To think this is a bit overstepping?

[DettyPig]

My husband and I have been discussing our 8 year olds screen time and have decided to reduce it. This has been fine.

DD just has her birthday and my mum has bought her a bloody laptop. No prior discussion, just opened it right there infront of us. Now it’s constant “can I go on my laptop please!” From DD and we want her to enjoy her present but at the same time don’t want her having too much screen time as she has just gotten glasses and the optician had said to reduce it.

Aibu to think this should have been discussed first? It’s quite a big present to get someone!

I would expect a conversation about such a large gift first, yes

Is it too late to say its to be kept at grandma's house?

I would expect a conversation first but it's a bit late now

Very odd from your mum, and far too large a gift. I'd be interested to know what she thinks an 8 year old is supposed to do with a laptop. "Surf the information superhighway!"

I mean, great, she gets a half hour of a game each day. Expensive waste.

It is a huge gift but probably a very necessary one in the near futture for homework. Set limits and stick to them but I wouldn't be too harsh on your mum

Who buys a laptop for an 8 year old without consulting the parents? That's crazy

No one in my family would do that so this is hypothetical but I would actually ask them to return it. Is it usually for such young children to have laptops nowadays?

I’m not being harsh to her, I haven’t said anything to her at all! Just trying to police the laptop. I want tit to be kept for educational purposes as opposed to gaming as she has a switch for that. Any recommendations on things to put on there?

Surely you just say it's for homework and short sessions at the week ends? Ds 7 had had a tablet for years for educational games and a few films but in extreme moderation. I would have The Rage with dm op.

Tell her that it’s for school work only, it’ll limit her screen time nicely, of her own accord,
Its a very generous present from your mother, and tbh, I suspect that she’s been very aware of how much schooling through the pandemic was centred online, and thought it would be a useful gift for your daughter. I’d be very grateful for it. More and more schooling is reliant on being online now, even for primary children, and it will be worth its weight in gold to you.

An 8 year old doesn’t need a laptop for educational reasons. I would just put it away and say she can have it when she’s a few years older. Very strange for it to be given as a gift without you being consulted!

I'd be annoyed too OP. As you'd reached a screen limit that you were happy with, I guess this just gets incorporated into the devices she can spend her screen time on.

On the bright side, as a pp says, you'll need one in a couple of years when she starts secondary.

Would you really do that? How bizarre!

I agree with the PP, it probably popped in her mind during the pandemic and she thought it would be useful. Bit weird to not mention it to you, but perhaps she thought you'd say it was too much for her to spend and she wanted to treat her GC.

It wouldn't bother me; I'd be really grateful that she'd bought such a useful present - better than a shit load of plastic around the house!

Yeah I’m not locking it away ha! She loves learning languages and science and stuff so am going to research some cool apps to put on it and she can do her school stuff like tt Rockstars and lesen how to start researching projects on it. It’s a pretty cool little laptop I just think my mum should have spoken to me about it first! Also made our presents look like shit.