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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To help DS out replacing his broken iphone?

107 replies

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 14/01/2022 21:11

Ds is 10. He got cross tonight and slammed his phone down and completely broke it.

Yes absolutely his fault and I won't be replacing it. He is devastated.

He has £100 saved from Xmas and birthday money and a replacement iphone is £120 from music magpie. He needs a phone for safety as he walks to and from school.

I'm ok with putting £20 towards it as he's upset at having to use /waste his Xmas money. DH is adamant we shouldn't put any money to it at all. I get it was his stupid fault but I'd like to get a phone to him asap for safety. We don't have a spare old one going begging. Without my £20 it'll be a couple of weeks to replace it.

What do mumsnetters think?

OP posts:

Santaisstilleatingmincepies · 14/01/2022 21:13

I think no 10 yo needs an iPhone..

RobinHumphries · 14/01/2022 21:13

What do you think happened to kids walking to and from school before mobile phones?

JassyRadlett · 14/01/2022 21:14

Can’t you lend him £20 and he can pay you back over time?

Or he can get a cheap brick of a phone for safety. I know it’s social death, but that’s the consequence of not treating expensive devices well.

JaffavsCookie · 14/01/2022 21:15

No 10 yo needs a phone of any description, sorry
Either he is walking a safe and sensible distance home, in which case why does a phone help, or else you need to address why he is walking 2. + miles alone at 10.

ANameChangeAgain · 14/01/2022 21:15

I would make him either wait or work off the £20. There has to be a consequence of being inconvenienced. I would also only allow him the phone for to and from school for a few weeks.

TerribleZebra · 14/01/2022 21:15

My DD did something similar when she was 12. I refused to give her anything towards the new phone as breaking items in anger needs to have consequences. She had to buy herself a less cool phone and it taught her a valuable lesson. We got her a better phone for her 13 birthday about 7 months later. She's nearly an adult now and has never so much as cracked a screen on her subsequent phones. He needs a phone he doesnt need a £120 iPhone.

user1493494961 · 14/01/2022 21:16

If you feel he needs a phone for safety, he can buy a cheap one, he doesn't need an iPhone, he can't be trusted with it.

Oneborneverydecade · 14/01/2022 21:16

I'd chip in the £20 but maybe I'm too soft

MadeOfStarStuff · 14/01/2022 21:19

He doesn’t need an iPhone. Having a less desirable phone is a reasonable consequence for breaking the one he had. If he can get a working phone for £100, which I’m sure he can, then let him either do that or save his pocket money til he can buy the one he wants.

Gladioli23 · 14/01/2022 21:19

What if he had the phone but had to put half his pocket money towards it until the debt was paid back?

Original poster

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 14/01/2022 21:19

@user1493494961

If you feel he needs a phone for safety, he can buy a cheap one, he doesn't need an iPhone, he can't be trusted with it.

I get what u mean but we use an app to track him that only works on iphone

OP posts:

Original poster

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 14/01/2022 21:20

@Gladioli23

What if he had the phone but had to put half his pocket money towards it until the debt was paid back?

I was thinking about that. Not a bad idea thanks.

OP posts:

givemepiece · 14/01/2022 21:23

He broke his phone in anger tonight and you're already scrambling about to get him a replacement. Where are the consequences??
If his journey to/from school is that dangerous perhaps you should be taking him!

mogsrus · 14/01/2022 21:25

How ever did we get through the day without the things? It amazes me how everyone quotes it's for safety reasons,utter tosh

Nocutenamesleft · 14/01/2022 21:25

He’s too young

However. Don’t pY him anything and let him get an older phone

One that makes calls is sufficient no?

Santaisstilleatingmincepies · 14/01/2022 21:26

Far too young for such responsibility.. Not just a pricey phone but managing friendships via phone is difficult op..

Nocutenamesleft · 14/01/2022 21:26

@MrsArchchancellorRidcully

Android have a similar app to track my iPhone. He doesn’t NEED ANA IPHONE.

Ohyesiam · 14/01/2022 21:26

Get him a Nokia brick, he’d be just as safe

gamerchick · 14/01/2022 21:28

There are other tracker apps. Life360 is decent. He can get a cheaper phone, you're being soft on him. I understand but still. He needs to learn these lessons.

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/01/2022 21:28

@RobinHumphries

What do you think happened to kids walking to and from school before mobile phones?

Indeed. Somehow dozens of generations of kids managed it...

CamomileTeabag · 14/01/2022 21:28

@Santaisstilleatingmincepies

I think no 10 yo needs an iPhone..

It's not going to be a very good iPhone for £120! I wouldn't stress too much Santa

givemepiece · 14/01/2022 21:29

Also this...

he's upset at having to use /waste his Xmas money

Cmon OP. He's upset at having to use his money to buy a replacement to something he broke in anger. Think about what lesson you are/aren't teaching him by facilitating him getting a replacement phone so quickly and contributing to it yourself!

I'm with your DH on this one.

LawnFever · 14/01/2022 21:29

He can get a working phone with the money he has saved, and imo even that is a ridiculously expensive and unnecessary phone for a child of 10.

I wouldn’t put a penny towards it for the way he’s broken it in anger, that’s absolutely awful.

LawnFever · 14/01/2022 21:32

I'm ok with putting £20 towards it as he's upset at having to use /waste his Xmas money.

And so he should be upset, let it be a lesson to him, totally shows why he’s far too young to have such an expensive phone.

Ridiculous you’re excusing his behaviour here, he’s not ‘wasting’ his Xmas money, it’s entirely his own fault.

Santaisstilleatingmincepies · 14/01/2022 21:34

The facilities it is capable of is what I meant. Access to Internet /tick tock /fb /etc. Ages can be faked to access.

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