General Chat

My son is 7, and in his room he has a PC, a TV/DVD, Hi-Fi, X-Box, and a Playstation. These days kids are more electronically minded than we were and a dolly, teddy etc just won't do these days.

His PC was a 2nd hand one for £40 off my husband's workmate. We bought it to keep all the kids off this one. However, although he is on the internet a computer savvy friend of ours locked it all down so that if the kids want to access a site then my husband or I have to get it for them using passwords. If the site is ok such as CBeebies etc then it is saved in the favourites list.

Another reason he has it is that a lot of his homework is now internet research. He has to access information on things such as Florence Nightingale, Ancient Greece etc, and then print off the information.

He doesn't have a phone yet, but all his friends do, both older and younger than him. I don't think he needs one yet as he only goes to other kids houses in our own street. I might think about getting him one when he is old enough to go a bit further afield, or when he is 11 and at secondary school as he will have to travel on his own then.

Dianne xx

My son is 9yrs old and his dad built him a PC but he will have to use a laptop for writing as he has problems with his hands he can have a mobile phone as we have spare ones but they are not allowed in school switched on have to be off till they leave at end of day, he goes on the internet but my husband makes sure what he is on as he is careful that way he does have an X box, Ps1 and a Psp
My other son is 15yrs has PS 2 and an old computer but my husband has another tower unit ready for him when he behaves and he can have one of our spare phones also

I have to agree that what is right for some isn't right for others. My niece unfortunately falls into the category as Purple Sparkly Diamond nephew. I have just spoke with my sister and she is a bit defensive with me but her reason for allowing her 9 year old the lap top is because, i am being honest when i say this, 'kids today lack imagination and just cannot keep themselves amused'

Well that just says it all don't it.

She said whats ***** doing today, i said shes just washing her hands as we have been doing the gardening...........she then says to me ain't she a bit young to being do that ?
I did wonder whever i should say my 4 year old was also helping but thought better off it,lol.

I have now got a headache from all the laughing i have done today.............

Ladies,After reading this Post,The Words "More Money Than Sense" come to mind.**M**.

Good luck to you inarusherts -

A friend has a son, since he was 10 he has had everything he wanted, which always turned out to be a five minute wonder. So money was spent on things that were only used a few times, and I am not talking about pounds, I am talking of hundreds of pounds.

He now lives away, but when he was at home, he never did anything for his mother, and when eventually, he did not get his own way ,ie buying him a house, so all his mates could doss down. He turned very nasty, and hardly spoke to his mother.

Good luck too, your children doing the gardening.Its so lovely to do things together.

I am sure they will thank you for your good sense in years to come.

I agree with Merlin lol

Linda x

I am so glad of these forms when in time of a moan.

Sometimes i feel as if i am wrong ,but in the back of my head i know for my children i am doing the right thing.

They have cousins who parents won the lottery that's why they get everything and then my sisters' daughter just asks.
The main bit i haven't mentioned about my sister is she asked her ex to get the lap top for her daughter for Easter. Where as her son who has a different dad got the same as most children an Easter egg from his dad, he is 14. I said to my sister this is like a game to you, you play the kids dads off of each other like the old school playground taunt of ' my dads better than your dad ', nah she said it because he can afford it thats why i tell him.

How sad for your niece and nephew, that they are treated differently by their respective dads and all because of your sister's attitude. I think that is even more wrong than the girl having everything, the fact that the lad doesn't get so much. She is storing up a lot of trouble for herself I think.
Lizx

I think under the age of 16 kids should have a computer in an area where they can be kept an eye on. A laptop would worry me because of the ability to take it somewhere "private" but also that they could sneak it out to show/brag to friends.

I had a portable b&w TV when I was about 12 for xmas, I could watch maybe 2 channels, but didn't actually watch it that often as there was a colour TV downstairs. I bought my colour TV myself when I started college on a YTS course, had to save up. Bought my first computer myself.

I think things come to easily to children these days and as has been said, if a child has a laptop at 9 what do you get them at 10 or 15... and so on. What's there to look forward to or aspire to or work towards?