To not buy dd1 the "ONLY thing in the world" she wants for xmas/birthday?

[D0oinMeCleanin]

She will even "sell me her Kindle Fire, 3DS, ipod nano, ipig and her soul" if I buy her one. She tried to sell me her Xbox, until I pointed out that it was not hers to sell and already belonged to me She won't sell me her bike, she loves it too much.

She wants an ipad air. I do not want to buy her one. Not because we cannot afford one, it would be a big chunk of our christmas budget and she'd have to not do any big birthday celebrations, but we could afford one just.

The reason I do not want to buy her one is that a) I begrudge paying Apple's prices which I believe are massively inflated simply because it is an Apple product and people blindly believe they are best (although admittedly upon looking further into it ipad air is very impressive, but then so is the new Google Nexus) and b) Going on what she is wanting to use it for, there are more suitable, cheaper tablets out there for her, that do the job just as well but without Apple's price tag.

She is wanting it primarily for taking photos and videos, watching movies on the go and playing minecraft. The Galaxy Tab 2 is just as suitable for her. It's processor is slower, but as she is not as massive gamer, she'll hardly notice this and it's camera is not as good, but she is not a photographer, she wants it simply to take photos of her dogs to edit in photo editor/whatever it is she uses, a 3MP camera will do the job adequately. When it comes to watching movies, the ipad air has a much better display, however once you get past 1080p, the difference is hardly noticeable, imo, the Tab 2 has a bigger screen (something which she would notice) and plays a higher number of file types, meaning less pestering me to convert files for her and the Tab 2 has expandable memory, which she will need.

She also wants Skype/Facetime etc. to keep in touch with her Aunt. Both devices have HD web cams.

And the biggest bonus is that the Tab 2 is significantly cheaper. I do not believe the Air is £200+ better than the Tab 2. Plus 2 weeks after she gets it, she'll be moaning she's run out of space on it and asking me where her memory card is so she can swap it for a bigger one, just like she did with her ipod and kindle fire.

I've spoken to her about this and she is adamant that it is ONLY the ipad air she wants, although she is unable to tell me why beyond "It's the best because it's ipad and all my friends have one and Mr. X (her new teacher) has one because it's the best and if he says it's the best, it must be the best, btw we also need to buy a Mac because they are better than Windows PCs"

If she can't have the ipad Air, she'd rather have the cash to save towards the ipad, than the Tab 2.

She's a bit of a sheep and easily sold to.

[Badvoc]

Wouldn't she be happy with an iPad 2?
I am fine with buying tablets for dc...both mine have them and use them everyday (I am on ds1s now)
We did try and buy our younger child a cheaper android one and it was a disaster tbh.
Nothing wrong per se with android but apple is he market leader for a reason.
Also, they also have iPod shuffles and dh has an iphone5 so its handy to all be on the same operating system.
We paid £260 each for 2 ipad2s (well, family chipped in too for b day gifts)
I would not pay more than that tbh.

[chicaguapa]

I have the Surface RT and it beats the iPad on everything except apps for wasting time. I wouldn't pay apple prices either, but I am a Microsoft fanboi.

I suspect the iPad air vs another tablet is going to be like asking for the latest trainers. Your mum gets you a cheaper pair that does exactly the same thing for less money, but they're not Nikes.

Personally I think apple products are very Emperor's new clothes, but that is very much the society we live in. Every time I see someone with the latest iPhone, they slip down a little in my estimation. But then maybe they judge me with my Windows 8 phone which is the dogs wotsits but they think is daft because it doesn't have an apple on it.

Maybe give her DD a pretend budget and/or a list of must haves on her tablet and send her into the shop to do her own research. Maybe then she'll see that she's not getting a lot of spec for her buck.

[babycakemumma]

£700 on a tablet for a 10 year old?!?!?! Not a chance! Just say no. I have an 11 year old who knows the closest he'll get to any i labelled product us an eye patch ipatch. His joke not mine and yes I laughed!

[Heartbrokenmum73]

Good grief!

My DD is 12 at the end of the month. Do you know what she wants for Christmas? Sylvanian Families bits (we got starter stuff at a car boot), a Moxie Girlz doll and erm, that's it. DS (almost 9) has asked for a game for his 3DS (bought secondhand for his 8th birthday).

I have a used Kindle Fire and we have one laptop between us. We got a Wii four years ago because it was a free gift with my mobile contract, but it belongs to all of us.

My dc have been raised to understand that when they start wanting expensive gadgets (iPads? Really?) they can get a part-time job and pay for them themselves.

And when did things get so cold that a child who's only 9 is having open discussions about her Christmas present (no Father Christmas then?) and what she can sell in order to get her hands on it?

My kids are getting toys and games!

