Kids may be kids but also need to take responsibility

[Stinkyfirecracker]

We are very lucky to be able to get top end equipment when we decide to purchase something. This does mean that when our daughters school said she could have a lap top to help her with certain lessons, we got her a £1,000 worth of laptop as it seemed to fit the bill the best.

She has come home tonight and it is very damaged. She dropped it and it may have to be replaced.

She has an account she knows about with over £1k in it. Would it be unfair to ask for her to help (to the tune of maybe 25%) towards the costs of replacement.

We can replace it easily but I am just wondering about the principle of such a lesson making her value what she’s got and being less casual. After all, a contribution like that wouldn’t drain the account (and actually she has a lot more in accounts she doesn’t even know about like isa’s and pensions) but it would be a dent and she is very concerned about net worth and saving so it would hit her.

Is this a lesson you would teach your child at this age? And yes, she’s only 11 so this is why I am hesitant.

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You were foolish to buy an 11 year old a £1000 laptop. She absolutely DOES NOT need something like that for school. You could have got something more than adequate for half that.

She's only 11, she shouldn't be made to pay. Accidents happen. But replace it with something more reasonable for a child.

You get (a less expensive) new laptop, she pays for the protective case for it, not from a savings account but earning money from chores.

I’d get a reconditioned one and get her to pay for a proper padded bag.

I see no harm in asking her to pay some money towards a new laptop. She needs to learn that money doesn’t grow on trees in order to respect her possessions. Did she ask you to buy such an expensive laptop though? You were silly to spend so much on it. Maybe charge her 25% of a more sensibly priced one that you should have got her, and make her earn the money if you really want to impress upon her the value of it.

Jeez a laptop for school? I can just imagine the school parent pages, instead of asking if anyone has accidentally taken Tommy's jumper home, it will be full of irate parents demanding where the kids £1000 laptop has disappeared to!

YABU - It was an accident and that is the risk you take with any item of value. My child has a device specific to their disability which cost £4,500 which is taken to school each day. It’s been damaged twice and both times repairs were in excess of £100. I wouldn’t entertain taking this money from my child.

My 12 yr old broke the screen on her laptop. She wasn't being careful with it and has history of not being careful. We paid for the repair as part of her Christmas present. She's been a lot more careful since.

I think accidents do happen and a laptop at school is obviously at a reasonable amount of risk, some of which she won't be able to help. Some of which will just be her doing things that you would also do (or maybe a bit riskier since she's 11). If she needs the laptop for school that's not really risk she has chosen to take on and the cost of financing that risk is an expense to do with her education just like buying the laptop in the first place. If there is also more risk because she's cavalier about it's safety then I think you're looking at something that is more her fault.

Since you can afford it, I would make the decision about whether to have her contribute towards repair on the basis of how sensible she is with it as a general rule.

Indeed - that's why we don't allow students to bring them in. I have no idea why the OP's child has taken it in!