To not buy DSS a new Xbox 360?

[BeauNeidel]

I really don't feel like IABU but I feel I need some impartial input.

DSS wants an Xbox for Xmas. For his mum's house, not ours, because his is old and sometimes cuts out. We have one already. AIBU to not want to spend £150+ on something that is intended to not stay in our house?

We have 3 other children as well, we all use our Xbox. We will probably need a new one soon as ours is also old. BTW, we had ours sorted out by Xbox about 3 years ago now - it could easily be done with his 'own' one but his mum 'doesn't think it is worth it'.

So tell me, is it unreasonable to not want to get this for him? (BTW, I happen to think this is an excessive present for any child if it is just 'for them' and would refuse my other children if they just wanted one for themselves - unless they were much older and we were much much richer!)

(50 quid on ebay.)

chatty

hes asked for something to be a xmas presant not a random thing to replace a thing that is his mothers.

op. if your children at age 11 asked for something of a simmerler value would you get it or not? if the answer is apsolutly not unless it was a joint presant and they got no other high value items/lots of low value items then yanbu.

but if you would get them it even if it was a joint gift but they also got lots of other gifts then ywbu.

the other thing to concider is if the xbox at your house broke you would also have the option to replace it as a birthday/xmas gift for your children

The best idea is give him money towards it, however much you intend to spend on him anyway for xmas.

Where he keeps his presents is up to him, your dc are aged 1 and 4, they have no use for an xbox except smash it up probably.

You can buy refurbished or second hand ones for much cheaper than a new one would cost. If what you were planning to spend on him for christmas is a lot less than the cost of a second hand xbox then Id give him the cash to put towards a new one. He should be able to keep it wherever too as its a gift.

Is it possible to contact his mother and maybe go halves and then maybe you would have a bit left over to buy him a few other bits as well or is relations with her not good?

I don't think it should make a difference that its just for him, its not his fault that your Husband didnt have more children with his Mother. If his xbox is old like you said then he has abviously looked after it well and he should be commended for asking for it as a gift

Can I ask if your family xbox is technically yours and your husbands which the children happen to use or was it a joint gift for your dc? If it should break down would you replace asap or wait until one of the dc's bday?

I think in this case if I could then I would get him a new one.

I don't think YABU. £150 is a lot to spend on one child for Christmas - far more than I could afford, and as you say, you wouldn't buy one for one of your kids either. If he wants a new XBox at his DMs house then, IMO, he should be asking her to buy it.

We bought our eldest 3 a Wii between them about 3 or 4 years ago - it was £180 and that meant that we'd spent £60 each on them. My DS1 would have dearly loved either a Playstation, or an X Box when he was younger. He was never going to get one, simply because they were a couple of hundred quid and the sister either side of him wasn't interested in it. I couldn't afford to spend £200+ on him, as that would have then meant spending the same on all the others and we couldn't afford to.

I think I would agree with other posters who have suggested you give him the amount of money you would normally spend on a main gift for him and allow him to do what he likes with it.