General Chat

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?

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 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.

I agree with Merlin lol

Linda x

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.

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

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.............

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

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 nephew is 4 weeks older than my son and had everything handed to him on a plate, scooter at 16, secondhand car and lessons at 17 etc etc My son has not had these things, he got himself a moped, then a scooter out of his wages. He also got his first mobile phone himself, whereas my nephew had his much younger. This lad has always been given things for the sake of it, just because they can afford it and think he needs all these things given easily. He appreciates nothing and is an arrogant young man now, working at my bro's company and because I have a friend works there too, altho they don't know, I hear it all. My nephew plays computer games all day in the office and my bro is always yelling that he costs him more than he is making the business. My nephew wouldn't last five minutes in the real working world and I feel sad that he has been so spoiled. I used to feel for my son, seeing his cousin have so much but my lad values things so much more and is twice the man my nephew is.
You just have to do what you think is right or you can afford, and don't give in to emotional blackmail or pressure.
Good luck, hard bringing up kids these days.
Lizx

Okay Tina.... but don't worry you will get to my age quickly enough! ;-0)

Linda I was 63, I think when I had my first computer... and even then it wasn't mine!
Son bought it for his dad... but dad did not enjoy it like mum, so I inherited it.
When it eventually broke down, and it would have been too much to fix it. My husband bought me a new one.... they were afraid that I would pine to death without it!! lol


I honestly cannot remember what my life was like without one.
I don't get out an awful lot, and you are all my enjoyment.

Deanna X

Our daughter had a lap top for her 18th as she was going to uni, son (9) has my old pc in his room for his pc games, not on the net. If he wants to use the net he does it on my pc in the sitting room where I or hubby are so we can see what he is doing, usually only Runescape or looking through e-bay

Jan x

Please don't let my 15 year old daughter see this! She has been promised a laptop when she NEEDS one, be that when she does A levels or goes (hopefully) to Uni.

She got a mobile (my old one) when she started going out with her friends but even then had to pay 1/2 the top up fees herself. I would say this has worked, she now has her Dad's second contact phone which has never been abused.

Deanna, lol. okay you win your are older,lol.

Off course we didn't argue and fall out but just agreed to differ. But its not even for school work its so as she can go on Habba hotel and a club penguin both which in my personal view are way to open for a young 9 year old to go on.

My sister goes she just opens another account. So i said so she already knows how to be secretive about what she goes on, then my sister goes oh its okay i check everything but i am sure she doesn't.

My nine year old goes on this computer which is in the front room.

Tina

I was 57 when i got a computer for the first time last year i do agree with you that children of that should be left as children and not have everything they want its just breeding greed and as for mobiles if parents run thier children around why do they need a phone i think to many parents use these items as a baby sitter ?*****************

lol Kitty :-)

I wouldn't say it was wrong but I would say it's personal choice. If your sister wants to get her 9 year old a laptop, well....it's her money. If you think it's too young an age then that's right too lol. My two are 13 & 15 and I don't have the money to buy them laptops so they use mine or the pc.

Have to admit, I didn't have a new computer (which is the Apple Mac I'm typing on now) till I was 20 and just about to go to uni in 2004. Before that I always had second hand ones - my dad's firm works with computers so if someone got a new computer, we got the hand-downs.

Well, one hand-down. The one I had up to 2004 (and I think I was the last person in the world to run Windows 95) was a laptop that had belonged to one of my dad's employees till his toddler sat on it and cracked the screen. I think I must have had it for five or six years.

Before that, I used to share my dad's when he brought it home from work.

I went to a conference a couple of months ago about children. My main interest was the

Tweenagers - those from about 9 to 13.

They are the biggest market for advertising - they have the world at their finger tips - no other age group has ever had before.

Where once 16 or 18 year olds had a limo to take them to their end of school bash now 11 year olds are having limos at the end of primary.

Sadly they do have nothing to look forward to or to grow up for.

I agree Tina, only my eldest son has a lap top as he could afford one. Dont have money for second and third to have one. They have use of internet though. 17 year old has a computer in his room, 14 year old lass doesnt.I dont want her to go on the net when I cant spy lol!!


My nine year old wouldnt be given a lap top or mobile but we do give him one of ours if he goes out to play. He has a tv in his room, but only to watch videos.

Caz xxx

"shuffles feet" .............no Deanna it isn't and I promise to stop sulking and do without a laptop! :))))

xx