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Christmas Spending


daytripping

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Keep it real, with 16, 18, and 21sts not that far away put the extra aside for them.

 

think that's the best policy which is why I may curtail things this year before she expects too much every year.

 

Have noted in the 10/15 years that poor people don't do what my folks generation did and just buy small presents, they try and keep up with the Joneses and borrow to buy their kids loads of stuff, ridiculous thing to do.

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My daughter is 3 so I could buy a 2 pound plastic doll or a 10 grand antique doll and she'd not know the difference. At your daughters age it's a bit trickier. We've always bought stuff that would last the test of time and not just for the age she is at the time.

Never went overboard. It's normally the relatives that do that. We try and keep it simple and I think she's better for it already.

Personally I think a 12 year old getting a laptop is taking the piss.

 

Last year we got the eldest daughter a dolls house from Play Mobil that she'll still be messing with when she's much older. Our new baby will also be able to use it once she's up and about.

 

Post up the list of her wants for us to see what she's all after.

 

I agree with boof on that point - besides giving a 12 year-old a laptop to themselves is not a good idea, you never what she could be getting up to or who she could be chatting with online.

 

A kid her age needs to know the meaning of NO.

 

By all means spoil her a bit, its christmas. But don't go overboard. Save it for the big ones 18, 21. If you don't she'll come to expect more and more every year and then when she reaches her later years you'll be in for some serious shit; it'll all be puppies in handbags and gucci purses, and ''dad can you buy me a mini for my 18th''...

 

Nip this in the bud now.

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She's already got a Blackberry curve on a contract, even I don't have a contract phone.

 

She gets £50 a Month pocket money and £20 of that goes to her mobile company.

 

Her list is stuff like Wii games, DS games, and she's really into reading, The diary of a Wimpy Kid is the latest, she wants a few of them, plus Hollister stuff and perfumes etc she did say to me the other day that she fancied a Barbour jacket as all the kids at school have superdry like hers, told her to forget it!!

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This will be my first Christmas as a parent and I too am already walking a tightrope. Just like daytripping I was never spoiled at Christmas although I'll admit I probably got more than he did. I'm positive my parents could have afforded more but by not spoiling my brother and myself they ensured we appreciated everything we did get and looking back we had more than enough. Some friends were spoilt by their parents and it shows in later life, it took most of them longer to buy their first car, buy their first house as they weren't as aware of their finances as maybe I was.

 

Anyway back on topic, I want to start as I mean to continue, ensure he gets what he needs but do not go over the score. I feel a total spend of between

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I agree with boof on that point - besides giving a 12 year-old a laptop to themselves is not a good idea, you never what she could be getting up to or who she could be chatting with online.

 

A kid her age needs to know the meaning of NO.

 

By all means spoil her a bit, its christmas. But don't go overboard. Save it for the big ones 18, 21. If you don't she'll come to expect more and more every year and then when she reaches her later years you'll be in for some serious shit; it'll all be puppies in handbags and gucci purses, and ''dad can you buy me a mini for my 18th''...

 

Nip this in the bud now.

 

I tend to agree with the jist of that although we only have the one laptop at home and its in almost constant use, think getting her one of her own might benefit me and she does use it for home work.

 

She's also pretty sensible and at the moment isn't interested in facebook et al.

 

btw It will never be puppies, we have a dog and she hates it!

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I tend to agree with the jist of that although we only have the one laptop at home and its in almost constant use, think getting her one of her own might benefit me and she does use it for home work.

 

She's also pretty sensible and at the moment isn't interested in facebook et al.

 

btw It will never be puppies, we have a dog and she hates it!

 

A big faimly computer for abody in the middle of the living room or the dining room - a nice fancy imac.

 

Then you can keep an eye on her when she's on it, and hae a look at her browsing history now and again.

 

That's what i'll be doing when i have kids (touchwood) - can't be too careful, ive met far too many dodgy characters in my line of work...

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Big MAN,

 

I swear she's addicted to phones, our home bill was getting out of hand as she was never off the fecking thing, the £20 a month gives her enough minutes and texts so she doesn't use the home one now, saves me money!

 

btw All her mates have mobiles, I always used to say she wouldn't get one but when they start venturing into town with their mates and going out and about it gives me piece of mind that I can still contact her and she can call home.

 

Aye, 10/11 is about the right age for a phone i'll agree with that - but a contract blackberry is overkill...

 

You're the heid of the faimly, you should have the best gear (the blackberry), she should have a lesser fone so she kens who's top dog (that would be you)...

 

Edit: Kids should never be better dressed or have better gear than their parents - that's half the problem with western society nowadays, the kids are running the show...

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Dayts, I'm not surprised that she wants all this at christmas since she's already used to getting £50 a month pocket money. Anything around the £100 mark she could easily afford herself with a little saving so she obviously wants something bigger for christmas.

 

My boys are 11 & 8 and their big gift is usually £50-100. They also get a pocket money target of £20 a month, if they help out, tidy up after themselves, go to bed with minimal fuss etc they'll get the £20, if they mis-behave or do f-all around the house then it gets cut - teaches them not to expect a hand out for doing nothing.

 

Not saying your quine does nothing but £50 at 12 is a bit excessive in my opinion and only leads to wanting more and more. I know its difficult not giving them everything they want as we can all remember how it felt not getting that hooringly expensive bike from Santa, but you've got to draw the line somewhere.

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I do wonder about what age folk should get these technology items at. I got first mobile phone when I was about 15 (good old phillips savvy, kids thesedays would actually fall over with laughter if they were given one of them, if they still made them!). But that was when they were just becoming more widespread and popular, rather than my parents not letting me have one earlier (must have been about 1999).

 

Own laptop or notebook at that age sounds crazy too, but then again it's because we were born back when they weren't widespread - Acorns were still in use when I went to primary school and there was like 1 for the entire school that only primary 6 or 7s got to use.

 

I'm becoming old before my time, I'm only 26 for goodness sake :hysterical:

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