to refuse to get my DS a LAPTOP for his birthday ... He will be 7?

[fallenninja]

So conversation with darling eldest goes like this

son: "for my birthday I would like a laptop, and that play your own way harry potter game"
me: "what? urm youll be 7, 7 year olds dont have computers"
son: "but i need to google for school and play harry potter, and your always on your computer"
me: "urm go and play with the puppies" (this is my standard response to any discussion I dont want to have

So having pondered, im thinking no for a million reasons, mainly
a) shockingly expensive
b) hes 7

AIBU?

[bibbitybobbityhat]

Yanbu.

Only one of dd's friends has a laptop, and it was bought for her because she was spending a lot of time in hospital. They are 10/11.

[ggirl]

no I agreee with you
far too young
but then I still haven't bought dd one and she's off to uni in sept
let him borrow yours if needed..much easier to control usage then

[MotherMucca]

Of course YANBU.

(case closed)

[Ivortheengine8]

yanbu
Way too expensive and once he has a laptop what else will he be wanting?

[fallenninja]

See i also think I ANBU, but....

my dad thinks he should have one and we should all pool together, and actually that why it wouldnt be more than he would usually get (spoilt brat emoticon)

And then i talk myself in to it, and then im like 7!!

[SocialButterfly]

Then what would you buy him when he was 8? My Dd who will also be 7 next month asked for a laptop too - she has no hope.

[Cocoflower]

Is purely the cost you object too?

Why is his age a problem-because it too expensive for his age do you mean?

[fallenninja]

Ivor

Hes got a pretty spectacular list ...

lego harry potter castle
play station
disneyland
a bike
some sort of star wars transformer thing
batman costume
and so on and so on

Tbf he knows there is no chance of the list, but this is just "in case you win the lottery mummy"

[PaisleyLeaf]

I'd love to get my 6 year old DD her own laptop, so she doesn't use this one.

[MissVerinder]

Nope. YANBU. 7 is too young. Show your dad the kind of things he can google, and maybe then he'll change his mind. And that cyber bullying campaign.

[Henrythehappyhelicopter]

I purchased a lap top for my DS for his fith birthday. He is soon to be 11 and it is still in perfect condition. I have had three in that time.

His IT skill are amazing and he can write code.

If your DS is sensible and would take care of it and you can afford it I don't see why not.

Google is far better at helping with homework than I am.

Obviously you need parental control or net nanny.

IT is so important to most careers these days it is never too soon to learn.

[fallenninja]

coco Im not sure why I object honestly which is why I then wonder if I am being unreasonable

I suppose I think its a pretty massive expenditure, although i do normally spend £150ish on him, but I query whether at 7 he has the sense to have a laptop IYSWIM?

Also if the laptop is downstairs, his brother will be pestering him to be on it, and I know suspect DS will choose his laptop as one of his not to share special toys, making life with DS2 a nightmare

[fallenninja]

paisley thats the problem you see. He uses mine, and i use mine for MN working, and im constantly unable to because the DC need it for homework (why is school telling them to google) are playing a game on it or some other such nonsene

[youarekidding]

YANBU if you don't want to.

My DS (7 soon) is getting a netbook for his birthday. I use my laptop for work/ uni/ banking etc and increasingly find times when he's using the PC that I could be doing something constructive (planning/ essay).

This the only thing he's getting though and is from all family and extended.

Its having extreme parental controls and time of use will still have to be earnt - even if its his.

[Julesnobrain]

My DS got a laptop at 7. He has a Dell net book with a spiderman skin. It's great. He doesn't use it that often but it's good for Internet searching and homework. He is nearly 9 and we will probably upgrade him soon but we 're both in IT and have lots of laptops already spare at home so it's nothing special for him.

I think it depends on your budget and your DS propensity to use it. My DS is mad on sports and being outside so we are very relaxed when he wants to use his laptop, DS or xbox etc BUT we do monitor so if he does use them he has a max time limit and then its removed.

[FabbyChic]

He is not far too young, this is the technological age, they use computers to do their homework, how do you expect him to ever get on with technology if you do not provide him with the wherewithall to progress.

[ravenAK]

I passed on my 'on its last legs' work laptop to ds (6) for Xmas. We aren't getting them replaced at work - I'd already bought myself a netbook to replace it, & established that work didn't want it back.

