OH wants to get 4 yo ds a wii for xmas. please tell me he's a bit insane.

[Booooooooooyhoo]

im NOT a computer person at all. OH got me a ds last xmas and i have used it about 3 times. ds has one game for it and would play on it every now and again. (i limit it)

i had suggested getting ds an art easel, Oh responded by saying he wanted to get him a wii. i reminded him taht ds was 4 and that was a hell of a lot of money to spend on a xmas gift.

he says well what about getting it for all of us. ie; him. he says its good fun for having friends round.

there really is only one couple that we socialize with and as OH is in the navy, he only gets home 1 or 2 weekends a month. he also has one on his ship. i know i wont use it and i dont want to encourage ds to spend a lot of time on a computer. i dont know how much they cost but i do know it is quite alot and i just cannot justify it at all.

am i being a real spoilsport or am i right and if so, how can i explain this to OH.

[morocco]

they are really good fun - we got ours a few months ago and I'm happy with it. ds1 is. 7 and ds2 is 5. all their mates had one ages before they did. having said that, at 4 he prob won't be that fussed. sounds like your oh wants one

[SweetNiblets]

We have a wii, it was bought for all of us. To be honest it is myself and DH that play it most, usually in the evening when the DC's are in bed and there is nothing on the t.v.

DS is 4.7 and has only recently taken an interest. Most of the games he struggles with unless they use the balance board. Then he is better than the rest of us!

Personally I think it would be a bit much for a 4 year old's christmas present.

[Booooooooooyhoo]

morocco it is him that wants it, he tried to dupe me into thinking it was for ds but i guessed right away that he wanted for himself.

i could possibly justify it if Oh was going to be here in the evenings but he will only be home for a max of 4 days a month and i dont think he'll want to spend precious time with us on a computer rather than actually interacting with us and going out together. in fact i would be quite annoyed if he spent all his time on teh computer when he was home.

[SardineQueen]

Well it's a present for him really.

We (DH) have one and apparently it is fab, and him and DD (2) do loads of stuff on it on the days I have a lie in. Certainly DD dragged the thingy out from under the sofa the other day and started jumping on it

Personally for exercise I put the beegees on and prance around like a tit.

I* don't think it would do any harm, unless you can't afford it/are opposed on principle etc

[SardineQueen]

Oh just reread your OP more carefully

No I think it sounds silly, it won't get used. Can't you just say that you won't use it when he's not there and it seems a lot to spend just for when he is there (not touching on the point that obviously he won't be using it when at home anyway as he'll be doing other stuff)...

Could DS have "asked" for an easel?

[SweetNiblets]

We all play on it if the weather is bad on a Sunday afternoon, sometimes. Usually 10 pin bowling or raving rabbids. We quite enjoy the family time together.

DD(7) has Brain Training, which she loves. Some of the games can be educational.

[Booooooooooyhoo]

good idea sardine, i might try and steer ds towards an easel.

im not opposed to computer games, but i think the cost of a wii versus the use it would get makes it unjustifiable.

just have to tell OH now.

[Knickers0nMahead]

Yes, they are too expensive for the amount of time it will get used.

[Booooooooooyhoo]

just so i have the info to back myself up. how much do they cost?

[ilove]

aound £200 + games/handsets/balance board etc

[SardineQueen]

DH says wii has just been reduced and is now £179 with game.

He knows that off the top of his head and is now listing current prices of other playstations and things.

hence why our house is full of this type of crap.

[SardineQueen]

ta daa

[alwayslookingforanswers]

for the amount of time it would get used i'd say no - talk your DH out of it.

We have one - but it's played on every weekend for a bit by DS1 and 2, and DS3 (2.4) has a good go at playing as well. Plus once it a while DH and I will both play it. So it's been worth the spend.

[SardineQueen]

Well all these things only get played when I'm not around.

I won't join in, hate it.

I'm a bit of a bitch really.

[Booooooooooyhoo]

oh thank you, have solid proof now that its too expensive.

now thata sorted i need to talk him out of replacing the 2 year old tv with a bigger one. he really wasnt rich growing up. i dont know where these expensive tastes come from.

[SardineQueen]

Oh god your DH is exactly the same as mine.

Get this on the TV front.

I said it was silly and expensive and too much to get 16trillion inch tv and we bought a 10trillion inch TV. It was ample big enough.

Then suddenly he announced that his parents wanted a new TV and liked ours and were happy to have ours and buy us a new one

So now we have a 16trillion inch one.

[Booooooooooyhoo]

i really dont get it, our tv is perfectly fine. yes there are certain parts of the room that you cant see it from but its a working tv.

when i moved in to this house i had a 15" portable tv for the first 2 years, then my parents gave me their old one and then last xmas they bought me the freeview one which OH now thinks is insufficient. he also insists that a larger tv will require a new tv stand. meaning that the unit that matches all my 1 year old expensive furniture will be redundant. because he wants something silver and shiny.

would i be a real bitch if i said no to this aswell as the wii?

[Booooooooooyhoo]

sorry they bought it two xmasses ago not last xmas.

[Firawla]

can you try to persuade him by saying next yr he may be a little bit older and wii more appropriate, so get him to wait?

[Booooooooooyhoo]

yes i think thats what i'll have to say firawla.

[SardineQueen]

This big spending on disposable electronics is silly. Much as I enjoy the enormous TV it's still silly.

Tell him yuo would rather open an account for DC and pay into that instead. Then give more normal presents.

Tell DH that these things are inconsequential, a waste of money, we only desire them because that is what the advertisers make us believe we want.

Then sit back, and enjoy the superflat view on your 16trillion inch tv while your small child practices running, not outside, but on a small plasic board in your front room.

I'm ranting aren't I

[Concordia]

Don't think i will comment as my DH bought DS a model aeroplane before he was born

[fortyplus]

I held out till ds1 was 11 till i let them have a ps2. Then last year i got them a wii between the 2 of them (they're 14 and 15).

Honestly i think people who go all holier than thou about games consoles have a bit of a problem! Especially the wii which involves a certain amount of physical activity.
ds2 has a friend called thomas watson (not an unusual name hence i feel i can divulge!) Didn't even have a tv. No sweets when they were little etc.

Well... that child was SO obsessed with the telly that he wanted to do nothing else when he came to play.

He became known as Thomas Watson-the telly

[SardineQueen]

Your DH is/was a concorde pilot maybe?

Wow

[Concordia]

I wish! (swoon)
No, he just wanted one of those remote control ones and said he was always pestering his parents for one so he bought one for his son. Hmmm, it's a strange place, the male mind at times. A still eight year old place i think.