To replace or not to replace the IPOD...that is the question
SD14 got an Ipod Nano for XMas. (about 150.00) We got it with warranty so that if anything went wrong with it, it would be replaced. However after having it for a few months SD came home and it was broken. Still worked, but the screen was cracked and chipped and it wasnt looking pretty. It looked like it had either been ran over by something or jumped up and down on. SD claims that one of her friends accidentally dropped it. We werent buying it but whatever. So we look into it and of course its not covered by the warranty because it isnt a malfunction or a piece didnt just break off....its obviously been damanged so therefor not covered. Great. We tell SD14 this and she says that her friend who supposidly broke it agreed to pay for half and she wanted us to pay the other half. (75) I told her at the time that she would have to earn the other half either with good grades or babysitting and good behavior. She just looked at me blankly. A month or two goes by and SD14 tells us that now the Ipod is not operable. DH messes with it and confirms that yes it has stopped working. Now SD is panicking...she just cant live life without an Ipod. She said that now her friend doesnt want to pay for it, but asks if she can get her BM to pay for half of it...would we pay the other half. Again DH told her that we would, but she would have to find a way to earn it, and have good behavior. She immediately asked BM for 75 dollars. Last Friday (our weekend to pick up SD) BM text me and told me that SD was sick and she wanted to know if we still wanted her...and then mentioned that she had the 75 for SD's Ipod. I wrote her back and told her that yes SD could still come even sick, but that I wasnt sure she was getting 75 from us because it wasnt clean whether DH feels she earned it.
BM wrote back saying that SD's Ipod broke after school was out so her grades shouldnt be a factor. I told her I didnt know she would have to ask DH and see what he thought. Neither of them contacted DH. Then miraculously an hour later BM text me that SD was to sick to come for our weekend and she was just going to go to bed. That translates to since your not going to get her the Ipod she wont come. If she knew we were going shopping she would have been there. I know it.
So after all of this....I must ask...since we originally bought her the Ipod, and it is broken, should be agree to pay half and help replace it?
- MamaBecky's blog
- Log in or register to post comments
Comments
Honestly, I would say no, but
Honestly, I would say no, but I am kind of a hardnose (ask my kids). My BD7 got a DS Lite for Christmas, and we got her a carrying case to protect it. She's getting out of the van one day with the DS on top of a pile of stuff she's carrying. Yep, you guessed it, she dropped it and it fell all the way to the garage floor AND bounced. Stopped working. I told BD that if the extended warranty we'd bought didn't cover the repairs, it was on her. She's only 7. SD is 14 and certainly old enough to be responsible. Why should you be out MORE money because of SD's lack of responsibility. Making her earn the money would teach her a valuable lesson.
I'm inclined to agree with
I'm inclined to agree with Elizabeth. My DH always replaces any toys broken by the kids when he can do so behind my back but in my opinion replacing anything broken on accident or not doesn't teach responsibility. My parents didn't run out and replace any of the few toys that we had, should they break and we learned to be very careful with all of our posessions.
As DH always wants to replace broken toys, I've actually watch SS break toys because he wanted a newer/better one - that time, I won the arguement and said toy was not replaced (until Christams).
Anyway, I think you always have to ask yourself, if I do this what will the child learn?
I think if you replace it for no reason after she broke it, the lesson isn't a very good one.
SD15 got an iPod Touch (the
SD15 got an iPod Touch (the newest generation) for her birthday last year. I had told her quite a few times to not be taking it to school. Did she listen.....No.
It only lasted less than 2 months! She got it stolen from school! We were beyond PISSED at her. According to SD15 she had it in her purse at school. The teacher told everybody in class to leave their bags at the back of the classroom. Supposedly one of SD15 friends saw a blonde hair kid going through SD15 bag and take her iPod. What kind of friend is that!?! She knew it was SD15 bag and ipod and didn't say anything. LIE!
SD15 was told that we were NOT ever going to buy her an iPod again. Months after she asked me if I had an extra iPod that she could "borrow." Uh if I were to have an extra one I would not be giving it to her. Defeats the purpose of us never buying her one again.
