If you are buying this kind of thing for a 7 year old, what will you get them when they are 13.14.15?

[oflip]

This is the conversation my sister had with my dad at weekend.
My dad has bought his 7 year old an "X-box kit" which cost £250 for Christmas. Dads boy also has 3 Ds's (the XL, 3d one and an ordinary one)
My sister thinks that my dad spoils his boy and is indulgent.
My dad was a bit dumfounded at this question.
Obv its none of her buisiness, but i did stop and think..oh yes, what will be get him then?
ps i didnt get involved, said nowt because i know better from bitter experience.

So, was dsis bu to wonder this?

Your premise doesn't make sense. Yes, it's an expensive gift, especially for those that can't afford it, but it's an appropriate gift. Next year, he may buy an apporpriate gift that costs much less

My 8 year old is getting a second hand netbook for a joint birthday/x-mas present. She has been asking for her own laptop or netbook ever since she was 4 years old, we have finally relented this year after she researched second hand and refurbished options herself and found one for a suitable price.

When she is 13/14/15 etc. she might get a more up to date laptop. Or she might get the iphone or ipad she has been asking for since they came out. Or she might get the latest -insert not yet invented bit of tech here-. She might ask for concert tickets instead. She generally gets whatever the value of the present she wants spent on her. It does not go up year by year.

What's your point?

Having said that, I won't be getting any kind of DS other than the one that my son has, because I don't think having 3 DSs is necessary or desirable

"dads boy" is a simple description of a very complicted set up tbh.
I do actually class him as my little brother, dad also has a 2 year old..im 41 and my sister is 37. My sis has a very difficult relationship with my dad, so this kind of convo goes on allot between the two of them.

I really don't think it is good for young kids (ie under 10) to be playing computer games. My DS1 is 6 and has none of this stuff and will not be getting it for years. The only computer games he gets on are the BBC educational ones! I am actually surprised to find out that it is the norm for seven year olds to have Wiis etc.

The only other time I might cock a snook is if someone gets loads of techi presents for their child and then spends no time interacting with them. That obviously doesn't apply to anyone on this thread

You can get educational games you know? Dd1 mainly uses her NDS to read Cathy Cassidy books. Her favourite 'games' are the reading ones. It's easier taking on NDS and three games on holiday than it is packing the equal amount of books. She also has a learning Spanish and French game and a Maths coach one. DD2 loves playing Dora on (my) the wii. We discovered she had learnt quite a lot of spanish phrases just from playing the games when she started saying hello, goodbye, please, thankyou etc. in Spanish on holiday this. We had no idea she was remembering as much of it as she did.

To answer your question, I suppose you'd get them whatever was the new gadget around when they're 13, 14, 15.

I mean that's years away. No doubt there'll be all sorts of stuff that hasn't been invented yet.

He'll get that

I find the idea that kids should always be doing 'educational' activities (or that videogames are only 'good' if they are also 'educational') really odd, tbh. I don't want to learn all the time, and I doubt my kids want to either.

Imagines taking a calculus textbook on holiday.

MY son has it all he is 10.

This year he is getting a laptop, some people raise their eyebrows at me but I can afford it and he wants one so whats the problem.

He spends a lot of time on mine so I will get my laptop back ha ha its a win win.

He is in the middle of creating his own website so he does not just play games on it.

FWIW we have bought consoles as a family purchase, and then just have given games to the dcs as presents. Can't see the point of getting ds1 an xbox and then either saying he must share it when ds2 becomes interested, or having to get ds2 his own in a few years time.

That said, I think that it can be difficult if family finances are very different when siblings are young. There are 8 years between myself and my younger brother, and my parents financial situation improved significantly while he was growing up, so his childhood seemed to be far less deprived than mine! Potentially the disparity could be even bigger with a 30-odd year gap!

Hmm, I have to agree with the above, in that gifts don't really 'rank up' i.e. DS one year, X box the next, Laptop the next, as technology changes so fast, there will always be 'the next thing to get'.

BUT I do think presents should be given on the appropriateness of the childs age/ability. For instance, a laptop is not appropriate (imo) for a 7 year old, but a DS / WII is.

I wouldn't buy an xbox for a 7 year old, as I see them as a teenager's console. mainly as most of the games seem rather adult (COD etc). WII's I think are great for this age group, and DS's.

I think YABU to think gifts improve year on year, and YABU to be cross at your father's purchases - it is a matter of opinion.

Hecate, thats exactly what i said when he looked at me speechless, whatever is out at the time i spose. Sister rolled here eyes...i made excuses and left them to it....

I know what you mean OP.

But it's not your problem really.

DS has 3 ds's and a wii he also has a laptop. He has collected them over the years and had few other expensive presents other than a bike

It's up to the parent. It is difficult when a parent gives one child more than another, even if one of them is grown up

X-box Kinnect has a lot of kids games. Dd1 is asking for one. I for get the name. She's not getting it anyway. Not off me.

Do you feel upset, OP, because your brother is getting this kind of stuff when you didn't get the equivalent at that age?

I personally would never get a 7 year old any type of games machine and we have 3 dcs and no games machines, but I realise that to most people that makes me a complete luddite and my dcs deprived. They're happy with the status quo, though.

YANBU. You make it clear that you don't think it's your place to comment, but are unsettled by the type of gift, cost and number of electronic games this young boy has. Good for you. I wish more of us would question what we buy for our kids. I am dismayed by the assumptions at my children's school gates that we are letting our kids down if we don't keep up with the Jones'buy the latest technology for our kids if we can afford it. And so much is given at such a young age. I thought the op was questioning whether a 7 yr old needs all this - and not what others here have criticised (more expensive gifts each year). It's about appropriateness. We have avoided all this with our three. A bit of time on a ds seems fine. But lenthy exposure can have detrimental affects on brain chemistry, affecting attention regulation and sleep cycles etc. I'll be shouted down probably - but FWIW I wish more of us would take a step back and question a bit. And not follow the crowd. We do seem to be encouraging kids to do more younger. Rant over.

From 13 on wards in this house it was designer clothes, watches and the latest console which was ps3.

And ds2 got a laptop for christmas last year just before he turned 8, he plays games on it, watches DVDs and writes storys, complete with pictures on it. He also has an xbox and a dsi.

Is there any rule that says you have to have a more expensive present when you are 13 than when you are 8?

Dd got an £80 dolls house when she was 4; this Christmas, at 15, she will be getting some cheap DVDs and paperbacks. The fact that she got something expensive 11 years ago hasn't spoiled anything for later.

IMO its all relative. If you can afford it and are happy for your DC to receive that particular gift (be games console, clothes, money etc) and your DC are happy to receive it then i dont see how its any of anyone's business.

YANBU it is giving out the wrong message regarding materialistic values to a 7 year old entirely. That people can't see that, says how far from the so called 'real' message of xmas we've gone. In future it is very likely that he will just think he will get given the coolest gadget any time he simply shows a desire for it.

Anyway my view of the way people go about Xmas these days is pretty just...disappointed and grim. And children in the western world are increasingly materially over indulged at xmas the so-called time when we're supposed to be thinking of others before ourselves whilst some poor kid on the other side of the world would genuinely be happy with a just a jumper.

I got an iPad last year from dp. Ds got a 3ds for his 7th birthday and an expensive party, next year he will be having a sleepover and whatever he asks for. I will not be getting anything like that expensive this year, why should kids be any different?

Yabu