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Parenting

club penguin

17 replies

katiepea · 21/04/2008 17:24

I am being pestered by my 11 yr old to join Club Penguin. Does anyone have any opinions? Is it good, bad or just a rip off? It is just under £4 per month to dress a penguin in clothes! Am I being too hard if I say no?

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dustystar · 21/04/2008 17:28

DD (9) and DS (7) chose to spend their pocket money on a years subscription but I think its a lot of money for what they get. They do enjoy it but I won't be letting them waste their money on it again.

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stuffitllama · 21/04/2008 17:32

you've just reminded me to end my subscription
I think it's innocuous and they do quizzes to earn points to buy clothes and furniture
it's a good introduction to interactive computer games I think ..they learn to be friendly without giving out personal details and so on
in addition they can talk to their friends also there

but remember to end your subscription when they get bored of it!

(sod it.. runescape too) thanks for the heads up

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bamzooki · 21/04/2008 17:41

This is a big thing at dd's school atm - seems that most of her class go on it. She has a great time chatting to her friends and playing games there.
Having said I do limit the time she spends on the pc (she is 10), and she does not have continuous membership. As far as I can tell the kids can do most things without paying, it's the clothing and stuff for it's house etc and some other areas that are accessed via membership.
So - being the cruel scrooge that I am, she gets a month's membership as reward for - exemplary behaviour, doing set tasks over and above the norm, achievements etc.
I know it's cheaper in the long run to do it fora year, but its only about £3 for a month, and I would rather she values it for that period.
It isn't the only reward option - and sometimes she chooses something else, depends what this month's fad is!

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stuffitllama · 21/04/2008 17:47

that's a great way of doing it bamzooki

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bamzooki · 21/04/2008 19:04

Thanks, - nice to know that this approach is not quite as 'out of the dark ages' as dd would have me believe...

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Hulababy · 21/04/2008 19:08

6yo only has access to the free part of the site, I think there is enough on the freebie bit for her wthout paying out.

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claricebeansmum · 21/04/2008 19:12

My 10yo DD is a member - DS gave her membership for Christmas. They absolutely love it.

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christywhisty · 21/04/2008 21:24

MY DC's don't have proper membership and seem to get enough out of it without paying.

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katiepea · 21/04/2008 21:33

Thanks for all the advice! I think I'll persuade DS to spend his money on something else - until the next time.

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carmenelectra · 21/04/2008 21:40

My ds has been playing on it for a while but only just 'paid'. We paid half each for 6mths(i think)but he uses it a lot so i think its probably money well spent.

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RosaLuxembourg · 21/04/2008 21:42

Mine use the free part and there is NO CHANCE I am paying for a subscription. I think it is a rip off.

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carmenelectra · 21/04/2008 21:42

oh bamzooki i wish i had done it your way!

I must remember for when this memebership runs out!

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NorthernLurker · 21/04/2008 21:43

My dds have been members for a few months and dd1 has just got 6 months membership for her birthday. They are really enjoying it and tbh - so do I - my best score on jet pack is 720 - anybody else?

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FleurDelacour · 22/04/2008 14:03

My DDs age 8 amd 11 have been members for a year and still love it. They are forever showing me their new igloos or outfits or what job they are now doing. I haven't tried the games myself but they look fun and by doing them you earn money for doing up your igloo.

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Spidermama · 22/04/2008 14:05

I joined for mine and they absolutely loved it. They were members for about four months then my debit card was copied by a fraudster (unrelated to club penguin of course) so the bank stopped it which meant their memberships stopped. All the stuff they'd accumulated as members is now still there but greyed out.

I would have joined for them again but they're not really pestering me about it so I haven't bothered.

They loved it at the time and I was really happy I'd done it for them because as websites go for kids I think CP is really quite nice.

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MarsLady · 22/04/2008 14:06

I don't think I've ever paid for anything on Club Penquin. Anyhoo DD2 seems to spend her time dressing strange looking people on Twinky now!

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MrsSnape · 22/04/2008 14:37

My DS used to love club penguin and he nattered and nattered me for the subscription so he could decorate his igloo and buy clothes for his penguin etc...after a bit I gave in and bought him it, a week later he'd become bored of it and never bothered again

He moved onto Habbo Hotel but I wouldn't let him subscribe to that.

The latest one is Roblox, he's just used his pocket money to pay for a month's subscription. He's 9 btw.

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