Laptops for Christmas

[keepmehappy]

AIBU? I'm kind of expecting to be told I am ...

DP wants to get DS (13) and DD (11) Chromebooks for Christmas. My gut reaction is an instant No - I feel it's not like they need MORE screens in their lives fgs! DD veges in front of the TV far too much already and DS is obviously glued to his phone half the time. And if they had their own laptops they'd take them into their rooms and we'd have much less control over what they saw.

And it's the best part of £500 for two. We could just about stretch, but just seems over-the-top extravagant and flashy. Massive big present just for the sake of it - because that's Just What You Do at Christmas.

But what do people think? Am I being totally old-fashioned and 'holding them back' in some way?! I just don't think it's good for their brains to have so much screen exposure.

You definitely don't need to spend almost £500 on them if you're going to purchase them.

Have your children asked for other things for Christmas? If not a laptop of some kind would be a great present for them, as school work will increase as they go through secondary school.

No way for my kids

Why not?

I bought my dd a laptop from Christmas but she is year 10 and needs one for school work, she has been sharing my work lap top but that’s not working well. Depends on your reasons. I did spent £750 but saved for it.

For high school or college age students, here in the USA, they do pretty much do need a laptop, there are things tablets can't do or at least not easily. We bought a chromebook for DSGD for her last birthday because she was starting high school. She was dropping wistful hints about a MacBook (well, she would wouldn't she) a few months before but we don't like her that much (jk) and, since her school uses the Google Chrome OS, even she admits it wouldn't have been fit for purpose. She was thrilled with what we got her as it turned out. If it's not a requirement for school and they have access to other devices and a pc then I don't think it's worth buying them just for the sake of having them though. YANBU OP.

I think the plan of getting DS one in a year, next christmas would be a good time as it gives him 6 months to get used to it before he needs to use it for exams/essays/etc. Then for DD get her one at the Christmas when she is 14 too, in my mind its not fair is your DD gets to have one at an earlier age than DS.

your idea is good is what that is meant to read

if your DD (I need to start proof reading)

I'm with you Op. They clearly don't yet need them for school and what you have currently is enough for their requirements. Plus you say it would be a stretch to buy them so really it seems a bit pointless, buying for the sake of buying. I'd leave them for this year then next year, as you suggest, get one for DS. Dd can have one when she too reaches the point of needing one.

as I understand, certain tasks involving additional software (media editing, programming, CAD, certain pieces of scientific software) are rather hard to achieve.

For something like an engineering degree they'll need something they can code on and run software which may need a fast processor, quite a bit of memory and might benefit from a decent graphics card. (We've just ordered a new Dell laptop for our DD).

But that's a totally different kettle of fish to something suitable for early teens and younger.

I got my 2 a laptop each 9 years ago, they have had a hell of a lot of use and are still working well today. (Acer). They use iPads now but the laptops are there if anyone wants to use them. I think if you know they will get use, its a good present to give at Christmas.