I asked DSD what Father Christmas was bringing her yesterday, she replied ''a blackberry tablet, it's like an iPad''
She's bloody 7 years old! She's already got a blackberry phone, an iPod touch, a laptop and a leap pad tablet. She never even uses the laptop or the leap pad tablet that she got last year.
Seriously what can she do on this tablet thing that she can't do on her laptop or iPod touch?
Neither my DP or her mum are well off so it's not like they've got the money to indulge the kids with expensive and unnecessary gifts.
When I was 7 I was playing with dolls! The only electrical stuff I was interested in was a cassette player (yes I'm showing my age here!)
I also feel a bit shit for DP as he's got bikes for them and a couple of other toys and I think he's worried that they're going to compare them to their fancy gifts from their mum.
I know it's up to their mum what she decides to buy them but I do worry that she's just spoiling them, possibly to be the more popular parent (but that's a separate issue).
I just think that this culture we have where kids get spoilt and given any gadget they fancy is just getting daft, how are they ever going to appreciate the value of money when they are given whatever they want and not made to save for it?
When I was a kid I knew there was a budget for Xmas and birthday presents, if what I wanted was over that budget then it would have to be a joint present or I'd get money and have to save for it.
Yes I know that not all parents give these expensive gadgets willy nilly and I'm sure there are lots of parents who do make their kids save but it just seems to me that the culture seems to be going more towards giving our children expensive and unnecessary gifts and basically spoiling them.