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Original poster

wwyd?

101 replies

MairyHinge · 08/01/2012 19:24

Ok, so bought 15yr old dd a tablet for Xmas, was £130, half price in HMV. It's an archos. She wanted an iPad.
I was vvv lucky in that i got an iPad!
Dd was rather put out Xmas day when she saw my iPad, but seemed to come round and was happy with her tablet.
So today she sets the table without complaining. Eats all her dinner without moaning and even eats her cabbage!,
I should have known something was wrong.....

She has her bedroom in the coverted cellar, it's like a den and it's hers, we rarely venture into the pit of hell it.
Today she said " you never come down to see me" I felt guilty so went down for a chat....
She begged me not to be cross... She has smashed the screen on her tablet
I Am devastated. She's really upset, and has offered me her £90 Xmas money but I haven't taken it.
I don't know what to do.
It's unusable btw.
Just wondered what you lot would do?
Home insurance excess is £100 so not worth claiming really.
I'm thinking she will have to save up and replace it......
What do you think?

OP posts:

hellhasnofury · 08/01/2012 19:26

How did it happen? Was it a genuine accident or was it neglect?

Original poster

MairyHinge · 08/01/2012 19:27

Oh and I have told her countless times to keep her room tidy, look after her stuff, blah blah, nag nag. She said the cat sat on it! Ffs. Told her to at least tell the truth! I reckon she chucked it on her bed then sat on it.

OP posts:

Original poster

MairyHinge · 08/01/2012 19:27

Hell....neglect, most definitely!

OP posts:

peeriebear · 08/01/2012 19:27

Distressing for her as it may be, I think she should spend her Christmas money on another. She will be more careful with the new one.

parakeet · 08/01/2012 19:28

She smashed it by accident or on purpose?

Either way I'm afraid she should save up. But you could help by paying her for jobs around the house/garden, if you are in a position to do that. Also, at 15 she could babysit, which pays £5 an hour, an easy £20 a night. You could help her in that, also, by giving lifts, if necessary.

hellhasnofury · 08/01/2012 19:28

In those circumstances she replaces it.

Catsmamma · 08/01/2012 19:29

well i certainly would not replace it, if she has christmas money and wants one she can get her own by saving for the rest of the cost.

if I thought it was a genuine accident I might make up the difference, but probably not.

McHappyPants2012 · 08/01/2012 19:30

i would leave it up to her, if she wants to replace it then she replaces it with her own money.

troisgarcons · 08/01/2012 19:31

Her Christmas money - she can choose how to spend it. If she wishes to replace an item she's neglected, then so be it. If she doesnt, she goes without.

So long as you dont replace it.

DoMeDon · 08/01/2012 19:31

I would let her replace it herself. You bought her an expensive gift, she broke it. Even if the cat sat on it , it is broken and she must learn expensive items cannot just be replaced. Especially gift items - when I smashed my expensive watch I didn't ask DH to pay to fix it. No difference just because she is a child.

NormaStanleyFletcher · 08/01/2012 19:31

There is a wwyd topic btw

hellhasnofury · 08/01/2012 19:31

And my cat says what does your cat eat?! Teens do come out with some unbelievable twaddle sometimes don't they.

squeakytoy · 08/01/2012 19:33

Who got you the iPad?

I would feel a bit uncomfortable getting that as a gift when my child wanted one and didnt get one.

I know that kids shouldnt be spoilt, but it wouldnt sit right with me to have the very thing she wanted, and get her something similar but a lot cheaper.

That aside, she should be using her own money towards replacing the screen on her own machine.

G1nger · 08/01/2012 19:38

I wouldn't replace it. It's a luxury (optional) item and she didn't look after it.

GnomeDePlume · 08/01/2012 19:42

You have my sympathy and it is difficult to decide what to do.

DD1 managed to break her laptop by closing it with a pen in the hinge. It was carelessnes and an accident. I docked DD's allowance over a few months so that she paid half and I paid the other half. She needed it for school so going without wasnt an option.

We told all the DCs that that was their one chance. After that all breakages would be met from their own pockets. So far, so good.

thepeoplesprincess · 08/01/2012 19:43

I'd just leave it at that's that. She's big and ugly enough to sort out her own replacement.

And WTAF squeakytoy?

You'd feel guilty because your child only got something costing £130 rather than £600?

squeakytoy · 08/01/2012 20:01

The daughter is 15, not 5, and yes, when my stepkids were that age we would spend more on them and do without ourselves, rather than rub their faces in it a bit.

To me it just seems a bit off when you know that your teenager really really wants an iPad, to get one yourself. I would have held off from getting one myself until a later date to be honest rather than gleefully be opening it in front of her on christmas day.

Original poster

MairyHinge · 08/01/2012 20:02

Thanks all. You all more or less say what I think! Except squeakytoy
Yes she wanted an iPad, but a,shes15, and b, she can't look after stuff! Obviously.
I'm gutted tbh, but I'm going to tell her if she wants another tablet then she will have to pay for most if not all of it.
I do think she should do some jobs to earn some but she's lazy! She lives babysitting but jobs are scarce.
Thanks all of you tho for the input x

OP posts:

Hassled · 08/01/2012 20:04

The fact you got an iPad is irrelevant. She broke something by being careless and so she does without for the time being - if she wants a replacement she uses her £90 and saves for the rest.

squeakytoy · 08/01/2012 20:05

you missed this part of my post then..

That aside, she should be using her own money towards replacing the screen on her own machine

WhiteTrash · 08/01/2012 20:07

Can you replace the screen? Is that an option? She could pay for that possibly?

Or is it beyond that? I mean, the screens must get smashed all the time?

pinkappleby · 08/01/2012 20:08

Is there any option of an a repair? It woud be worth a call to the manufacturer.

thepeoplesprincess · 08/01/2012 20:08

I'm quite simply unable to answer you squeakytoy

I just absolutely cannot relate in anyway shape or form to the type of environment where a child wanting a £600 present for Christmas would be taken seriously.

My kids would get laughed all the way to FuckoffandgetajobandbuyyourownLand.

troisgarcons · 08/01/2012 20:10

You're going to hate me - but I had the same thought as Squeakytoy - but I didnt voice it as that wasnt the topic to hand.

Frankly, ipads are so common place now, and where you get a figure of £600 from I dont know, I regularly see them on the high street for £99

DoMeDon · 08/01/2012 20:10

I too want to know who got you the iPad? I also think it is a bit odd to be opening the one thing your child wants. I'm not suggesting she deserved one more than you but I would feel awful seeing my child with a crushed look on her face while I fiddled about with my new toy.

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