My Mikaela is 10 years old and at the age where she feels left out if she doesn't have all the gadgets her friends have. Now some things I don't mind
getting for her, but she's talking a cell phone, MP3 Player, Nintendo DS etc...all pretty good ticket-priced items, KWIM? And since she goes to a private
school, alot of her classmates are fairly well-off. We do OK, but I'm not going to max out my charge cards just so she can keep up with her well-to-do
friends.
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She's 10 going on 20!
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 3xBlessd |
She's 10 going on 20! |
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Posts: 895 04/12/08 10:18 PM
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Spring has sprung! See what's
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sleemac |
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Posts: 142 04/13/08 4:37 AM
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I know what your talking about my Sierra is going on ten and wants all that stuff too. I wish she would understand but she's a kid so I keep telling her
all I can do I guess. Sierra just started walking dogs in the neighborhood for five bucks a dog to try and earn the money for a pay as you go cell phone. Do
you think Mikaela might want to try something like that?
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Loveable Bitch |
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I think you need to explain why she can't have these things. I know my parents didn't get us everything as children but always gave a genuine reason as
to why we couldn't have it. It often works well rather than simply saying no.
"Only one way to heaven but half a million ways to fall." |
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3xBlessd |
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Posts: 895 04/13/08 8:20 PM
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Oh believe me Mel, I've explained to her that just because I just got my paycheck and my DH just got his, we have bills to pay first and foremost. Kids
don't understand stuff like "See this house? We have to make a payment on it every month. And the heat/electric/phone etc...? Those too!"
We do give her an allowance--when she has earned it. No work--no pay! And she's good about saving it if she wants, say, the newest Webkinz that came out. What I did do in regards to the phone: Mike never uses his so I said she could use Dad's phone as her own for now. If Mike ever gets into the habit of carrying it, she has to give it back. Hey, I signed a 2 year contract on it and the minutes are never close to being used so...
Spring has sprung! See what's
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sleemac |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 142 04/14/08 2:10 PM
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that works
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peaches0708 |
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Posts: 33 04/14/08 2:17 PM |
Good idea Aunt Deb! The plus side is that once that two years is up, she'll be old enough for a paper route to continue making her phone bill.There are
some cheap Mp3 players out there- I think the cheapest I saw was about 30 bucks. You can find them at Big Lots and Target at decent prices. But once she says
Ipod, I'd put my foot down firmly. They're junk. If the battery goes on it, it has to be sent out for repairs at the owners expense. But I agree with
the work to earn it thing too. I was watching something on CNN. It was a guy who is a self-made millionaire who never went to college and dropped out of
highschool. He wrote a book on how to "raise a millionaire" and one of his tips was that when you're in the store and your child goes "I
want I want I want", don't say "maybe for your birthday, or christmas..", instead say, "Okay, you know what you want, now how are you
going to earn the money to get this?" He said it helps the child become goal oriented and I completely plan on doing that with my kids. If mom would have
done that with me....
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Loveable Bitch |
#6 | |||
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I agree about the money and earning it. I know that I can only spend so much on luxuries with my job and I stick to it slavishly as I never want to get into a
situation where I can't pay back a credit card bill at the end of the month. I work in finance and I have seen how people get into bad situations so
easily.
As for and MP3 player - I love the Sony ones. They are not cheap but they work well and the batteries have a much better life then the Ipods.
"Only one way to heaven but half a million ways to fall." |
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sleemac |
#7 | |||
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Posts: 142 04/14/08 7:34 PM
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Sierra got a "Barbe girl" MP3 player for x mas and it was 50 and she loves it. It holds 200 songs which is more the plenty for her so if you look
around you can find some good ones for cheep.
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peaches0708 |
#8 | |||
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Posts: 33 04/15/08 8:15 PM |
I had a little Sandisk 2 gb, that when my parents got it for me for Xmas 3 years ago, it was $150, and I saw it 6 months ago at best buy for 70 bucks. I can
only imagine it's gotten cheaper since then. Also the Sandisk Sansa Shaker is roughly 70 bucks at Walgreens right now.
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Dee1962 |
#9 | |||
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Posts: 320 04/19/08 9:17 PM |
I like my Coby 1gb MP3. I bought it at FYE for 29.00 and it takes 1 AAA battery. You can get it in different colors and it works just fine.
As far as wanting what every other kid has - we all went through that. It is a normal part of growing up. Some things we buy for them. Others must be earned.
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Lady Nichola |
#10 | |||
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Posts: 14 04/21/08 12:09 AM |
As far as wanting what every other kid has - we all went through that. It is a normal part of growing up. Some things we buy for them. Others must be earned. So true! I'm almost 40 and I'm still that way! lol! I have a 14 year old and a 61/2 year old. The 14 yr old has a lot of good stuff that he's gotten over time. I admit to probably getting him more then he needs, but I'm the mom and I can spoil 'im a bit if I want. 