[AdoraBell]

YANBU

If you feel she doesn't need it then she doesn't need it.

[glastocat]

I have an Ipad 2 which I have adored since I got it. My 12 year old son got a Samsung Galaxy from his granny last Xmas as a very special present because we were emigrating. He was utterly speechless with joy! The Ipad is much nicer to use, but the Samsung is more than adequate for his needs. If I was totally loaded with money no object I'd buy him an Ipad, but as that is not the case there is no sodding way I'd pay out for the apple loveliness for a kid, the Samsung is more than adequate for everything he uses it for (yes, sodding Minecraft).

[mitchsta]

YANBU! She is 10 and it costs hundreds and hundreds of pounds!!

My cousin is 11 and begged his mum for a smartphone for his birthday. I got a text from her about 3 weeks later asking if I had an old smartphone he could have because he's lost it already. I don't. He thinks she's the worst mum in the world because she won't replace it. She's sticking to her guns for now but I bet he'll have a new one by Christmas

Heartbrokenmum73 I'd have been overjoyed at Sylvanian Families when I was 10. They are still were amazing.

OP, FWIW... I remember begging my parents for stuff I wanted when I was a kid. Still remind them of some of those things now to make them feel like massive meanies. But honestly, I am genuinely GLAD that they could stand their ground against the begging pleading and pointing out of how much better other people's parents were. No-one likes a spoilt brat.

[EvaBeaversProtege]

I think i may have caused some confusion, it was me mentioned the £700 one & asked for cheaper alternatives.

The one dd was looking is a windows one, newly advertised on tv. The one dh has said we'll get her is the Microsoft Surface RT. All she cares about is the keyboard being attachable.

[Reality]

This is insane. Utterly batshit loop the loop crazy.

I have an 11yo and a 9yo (and a 2yo) and I dithered for ages over spending tesco vouchers on a 100 quid hudl each for them. How on earth do you even afford this kind of stuff?

[YouTheCat]

Get her an iRon.

[Badvoc]

Reality...some people can afford it easily.
Surely that's not to hard too understand?
I get so sick of posters coming on and telling everyone their kids are getting gifts made from hairspray and dust and anyone who buys tech or more expensive stuff are evil...fgs, if you can afford it and want to, then buy the bloody thing.
If you can't afford it or dont want to then don't!!

[mrsjay]

you know you are going to buy her it anyway so you want a way for her to have it and justify the money when is her birthday I would give her money at christmas an d money for her birthday and she can have an ipad, TBH i wouldnt be getting a 10 yr old an ipad it is an expensive piece of equipment that i wouldnt spend.

[Mim78]

Could she sell those other things on ebay to raise some of the money. Then at least you would have less s**t in your house overall. Not saying you should give in but wondering if this could be beneficial to you!

[Isildur]

There is that, Badvoc

I must admit, we're not short of techy stuff in this house, and £600 would be small change for many people.

It just sounds as though maybe the OP's daughter should be steered away from the 'easy come, easy go' attitude.

[Mim78]

PS obviously not her soul on e bay! Not sure if anyone has actually tried that...

[Reality]

No, I didn't mean a general 'how do you afford it', I meant Dooin.

I know I'm not privy to the innermost workings of her finances, but I'm pretty sure she works in a takeaway and her dh doesn't bring home a fortune, either.

I'm genuinely baffled.

[mrsjay]

doooin why dont you just say no instead of her trying to get teachers to help her case or she will go on and on until you give in, a simple NO should do her

[SavoyCabbage]

It all sounds a bit sad to me. Playing on iPads in their free time at school, playing sims, 3DSs, Xboxes, minecraft, kindle fires, iPads that have only been available for a week. It's like another world.

My 10 year old doesn't play with dolls etc either. She never has. Hence the water colours this year.

[mrsjay]

magine being asked what you want for Xmas and asking for a much coveted jo Malone candle then the buyer decides its just a candle and a cheaper one will do and you end up with an asda candle ? It burns and smells nice right ?

JO malone candles do not cos 100s of pounds and no 10 yr old wants a candle do they

[Badvoc]

They could have saved up?
God forbid people working in take aways buy high end tech stuff, eh?
Ffs.

[Badvoc]

So, kids who have iPads don't play?
My kids play; Monday night ds1 had football training, last night we were all at a bonfire party, tonight ds1 has been doing homework.
They also have iPads.
The two are not mutually exclusive!
Tomorrow ds2 had a hospital appt. no doubt we will be there some time. His iPad will keep him happy and amused whilst we wait instead of bored and anxious.

[mrsjay]

Please god may I never reach the point in life where I covet a designer candle

[HaroldLloyd]

I had a ZX spectrum as a nipper and I still played.

That was the cutting edge of technology in my day.