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Trivial but annoying - What would you do?

10 replies

isitsnowingyet · 26/10/2013 12:04

My 13 year old loves riding his bike to school. two weeks ago we bought some lights for the bike (£16) and asked him to be very careful with them etc. Now the back one has gone missing. Possibly because he chucks the bike down on our front drive - have had a REALLY good look and it is nowhere to be found.

Do I just replace it automatically?? I'm cross about this as he's already been through 3 (cheap!) mobile phones since Jan this year ...

I know I'm being tight, but it would be so nice if he could learn some responsibility for looking after his possessions. His attitude when he was told it was missing was a shrug of the shoulders, and 'Mum - put my game back on!!!'

Any ideas?

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Dancingqueen17 · 26/10/2013 13:24

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bigTillyMint · 26/10/2013 14:41

He has been through 3 mobile phones since Jan

It sounds like he is not taking care of his stuff because he knows you will replace it. DS has a bike which he rides to school and also a phone. He takes good care of them because we have always drummed into them that they have to!

Obviously he needs lights for his bike, but he does need to learn some responsibility. I would dock it out of his pocket money unless he can prove that it was stolen when he had locked it in a safe place

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MyNameIsWinkly · 26/10/2013 14:43

I think I would let him walk to school for a while.

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JohnnyUtah · 26/10/2013 14:44

I think now would be a good time to give him an allowance of pocket money, then you can deduct from it when he does this kind of thing.

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killpeppa · 26/10/2013 14:57

tell him to walk until he buys himself a new set!

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BackforGood · 26/10/2013 15:08

My ds would expect replacing things, because he's been careless, to come out of his own money.

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isitsnowingyet · 26/10/2013 15:17

Thanks for replying all. Pocket money being docked seems like the consensus view. Big Tilly I also drum into him about taking responsibility for his things and he will agree and then carry on as usual. we have only just got him another cheap mobile after 6 month without one....Anf yes, he did have the talk about looking after it. My other 2 children don't have the same trouble looking after their things. DS1 has kept the same mobile for 3 years (smile)

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bigTillyMint · 26/10/2013 17:40

isitsnowing, does he have other difficulties with organisation - like forgetting school equipment or being late or losing school uniform, etc? Just wondering if he is careless, or if it is something that he will need to work on?

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teenagetantrums · 26/10/2013 18:19

I normally replace things for my teenagers once a school year, if the lose them after that they have to pay for it our of their pocket money,My daughter was always losing her free oyster card, they cost £10 to replace so i replace it once a school year as everyone makes mistakes, and i sometimes misplace my things, but after that it comes out of her money, same with uniform and equipment. she still loses loads of stuff but its not my money. My son has lost one phone i think in the last 5 years and that's it.