I-Touch for 10 yr old?
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Red_5
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I've got an iPod Touch, and I speak from experience, it is a quite secure device. Buying it for your daughter is your choice, but if you do, you can easily block web browsing, app downloading, certain rated content, music purchases, the YouTube app and more.
It's a fantastic piece of hardware, and depending on how it's set up, it can be appropriate for all ages.
It's a fantastic piece of hardware, and depending on how it's set up, it can be appropriate for all ages.
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S13driftAZ
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I have a better idea. Why don't you just get your daughter an R4 card, whatever its called, and fill it up with music?
http://www.r4ds.com/
http://www.r4ds.com/
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CDN_Merlin
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Re:
She already has one.fliptw wrote:you are better off getting an ipod.
What is up with all of these little kids who have cell phones and MP3 players?! The decision that needs to be made is one born of common sense: no matter how bad your kid says he wants an iPod or a cell phone, no matter how much he tells you how cool it is, you have to say NO DEAL! :P I didn't have a cell phone until my first year of college (because they were unavailable anyway ^_~). I never had things like hundreds of dollars to spend on a regular basis. Even if they did exist when I was a kid, I know I would have never gotten one. >_<
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S13driftAZ
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Re:
I'd say let the kid have a phone, just with none of the texting. Thats where problems arise, because its so impersonal. Its very easy to say things you normally wouldn't, plus nobody can actually hear you.Burlyman wrote:What is up with all of these little kids who have cell phones and MP3 players?! The decision that needs to be made is one born of common sense: no matter how bad your kid says he wants an iPod or a cell phone, no matter how much he tells you how cool it is, you have to say NO DEAL!I didn't have a cell phone until my first year of college (because they were unavailable anyway ^_~). I never had things like hundreds of dollars to spend on a regular basis. Even if they did exist when I was a kid, I know I would have never gotten one. >_<
I'd like to share my perspective - cause I actually DID just buy my 10YO son one.
My eldest son had been pestering me for months to get an ipod touch (one of his best mates has one) We repeatedly said no. Finally after 4 solid months of him asking thrice dialy I made him a deal - if he could save half the purchase price I would pay the other half. It couldn't go to school or out of the home and he had to pay for any songs/apps out of his own money.
He earned the money for the ipod by being paid allowance for taking out the rubbish & doing odd chores around the home. He got extra money if his room was kept tidy and there had to be an improvment in his application at school, otherwise the deal was off.
...and for the next three months his room was spotless, the rubbish was taken out without arguement, he turned his study at school around and he (reluctantly) sacrificed smaller purchases like pokemon and yu-gi-oh cards for the bigger payoff of the ipod.
The big day came, he had saved enough money and made a collossal effort, so we bought one. He chose to buy it online as you got free engraving from the apple shop. I used it as an opportunity to teach him about ordering things online and the problems that can arise: eg. security of the transaction, shipping delays, handoff procedures between courier and manufacturer etc. The shipping time to Australia was supposed to be be 14 days. It ended up being 35 - there were delays at the airport in China, delays in Aust. cutoms and TNT had to come out to our home THRICE when trying to deliver it because the delivery driver coudn't be bothered to get out of the truck and look at our mailbox for the house number
My son was tearing his hair out at the delays, especially when he realised that A: it could be bought locally for the same price and B: That the engraving he ordered meant that there could be no return for replacement if things went wrong when he got it.
It finally arrived in good order - I configured internet access and chose NOT to activate parental controls right away - I wanted to see how he would do first. I also used my spare credit card to register his online account with the apple store.
He downloaded over $200 in apps on my card without thinking about what he was doing -= and downloaded some mature content (not true porn thank god) in a bundle of apps he bought. He was embarrassed by the adult content, not turned on, and sought my help in how to remove it from the Ipod.
He was staggered when I told him how much of my money he had blown on apps and immediately apologised. He is now back to doing odd jobs and keeping his room tidy to pay off the debt he has to me.
Was it too early to buy it for him? No it wasn't:
- he was consistent in his requests for the ipod, it was not a passing fad.
- he learnt the value of saving and the need for sacrficing impulse buys for a bigger purchase.
- he learnt that it takes months of hard work to earn a lot of money, and a few minutes of carelessness to lose it.
- he learnt that not everything that looks cool on the internet is appropriate for kids, and that people will hide dross in with good product in order to sell it.
- he learnt to shop around for the best price and really think about ALL the ramifications of his choices.
He may probably make many of these mistakes again on the the next large purchase - but some of them he won't repeat.
AT the rate he's going it will take him over a year to pay back the money he now owes me - this has actually got him thinking about his future and what he wants to do for a living. (I pointed out to him that both he and I were currently working solely to pay off debt. He doesn't like it, neither do I. He's now thinking about jobs he might like that pay better than average wages.
)
...beside which, I also get to use it when he's out!
My eldest son had been pestering me for months to get an ipod touch (one of his best mates has one) We repeatedly said no. Finally after 4 solid months of him asking thrice dialy I made him a deal - if he could save half the purchase price I would pay the other half. It couldn't go to school or out of the home and he had to pay for any songs/apps out of his own money.
He earned the money for the ipod by being paid allowance for taking out the rubbish & doing odd chores around the home. He got extra money if his room was kept tidy and there had to be an improvment in his application at school, otherwise the deal was off.
