Kids with expensive toys

[itsjustmebub]

Colour me ridiculous!

But the DS is an excellent way to keep the boys busy on long drives from N. Alberta to civilization and flights like the two we took to Disneyland last year!

yep
my son gets very car sick and it's the BEST distraction hands down when we drive up north 3 hours each way

to each his own i say. if it's not for you that's cool, if it's that's cool too just use your common sense and moderation because kids don't have much of that on their own!

[Sally888]

My kids have more dvds and blu rays then we do lol.

[bug]

Some kids have all the luck - lots of toys, college and trust funds, vacations AND still come out hardworking, stable and nice people. Too bad that wasn't me.

At this time at age 4, lots of kids will rattle on and on about things, including what they play with and what they own, as well as really mundane things. I don't think it is malicious or even with intent at that young age. Now, school kids and teens are a different story.

[Mamaelmo]

My kids try asking for expensive things and they dont get it, and they dont get money everytime they want a treat if they want something they have to earn it. I'm 31 and just got a DS at Christmas because I saved my money and bought it just like the Wii that the family got too. I play the Wii more than my kids do becuase mostly mine are outside, ds is outside always playing with his tonka trucks and hes 8 and my dd who is 10 is outside reading a book or playing with babries, but the one toy both my kids love is their basketballs which I may have spent $20 on 2 of them one for each.

[Litesandsirens911]

okay I changed my post, lol...I agree DS's are a Godsend on cartrips..haha!

[blueyedmama]

I think it depends entirely on the kids. Both of my boys (11 yrs. old) have hand held games, like the Game Boys. They received those at 6. It comes in handy for the long bus/car rides (it takes them over an hour to get to school), and they also have MP3's. However, they are responsible kids and don't flaunt them around. They are getting new ones for their bday in a couple of weeks. However I don't think that handheld games should become babysitters. I know a liitle boy , 5 yrs.old., who received a DSI XL for his bday, and his mother told us at the party it was to shut him up. nice! We have a WI, but that was a family gift....we all play it.
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[amycrows]

My 5yr old and almost 3 yr old have Nintendo DS but we got them for free through SDM and PC pts but we also modified it in a way so we pay for no games...so yes it is an expensive device it was free...but I hope it doesn't mean I spoil them

[Zonny]

My 5yr old and almost 3 yr old have Nintendo DS but we got them for free through SDM and PC pts but we also modified it in a way so we pay for no games...so yes it is an expensive device it was free...but I hope it doesn't mean I spoil them

Giving your child an expensive device doesn't make you a bad mom. I may be off base here since I know nothing about these gaming systems...but how exactly do you legally make all the games free?

Z

[Patty Smyth]

I don't think anyone needs to explain why they buy their kids the things they do. Whatever the reason it's not my business but don't come to me after you've given your kids everything they asked for all these years and wonder why they are selfish, greedy and unfullfilled because they never have enough. LOL What did you think would happen?

p.s. Most of my friends kids will never be able to keep up the lifestyle their parents have afforded them and the parents know it yet continue to do it.

[Zonny]

Everybody has their own parenting style, and some of it probably comes from how we were raised ourselves. For example, when I was growing up we weren't poor by any means, I was never hungry or lacking for anything. But I never had the latest and greatest clothes or expensive toys. And I probably got sweet cereal like Froot Loops or Honeycomb maybe once a year if THAT!

I find myself making the same kind of choices for my own DS. We don't have chocolate milk except as a treat, and our DS has maybe had fruit snacks from me maybe three times in his life (call child services! ) Most of his snacks are fruit, vegetables or cheese with maybe some crackers. I try to make decisions that are healthy but we certainly allow for occasional treats. He tells us all the time about how so and so has Shrek fruit snacks every day, or has a bottle of Pepsi on the way to daycare, or comes to daycare with gum. He rarely or never gets those things! Poor guy.

Z

[Lynn49]

Zonny, your parenting style reflects our daughter and her hubby's also...our Grandson's idea of a royal treat is a container of raisins all to himself...He only knows milk and juice, didn't even want more than one bite of his birthday cake (yucky), and when he's had a cookie or whatever at day-care and asks for one at home, they tell him that only day-care has them. I'm sure one day I'll be allowed to bake some of her favourite oatmeal-raisin cookies, lol, but for now (he's only 2), I think they're doing a fantastic job! And so are you!
As for toys, we're not allowed to buy anything "just because we want to" for our Grandson, with the exception of books. So of course, birthdays and other traditional holidays he gets quite a lot from family members but he's just a wee one and I'm sure that'll come to a screeching halt soon enough if our DD has anything to say about it. And we all do as we're told, lol.

I'm sure he'll also become a "gamer' in the future, but for now all he wants to do is play outside. Which is, I'm thinkin' a very good thing!

[lekate]

Giving your child an expensive device doesn't make you a bad mom. I may be off base here since I know nothing about these gaming systems...but how exactly do you legally make all the games free?

Z

I did this too..well my bf bought it for me. It's an R4 card, basically a DS cartridge but modified with a mini SD card, take the mini SD card out, put it into a USB key with a port for it, dl games and put them on mini SD card, voila! games for free.

[kris10]

i would never buy my 4 year old a ds...how do 4 year olds even know how to play that stuff so young? Honestly I don't think video games are that good for kids that young in the first place. You have nothing to feel bad about.
I understand on long car rides for a little while i guess and maybe in a couple years in moderation..

[tray]

My almost 3 yr old son plays with my IPOD touch - I put some toddler games on it and it is great. He doesn't play with it alot but I have heard him say to me "Me need your IPOD" Hmm, I'm like no you don't, your not 16!!

As for the DS, I have one but haven't played with it much lately and my son has not seen it, but he will probably play with it soon if I get some appropriate games for it.

It's all in your kids knowing they can't get everything they want and/or ask for! And for your kids to appreciate be grateful and thankful.

[itsjustmebub]

we've recently taken away the ipod touch from littleman (3) until he starts going on the potty

he's asked for it, but he's going to need to earn it back haha