids not just any old, throwaway stuff though. The kind of gifts you wanted to receive as a child and the kind of things you promised you would buy for your future nieces/nephews/kids to maintain your position as Wicked Uncle (or Super Cool Aunt in my case).

Whether you’re looking for Hydraulic Cyborg Hands (who isn’t?) or Night Vision Goggles; IQ Puzzles or Unicorn Poo; Retro Arcade Games or Telescopes; Pillows to doodle on or Flamingos to make; Magic Pens or Glow Art – Wicked Uncle is full of fantastic gift ideas that will genuinely be appreciated and enjoyed by the recipient (and their grown up) and you will definitely be considered the best gift giver in town.

You can make your hunt for the perfect gift even easier by searching by Age or by Category, and with categories including Brainiac, Engineering, Outdoorsy, Sensory, and Books & Games there genuinely is something for everyone. If your gift is for someone who lives a little further afield, you can also get your chosen item gift wrapped and sent with a handwritten card. Perfect.

Wicked Uncle means that you never need to buy a naff gift ever again – you will probably find a little something for yourself too so head over to Wicked Uncle, get shopping and secure your place as ‘best gift giver ever’.