But I do draw the line at getting something just because so and so has it. Nope. Doesn't work that way. He doesn't get an allowance per say, but he
does have things that he has to do to help out around the house. If you help out, you get rewarded with nice things. If you don't help, you don't
rewarded. Probably not the best route to go, but it works for us.
Now my 6 (and half as she is always reminding me!) is starting to want things too. This one is tricky because she see all the nice neat things big brother has. Cell phone, mp3 player, etc. Most of what he has has been gifts given at Christmas, bdays and whatnots. She doesn't quite understand that big brother has gotten these things over the years.... this is still a work in progress. lol |
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3xBlessd |
#11 | |||
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Posts: 895 04/25/08 9:17 PM
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Lady Nichola wrote: I agree with that Nic! When Mikaela goes the extra mile without being told or asked, I'll reward her ,but she doens't always realize it. What I mean is, I'll thank her or tell her "that was nice of you honey" and maybe hat week, I'll treat her to something. But I don't tell her that's why, KWIM? Otherwise, she'll start consciously trying to earn rewards. My 6 year old (OK, 6 1/4th!) hasn't started on the big ticket things yet. Luckily for me, Matchbox cars make him happy! LOL
Spring has sprung! See what's
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Dee1962 |
#12 | |||
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Posts: 320 04/27/08 7:46 PM |
I guess I was pretty lucky - Jenni didn't want the "fad" clothes - she marched to her own toon (Hot Topic, that is) and so it wasn't a case
of her wanting everything the other kids had. Josh was the designer kid. He like Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Boss, and wanted clothes that the other kids were
wearing. (Thank God for Thrift Stores!!!!)
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peaches0708 |
#13 | |||
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Posts: 33 04/30/08 11:57 PM |
Mom, technically I was following a fad. The 'hot topic' fad. Other than that I just had an obsession with buying clothing, which I think was pretty
normal. And remember me wanting cd players? or Nano Babies? Giga Pets? TY Beanie Babies? And how many years did I bug you for a playstation before you caved??
I did catch onto some, I'll admit. I kind of miss the "Milk fizz" fad. There were these little tabs that you could buy at odds and ends(when they
were still around) that would make your milk fizz and turn colors. But we got them and took them to school and just put them in our mouth and let them fizz so
we'd foam at the mouth haha. They were banned within a week though. So were lazer pointers.
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sleemac |
#14 | |||
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Posts: 142 05/04/08 7:28 AM
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You know the more we talk about this the more I think back to being a kid and remember all the crazy stuff I wanted, and how I thought I'd never be able to
live without it.lol Man I guess the more things change the more they stay the same.
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Loveable Bitch |
#15 | |||
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I was never someone who wanted the latest thing... I did like nice clothes and most of my pocket money went on those but my parents would never buy me much
anyway (money issues).
"Only one way to heaven but half a million ways to fall." |
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 carolbrady |
#16 | |||
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Posts: 12 05/29/08 9:30 AM |
My kids are the last to get anything, unless they buy it themselves. Mal had a sansa mp3 player until it crapped out. She bought an iPod with her own money.
Ben received his for his birthday (half - he paid for the other half). If they want to play DS, they use mine :lol. They both have phones and I do pay for
those but they also are allowed to go a lot of places and it makes me feel better. It isn't something they asked for (heck, Mallory's is never even on
:lol)l. We didn't get PS2 until PS3 came out and the price dropped. Same with Nintendo when they were little. We hope we've taught them that on the big
dollar techie items, it is often better to wait until the next generation comes out so that you can get the older model for less money. As for clothes...Mal
isn't into shopping so she's easy. Ben could care less right now but I know he'll probably change a bit in high school. They both think that the
kids who all dress the same look silly (mostly guys - who are all wearing the same jeans, the same variation of a Abercrombie or Hollister or AE shirt, the
same shoes).
They both receive allowances on a monthly basis (Mal gets $60 and Ben gets $40). They use it to buy things for themselves when they want them. I've not purchased anything for them in a long time - not a candy bar or pack of gum or comic book or anything. That is all thier money. They're quite stingy with it these days, which is good. |
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3xBlessd |
#17 | |||
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Posts: 895 06/03/08 9:20 PM
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You know Sam, I never even thought about offering Mikaela a monthly allowence instead of a weekly one. That's not a bad idea... Instead of getting
a little evey week and spending it quickly, she'll get more at the end of the month and maybe hang onto it for a "big ticket" item.
Thanks for the idea!
Spring has sprung! See what's
cookin' @
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