I just know that if I refuse
I just know that if I refuse to replace the Ipod that SD and BM are going to go on a tirade about how unfair I am, it's not her fault, we said we would help replace it and now were backing out. I just know it!! SD is going to start blowing of DH's time because she's mad at him, and BM will encourage her to do so. DH will be upset and depressed and I will be thinking..."It would have been easier if I would have just bought her the damn Ipod". I told DH last night if we cop out and get it for her that it will be the LAST techno gadget she will recieve from us. No more gameing systems, Music players, computers, cell phones...nothing. He agreed. I know it seems like a cop out but damn when your NCP with no court order it is hard not to choose the "dont want to rock the boat" option.
I absolutely would NOT
I absolutely would NOT replace it. In fact, I wouldn't buy my kids (skids or bio) an ipod to start with. My SD13 has an mp3 player.. generic. If that gets broken, she will have to find some way to make money and buy a new one if she wants it.
And as far as SD and BM going on a tirade about how unfair you are.. eff 'em and let 'em eat fish heads!!!
I'll be damned if I'll ever spend $150 of MY good HARD EARNED money on a TOY for my kid to break/lose/etc.. and then turn right around 6 months later and buy a new one!!!
Do not buy SD another ipod.
Do not buy SD another ipod. You are alredy doing the correct thing. The reason why older kids allow things to get broken is because they have no real investment in anything. She has no financial investment in the iPod so she really didn't care how her friend played with it. If you don't put your foot down now, it will only get worse when they are older.
We moved into a BRAND new house, and it only took 2 months for our SD to allow her son to take markers and mess up a few walls. Why? Because my SD has no idea of the sacrifices we made in order to make the down payment. My SD also used to wash all of her clothes on hot, leaving us with a high gas bill because she had no investment. Once we started making her pay some of the utility bills...guess what? She no longer washes all of her clothes on hot, and she makes sure lights are turned off when she leaves a room. You are doing the right thing!
I would not replace it,
I would not replace it, unless the skid was going to do their part and "earn" the money towards it.
SD21 was given a new swanky laptop by DH, just over a year later, it was removed for a month as part of a serious punishment ( long story, she was grounded for a month, too and no visits to deluded bf at the time and no phone either ) Laptop was returned and then lost again a few months later, due to more serious bad behaviour. I think she thought it would be returned but DH never did. SD21 complained bitterly about having to use an "old" general p.c when she was staying with relatives ( BM didn't want her back ) The horror of having to sit in their lounge using a decent enough p.c and printer, etc.....huh....what she hated was the lack of privacyfor her internet activity !!! Skids...and kids !! Believe they are entitled to all these expensive toys thses days !!!
MamaBecky, I've read some of
MamaBecky, I've read some of your past posts regarding your money situation in general. Maybe get all that squared away first, and then revisit the iPod issue. In the great scheme of things, the iPod is just not a priority right now, kwim?
I wouldn't replace it. You
I wouldn't replace it. You and DH have changed your mind. So what? It happens.
She broke a 150USD TOY...she
She broke a 150USD TOY...she needs to earn the money and pay for it herself.
Hell would freeze over before
Hell would freeze over before I would replace that iPod.
Look, first off, this kid is old enough to be buying her own expensive toys. Secondly, my cell phone didn't even cost that much, and I'd be damned if I'd do without something I wanted to spoil some brat that doesn't even appreciate it (clearly demonstrated by the fact that she didn't take care of it to start with!)
I'll tell you something, my SS13 has an iPhone that was recently given to him as an upgrade because he has been VERY responsible with his piece of crap phone. If the house was on fire, he would save that phone, and you can rest assured that he would put an oxygen mask on the phone before he would put one on himself. He treats that thing like it's the Holy Grail. My DS12, however, has dogged his crappy free phone out, and would no doubt trash something nicer if he had it. So he'll be on the crap phone plan until pigs fly.