It was a pleasingly frugal present & he's used it for H/W, games, & chatting to family overseas; it's recently 'died' & I'm looking to replace it with another used one - I've let friends know i'm in the market for one if anyone's upgrading!

I wouldn't've bought him a new one.

Firstly: totally unnecessary expense & would've been out of date by the time he needed anything but Microsoft Office & Google. Secondly: every 6 year old with their own pc does contribute to the 'arms race' whereby classmates go home & nag their parents - nothing particularly bragworthy or cool about my knackered old Toshiba!

[bochead]

Dunno - I'm considering it for my soon to be 7 year old who uses one for half his school lessons anyways (does a solid hour a day OT stuff to help his handwriting though so this level of use is not seen by anyone as a permy solution).

It'll be a cheap argos netbook or a 2nd hand laptop if he does get one and he won't be allowed to use it outside the living room. I suppose I'm trying to say I think it totally depends on how/when your child is allowed to use the technology - that's your call. I DO NOT approve of kids this young spending their lives playing innane games/going on facebook etc. Nor do I like kids who spend all their time indoors on some game in good weather, when the park etc beckons - activity levels in childhood have an impact on long term adult health. I think too many parents blame the technology for the risks, forgetting their own responsibility to supervise appropriate use!

Examples of what he'll use it for (do remember though my lad is sen, so although our kids are the same age, not all our choices will be appropriate for your child). Mathswhizz, clicknread, bbc bitesize, khan academy. He'd love to play online chess more often on rainy days, especially with his non-resident dad, & he stays in contact with overseas rellies via email. An hour or 2 on the Dr who website will round off his weekly useage. I don't see any of these uses as harmful, and most of them are pretty beneficial to his education etc. He's not a big telly watcher.

All that prevents me making a firm choice in a cheap laptop's favour is that I know in the Autumn term he'll have a solid 2 hours a day of OT at home to do and that on top of a school day and regular homework etc means there may not be daily free time to make the investment worthwhile till after Xmas.

The last government provided computers & internet to low income familes from year 3, to help them keep up at school. That's from the same age our kids are - worth pondering on the reasons behind the BECTA scheme before you make up your mind.

[beanlet]

By all means, everyone, buy your DCs laptops... IF YOU WANT TO BUGGER THEIR BACKS!!! Laptops are the most appallingly designed things ever from an ergonomic point of view; because of using only a laptop for work for two years, my upper thoracic spine is now so buggered that I now have to use voice recognition software and I got a government grant for special ergonomic office equipment when I started my new job.

OP YADNBU but perhaps for reasons you don't even know about.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

I don't think he's too young. The other thing is that presents don't have to get more expensive with each passing year y'know . A laptop this year doesn't have to mean £cost of laptop + next year.

[DialsMavis]

I am really against T.V in rooms, DC on internet unsupervised etc. But my DB recently emigrated and gave DS (8) his old and knackered laptop. It really is fine, he has to ask to use it and it counts as his over all screen time. I don't think I would buy him one though. but I am pretty Dickensian and against extravagant gifts for DC. I am coming round though and DS will be having an i pod touch from the entire family for christmas. He will be 9, and it is much cheaper in the long run than a Nintendo DS

[perfumedlife]

I got my ds one when he was 6, he doesn't use it all the time but will come in from school and look up that days topic for more info. He sends emails to his brother in London and makes and prints artwork.

He is sensible, didn't ask for it but asked to use ours a lot so it works out well

[cybboid]

too young

I think lap tops if not properly supervised encourage children to be anti social (I mean ACTUAL conversation) and they are harder to police than televsion

I bitterly regret getting my DD one, she's 15 and its caused soo many rows.

[fairydoll]

I wonder about all these 'i haven't bought my 16 yo a computer' type posts.
Are they only children? Using the family computer is fine it you don'y {a} need to use it yourself (b)have 3 children wanting to do their homework on the computer at the same time!

[jubilee10]

My older boys both got their laptops when they were 12 (now 13 and 15). I can see ds3 (almost 5) getting one far earlier. I don't think 7 is too young. They use them from nursery onwards. That said I don't think you should feel you have to get one if you don't want to.