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Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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Original poster

help me find a punishment

22 replies

dontwanttobefatandforty · 17/05/2014 17:50

I have just discovered my son 14 in couple weeks has spend £300 on gaming coins! I have obviously taken xbox away but what else can I do for him to essentially pay back the money? He doesn't physically have the .money so I'm thinking working around the house or something, doesn't really go out so Groh ding pointless, please help me with this one

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

AuntieStella · 17/05/2014 17:52

I think you will get better responses if you ask this to be moved to "parenting".

Can you describe your usual sanctions regime?

RedRoom · 17/05/2014 17:52

Sell one of his possessions on Ebay?

superbagpuss · 17/05/2014 17:52

can you get the money back?

can you take his Xbox off him for a month or until he has done enough jobs to pay back the money so he knows how much 300 pounds is? has he got anything you can sell? can he get as job to pay you back?

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AuntieStella · 17/05/2014 17:53

Oh, and asking in "geeky stuff" might help you fix whatever left your card details open to him.

HecatePropylaea · 17/05/2014 17:54

how many hours on minimum wage would earn £300? I'd suggest making him work for that number of hours so that he sees how much work £300 is.

HecatePropylaea · 17/05/2014 17:54

sorry super, I appear to be your echo

Original poster

dontwanttobefatandforty · 17/05/2014 17:55

How can I get this moved?

He has himself just said for him to loose birthday money to start to pay back which I will do, but I also want him to feel what £300 is, if that makes sense.

OP posts:

Roseformeplease · 17/05/2014 17:56

Sell the Xbox. And the. His phone. And then any designer or unworn clothes he has.

Then make him work for the rest.

AuntieStella · 17/05/2014 18:02

OP: use the report function at top right of your opening post and ask MHHQ to move it.

I don't think you should sell his XBox, but you could impound it (do you use withholding of provileges as a sanction or other transgressions? Does it work on him?). He could then 'earn' its release.

As he's 14, and owns kit/games, I suspect he'll have a good idea of what £309 means.

gamerchick · 17/05/2014 18:08

You'll only get 50 quid for the xbox if that.. They are cheap to buy now.

Sell the games though if they're in decent condition,that'll feel like a punch in the guts on its own... The X box can be earned back.

Why do you have a card hooked up though? Never hook a card up to xbox always buy points. I don't understand that.

What chores does he already do?

ameliameerkat · 17/05/2014 18:11

81 hours of housework? At minimum wage for under 18s.

SuburbanRhonda · 17/05/2014 18:14

rose, so basically you're proposing selling everything he owns?

What will the OP do next time he does something wrong, especially if it's something worse, when she's already applied the ultimate sanction?

mumontheroad · 17/05/2014 18:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Smilesandpiles · 17/05/2014 18:17

I would sell x box, games and phone and seeing as it's summer, he'll be re doing my garden for me...all summer.

Everything from cutting the grass, cleaning out the beds to laying the decking and painting fences.

That should be about £300 worth of labour there.

BillyBanter · 17/05/2014 18:19

What amelia says, so he understands how much work goes into the £300 compared to what it took to spend it.

Original poster

dontwanttobefatandforty · 17/05/2014 18:31

Amelia that's what I was thinking of doing, make him physically feel earning it rather than random chores, I am a childminder wonder if I should get him to work his spare hrs with me!

OP posts:

DocDaneeka · 17/05/2014 18:42

What Amelia said.

And I'd keep a time sheet on the fridge or something too. I agree he needs to feel the pain of what has to be done to earn £300

irrationalme · 17/05/2014 18:51

This happened to my friend, her DS had to sell the xbox for starters as it was £600 he ran up.

As a side issue, an a warning to others the Xbox has to be connected to an account so they can spend. I set up a Gold account for my DS , used paypal then disabled the function for Xbox to be able to take money from my Paypal account immediately afterwards. It avoids these issues.

Also the gaming companies target young gamers. It's an insidious consequence of the digital age of consumerism

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 17/05/2014 18:55

Hello

We've moved this to Parenting now.

Roseformeplease · 17/05/2014 19:32

Yes, I would. He can't afford them and so should have to sell them to pay his debts. He could always sell them to his Mum, and then buy h&m back later, but he needs to begin paying back fast and working will take too long.

Also, I would beware of paying for chores he should have been doing anyway - that way, madness lies.

mumontheroad · 17/05/2014 19:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

meditrina · 17/05/2014 20:12

I woud go for impounding the Xbox and his games, and then he earns them back item by item.

That way he sees some progress for his efforts, but also sees how long it takes to get all of it.

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