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So it's apparent that everyone wants the latest technology. Even my eight year old declares to everyone, "I'm getting an iPhone for my birthday." Almost everyone around her, even kids younger and older, has the latest iPad, iPod Touch, notebook, tablet and many others at their disposal. It's even weird to me when my younger sister, age 11, has 2/3 apple products and has a tendency to use both (switches from one to the other).
What I need to know is what do you tell your child, when they're actually demanding that you get them something techie?
I know this is a no-brainer, but my daughter had caused her own demise of playing our Wii a few weeks ago. She passed on the bus to go to daycare and jumped on the bus home. When she got there, no one was there and started walking to daycare. She was picked up by a stranger that goes to her school and this stranger did call the police and was escorted to daycare. This was all because she wanted to play the Wii earlier.
It's things like above that prevent me from actually getting something like an iPad or Tablet. She has also brought her DSi to school and played during school/recess time. She's very irresponsible and just wants to play video games. Some how, I wish I could restart her life without any games or technology (other than TV and maybe a computer).
Could your child pass the marshmallow test? If not its time NOW to teach her the importance of delayed gratification.
You are sadly mistaken. Tablets bring in two way communication, which is no good for kids.
*sighs*
I've used a computer/whatever else since I was 10. I NEVER, besides an ER tv show forum at 10 did I ever "speak" to anyone on the internet. I posted about the TV but that was it and they never knew how old I was but that was about it, I never "chatted" or anything online until I was 18/19 and then I started.
It's a perfect teaching moment to TEACH your children internet safety. You TEACH them at 10/11 years old when they start using the computer etc for fun stuff not at 18 when they are already an adult and more than likely NOT going to listen to you.
You teach them to NOT speak to strangers, that people sometimes aren't who they say they are and that you should never engage them in conversation.
I was 13 when I started playing yahoo pool. It had chat but I never used it except to send "gg" (good game) at the end of the game, I would get "ASL?" a lot but my mom told me to just say "I don't give ASL".
I still do that to this day, outside of this forum,(which I consider forums totally different than chatrooms) I don't "talk" online.
Had my mom kept me away from the internet till I was an adult and then started telling me all the stuff she taught me I wouldn't have listened.
I also fail to see how a tablet would be bad for a 4 year old when it comes to two way communication, who and where would a 4 year old who can't really spell yet know how to hold and type and do anything revolving two way communication.
My boyfriends niece face times with other family members but she has no idea how to start it up.
I fail to see how talking to strangers on a tablet would be an issue for a small child....
My kids don't get to DEMAND that I buy them anything. They can ask nicely, but if they demand something they most certainly will not get it. You are the adult. If you don't want her to have one then say no.
In my house this would be a "death penalty" offense as far as the Wii was concerned. I would pack up and put in the closet for good. Of course after a few months you could bring it out and try again but it would months, not days or weeks before it would be brought out again.
If my child brought their DSi to school and that was not permitted that would cause the same reaction as I described above. Plus-if my child demands anything from me they don't get what they demanded. Period.
It's the peer pressure, similar to when others smoke and drink in front of a person that just don't understand the effects.
Where as people with phones, iPads, Tablets all have these great devices, the other people want them, too.
We did take the Wii away from her, it's not sitting at my dad's apartment. I'll try to incorporate it back when I feel she is more responsible, but she hasn't played it for more then 4-5 months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by golfgal
This isn't an electronics issue, it is a parenting issue. Why is an 8 year old getting herself ready for school and on the bus alone?
After school she is escorted by a teacher, to make sure she makes the bus to daycare. I was trying to think how the teacher missed her going on the bus, but I feel there was a drop in security when she did (either the teacher walked them outside but didn't walk them to the bus).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life
That's great that it works for you.
OP's 8-year-old willfully gets on the wrong after-school bus and then walks around town alone, getting in cars with people she barely knows. She doesn't sound ready, and frankly neither does OP.
BTW, are there no adults at the school who can get her on the correct d*mn bus?? Hasn't this happened before, OP?
Just once but that was last year.
Just for an update; I bought her Minecraft, but as quickly as I bought she is now grounded from it. At my nephews party, she was very rude to my brother/sister-in-law. She kept asking if we can leave, didn't want to play or mingle with family. Then, I got home, put her to bed and I went to sleep but woke up at 1:00am to find her playing Minecraft on my computer. She's grounded from it today.
And just so everyone knows, she was only aloud to play MC for 2 hours; one on Friday and one on Saturday. This was after she did her chores and homework. However, finding her playing it at 1:00am, she is not playing it today.
It's the peer pressure, similar to when others smoke and drink in front of a person that just don't understand the effects.
Where as people with phones, iPads, Tablets all have these great devices, the other people want them, too.
We did take the Wii away from her, it's not sitting at my dad's apartment. I'll try to incorporate it back when I feel she is more responsible, but she hasn't played it for more then 4-5 months.
There are lots of things my sons friends have that they don't have. It's my job to teach them that they can't have everything just because someone else has it.
Wanting something is different from DEMANDING something. If my kids DEMAND something they don't get it no matter what it is. It could be a 5 cent piece of gum but if the request takes the form of a demand the answer it no.
There is a difference between asking for something and demanding it. All of my kids wanted new phones for Hanukah. They all asked for one. Two of them were eligible for an upgrade and we got them the phones. The other was not eligible for an upgrade so we told him that he could get something else for Hanukah or he could wait until the spring when he would be eligible for the upgrade. If he had demanded anything we would have just said no.
Given your recent experience with MC I would say that she is not ready to have the Wii back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mitopcat
Just for an update; I bought her Minecraft, but as quickly as I bought she is now grounded from it. At my nephews party, she was very rude to my brother/sister-in-law. She kept asking if we can leave, didn't want to play or mingle with family. Then, I got home, put her to bed and I went to sleep but woke up at 1:00am to find her playing Minecraft on my computer. She's grounded from it today.
And just so everyone knows, she was only aloud to play MC for 2 hours; one on Friday and one on Saturday. This was after she did her chores and homework. However, finding her playing it at 1:00am, she is not playing it today.
How does she have access to your laptop at 1AM? She should not be allowed to play it for MONTHS not days.
How does she have access to your laptop at 1AM? She should not be allowed to play it for MONTHS not days.
It was my desktop computer, in my room. She wasn't allowed to play any game for a very long time (2-3 months).
I was getting suggestions from teachers/parents to allow her to play games after she gets her homework (and correct) and her chores, but during the week. I knew starting her that soon and that amount of time wasn't a good idea, so I just allowed her to play a game during the weekend. She did work harder, her math homework was done and mostly correct. This is what I wanted. She's doing great in all other subjects except math. So, I tied a video game, as an incentive, to make her try harder in math.
Once again though, she blew off doing the right things. Example; last nights party for my nephew. It has only been one week, though, so I can't really assume it will work. I might have to change the process again in the near future.
@Momma_Bear: I see what you were saying. A few weeks ago, when she went home on the bus instead of daycare, I put the Wii back as a routine, as an incentive. That was for that one week. Now, with MC in the mix, it's happening again. Before that week, she was grounded from games for months. Three weeks have passed but her math has recently taken a nose dive. I needed that incentive to get her math back up, so I thought to get her Minecraft but with a very limited time base and restriction.
Last edited by mitopcat; 03-10-2013 at 10:29 AM..
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