Too young to have all these items?

[MKR&*42]

Hii.

It's my half-sister's birthday today and I've known that for ages she's wanted... oh an endless list of electrical items - laptop, tablet, brand new phone, new tv etc. And I've been really sceptical about her ever gaining any of those items (mainly because she's 11...) because I just don't see the point. She only uses my mum's laptop for about 1/2 hours a day to play online games and sometimes end up in chat rooms (I've caught her before and shouted at her because of the whole privacy issue), she doesn't need a phone because she speaks to everyone either at school or in our street... a new tv, they never use their current one except for DVDs and a tablet I don't even know why.

Today, my mum gave her a tablet as a present and my mum's friend has bought her a new phone (it's only like a BlackBerry though so it will be crap according to most people on this forum ) and I just don't think it's right. Lord knows how much my mum and her friend spent on the presents on something that my half-sister doesn't even need? I just think it's a bit silly to get a phone at that age...no?

Probably should mention she's a VERY materialistic girl (so is my other half-sister who's 10). That's down to the fact my ex-Stepdad and mum spoiled her rotten in the past and it turned her into such a brat. She's so uptight when she can't get her way and my mum always gets her gifts/lets her have her way just to cheer her up and she's clearly cottoned onto this, so she manages to get her own way with almost everything now.

It's bad enough now that she wants a Facebook account, I had to be stern with my mum in the car about why she shouldn't be getting Facebook at 11, and ofc my half-sister got all stroppy again over it.
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Oh I rambled sorry. Don't you think a) it's a bit silly she wants/gets a phone and a tablet (or w.e) at 11... (Actually her first phone is from age 10) and b) completely irritating that she's so materialistic and my mum does **** all about it. It's one of the reasons I dislike her, she just fails to grasp how much money these things cost and how little she needs them... I know she's only 11 but still.

[dbgtz]

Lol that is ridiculous, I still remember the amazement around year 5 where someone would get a crappy, second hand Nokia and everyone would just be totally gobsmacked by it. It is silly she wants all of these items, but it's worse that she gets them with such ease.

[buttons]

i think it's absolutely ridiculous, i have a friend whose kids have a camera, laptop, ipod, mobile etc each and they're 5 and 7 year old girls :S what do they need it for? my sister-in-law asked us for advice, her son wanted an xbox for his 8th birthday and me and my brother both said no whereas everyone else was saying they saw nothing wrong with it. i think these things should be shared as a family and not given out to one/every person but i guess there isn't much presents you can actually give kids nowadays...

[Stephen]

i thought you were gonna list a load of sex toys or something

[MKR&*42]

Lol that is ridiculous, I still remember the amazement around year 5 where someone would get a crappy, second hand Nokia and everyone would just be totally gobsmacked by it. It is silly she wants all of these items, but it's worse that she gets them with such ease.

If my mum and (ex) stepdad had stopped it whilst she was still young and not just handed her everything, then I imagine she wouldn't have turned out this way. She's been acting like a stubborn teen since she was 10... and it's just horrific that my mum gives in so quickly to it. They hate it when I have to look after them because they know I don't let them get their way with everything.

Haha, people used to obsessed with those phones

i think it's absolutely ridiculous, i have a friend whose kids have a camera, laptop, ipod, mobile etc each and they're 5 and 7 year old girls :S what do they need it for? my sister-in-law asked us for advice, her son wanted an xbox for his 8th birthday and me and my brother both said no whereas everyone else was saying they saw nothing wrong with it. i think these things should be shared as a family and not given out to one/every person but i guess there isn't much presents you can actually give kids nowadays...

Did she get him the xbox in the end? I hope not... 8 year old kids don't need an xbox really considering (from my experience of speaking to others) apparently most games for xbox/ps3 are aimed at teens+ anyway. Only thing shared in our family is the wii, it just causes so many arguments if my sisters are asked to share. Both want full control.

i thought you were gonna list a load of sex toys or something

Haha, been waiting all day for your reply to this

[chantellehugs]

Think it's silly really, if you give your child everything that they want you're teaching them absolutely nothing about valuing their belongings. When I was young I had to wait if I wanted something expensive (waited a year for my iPod when I was 15/16) but it made me appreciate and value the things way more than if I had of asked and gotten them right away.

[@K]

I disagree with her getting a tablet most definitely, but at 8 years of age (currently 21), I saved up some money from my birthday or whatever and went and bought a mobile, Trium Mars, now THAT was a mobile, but then again, I did things that kids these days don't do, you know, go out and play on the streets and in parks...

[MissAlice]

Sounds to me like your step sisters expect a lot.

Giving children everything they want doesn’t allow them to fully gain an understanding of values or appreciation, nor does it prepare or teach them on how to have goals and achieve them. Wanting and needing are two different things. There are many things I want, although most I don’t really need. Apart from money

Your mum gives in too easily, probably to be the perfect step mum, (she sounds lovely) whereas what she should be doing is speaking with their father, to find ways to reward special achievements, and regular pocket money for chores around the home. That way they can save for what they really really want.

Btw I would like a new car, but I don't really need it

[Metric1]

saw it wanted it threw a fit got it!!!!~

[Sharon]

I agree that she shouldn't demand that much but I got my iPod Touch when I was 12 (I think?) so I won't be a hypocrite because that's all I got that year, since if I chose many different presents it might of come to just under the price of an iPod anyway so in reality it's the same amount of money spent. My brother got the same present 6 months later for his Birthday, he was 9 I think? He was pretty jealous of seeing me with one... Yeah you can totally judge my mum and her *+*irresponsible+*+ actions for doing that but once again, that's all he got. I think it's getting to the years where all people want is electrical items instead of lego and Barbie dolls. The year before that, he only asked for money and bought himself a new DS, I don't see a problem with that.