to not want my mum to buy my ds a quadbike for christmas?

[wannaBe]

he's 6.

It's not a petrol one, it's one of those ones you charge up on the mains and it then runs off an electric motor.

She's got this idea that she's going to buy one each for ds and his cousin, and one of the cars for my sister's youngest who is 2.5.

I have pointed out to her that there's nowhere for ds to ride something like that around here. Apart from that I'm not even sure where the hell I'm going to keep it, and besides shouldn't children be riding actual bikes and scooters at this age rather than depending on motor power?

But she's buying one each for the other kids, and as I can't think of something of equivalent value he might like I just know she'll buy one for him too.

I know I'm going to be told I should be grateful he has grandparents that care and all that, but tbh it's more like a contest - a £100 present won't be enough - she's already bought books and other toys too and will make them each a stocking. Really he doesn't need that much.

so ibu?

I feel like a meanie parent. We are collecting donated toys and games for a school fair at the weekend and today there was a lovely toy donated, so i've decided to keep it for my DD1 as a xmas present. I will be giving a large donation to the school of course!

I always think they look a bit boring, those electric quad things. And YANBU cos they're HUGE.

Can't you say you're worried about how unsafe they are - crying over the potential danger if necessary - and ask for a normal bike like sb suggests?

YANBU

Something like this should definitely be at the parents' discretion. What do your sister and the cousin's parents think?

Is there something your DS really does want?

my son has a motorbike that runs the same way, you have to charge it for about 14 hours to get 40 minutes of use so he hardly evers uses it and so it take space in the garage, tell her to get him a normal bike. it'll be much more fun and better for him

I'm assuming you dont mean a proper quad but as someone else said a kiddie electric made to look like a quad ?? My brother bought one for my 2 year old last year and while he does use it occasionally it just takes up space. Plus he abandoned his trike for electric power which I wasnt happy about. I feel that its somethiong that could of been left till he was older and had maybe mastered his trike and now the bike with stabilisers his grandparents bought

I'm forever cringing when others by him things like this, as it feels like he isnt allowed tp grow and mastere things at his own pace. He is tiny for his age and his legs still have difficulty reacjing his trike pedals then this electric thing got pushed at him

This year the bro has got him a drum kit..was actuallt gonna post an AIBU about it

sb6699, yeah my ex used to race them

it can be a good hobby

and to be honest and blunt, no more dangerous than horse riding or (real) mountain biking

Can't she buy something cheaper that he reallly wants and put the rest of the money in a bank account for him. I'm sure when he's 18 he'll really appreciate having a decent amount of cash rather than an expensive peice of kit that he couldn't really play on when he was six. My parents do this at Christmas and birthdays for their DGPs but buy them a little something to open as well.

I just think putting a 6 yr old in charge of something like that is a bit mad, but then my 6 yr old goes very fast on his scooter.
It was a tragic accident that killed a 6 yr old on one of these in the village next to ours - I know you can't wrap them up in cotton wool and I don't really know the answer.

I would just never remember to charge it as I'm crap with things like that.

If she insists on buying it, is it possible for her to keep it at her house, if she has the space? If your DS has nowhere to ride it safely, then there's no point in him having it at home.

Your MIL sounds as if her heart is in the right place, and it isn't as if she's being competitive or passive-aggressive about it. Is she a bit of a Christmas obsessive who has several Christmas trees and a selection of advent calendars for all the children in her life, every year?

I wouldn't have wanted one of those bike things for DD at 6. We live on a hill anyway, and she wouldn't be able to get anywhere in an electric one.

Sorry, mum not MIL.