...and for the next three months his room was spotless, the rubbish was taken out without arguement, he turned his study at school around and he (reluctantly) sacrificed smaller purchases like pokemon and yu-gi-oh cards for the bigger payoff of the ipod.
The big day came, he had saved enough money and made a collossal effort, so we bought one. He chose to buy it online as you got free engraving from the apple shop. I used it as an opportunity to teach him about ordering things online and the problems that can arise: eg. security of the transaction, shipping delays, handoff procedures between courier and manufacturer etc. The shipping time to Australia was supposed to be be 14 days. It ended up being 35 - there were delays at the airport in China, delays in Aust. cutoms and TNT had to come out to our home THRICE when trying to deliver it because the delivery driver coudn't be bothered to get out of the truck and look at our mailbox for the house number
My son was tearing his hair out at the delays, especially when he realised that A: it could be bought locally for the same price and B: That the engraving he ordered meant that there could be no return for replacement if things went wrong when he got it.
It finally arrived in good order - I configured internet access and chose NOT to activate parental controls right away - I wanted to see how he would do first. I also used my spare credit card to register his online account with the apple store.
He downloaded over $200 in apps on my card without thinking about what he was doing -= and downloaded some mature content (not true porn thank god) in a bundle of apps he bought. He was embarrassed by the adult content, not turned on, and sought my help in how to remove it from the Ipod.
He was staggered when I told him how much of my money he had blown on apps and immediately apologised. He is now back to doing odd jobs and keeping his room tidy to pay off the debt he has to me.
Was it too early to buy it for him? No it wasn't:
- he was consistent in his requests for the ipod, it was not a passing fad.
- he learnt the value of saving and the need for sacrficing impulse buys for a bigger purchase.
- he learnt that it takes months of hard work to earn a lot of money, and a few minutes of carelessness to lose it.
- he learnt that not everything that looks cool on the internet is appropriate for kids, and that people will hide dross in with good product in order to sell it.
- he learnt to shop around for the best price and really think about ALL the ramifications of his choices.
He may probably make many of these mistakes again on the the next large purchase - but some of them he won't repeat.
AT the rate he's going it will take him over a year to pay back the money he now owes me - this has actually got him thinking about his future and what he wants to do for a living. (I pointed out to him that both he and I were currently working solely to pay off debt. He doesn't like it, neither do I. He's now thinking about jobs he might like that pay better than average wages.
)...beside which, I also get to use it when he's out!
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CDN_Merlin
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Gekko, nice story. Sadly I think that won't work for all kids. Everyone is different. My step-daughter is a smart kid but she's also just into \"fad\" things. She always has to have the latest toys (brats etc) watched all the in shows (hannah etc) and only wants a Touch because her half sister has one.
She doesn't understand fully how life works. She's clueless about how the internet works or how much things really cost. She does save her money and pays half of what she wants for some things. She sometimes spends her money (smax, bday) friviously.
She's not used to punishment yet but I've shown her that I mean business when she doesn't listen. I've told her that the I Touch is not cheap, and it's not a toy. You have to buy everything and that it won't be wireless everywhere she goes. That part she didn't know which made her realize she may not want it.
She hasn't asked for it again and has already spent most of her xmas money and at $200, it's not easy to save for.
She doesn't understand fully how life works. She's clueless about how the internet works or how much things really cost. She does save her money and pays half of what she wants for some things. She sometimes spends her money (smax, bday) friviously.
She's not used to punishment yet but I've shown her that I mean business when she doesn't listen. I've told her that the I Touch is not cheap, and it's not a toy. You have to buy everything and that it won't be wireless everywhere she goes. That part she didn't know which made her realize she may not want it.
She hasn't asked for it again and has already spent most of her xmas money and at $200, it's not easy to save for.
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SilverFJ
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Well, force her to. I'm so glad my father smacked me around (I WASN'T then!) When I acted up out of boredom, and that I was denied gameboys and walkmans. What my dad did when I was six years old, was put the encyclopedia set in an unlocked glass case and told me never, NEVER, get in there and read those, I could read anything I wanted in the house, but not those. I had the entire set read (maybe not fully understood) by the time I was eight.Merlin wrote:She always has to have something to do. Can't just sit and enjoy the ride etc.
Nowadays I can barely watch television without getting sick and I get up to watch the sun rise every morning, and I don't own a cell phone. The payphone a block away is fine with me (I live pretty back in the middle of nowhere so I don't know if you can relate). Think about your daughter, 14 years later at my age, rolling out of bed and texting.
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S13driftAZ
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So awesome dude... i might try that somedaySilverFJ wrote:What my dad did when I was six years old, was put the encyclopedia set in an unlocked glass case and told me never, NEVER, get in there and read those, I could read anything I wanted in the house, but not those. I had the entire set read (maybe not fully understood) by the time I was eight.
Re:
sounds like your life suckedSilverFJ wrote:Well, force her to. I'm so glad my father smacked me around (I WASN'T then!) When I acted up out of boredom, and that I was denied gameboys and walkmans. What my dad did when I was six years old, was put the encyclopedia set in an unlocked glass case and told me never, NEVER, get in there and read those, I could read anything I wanted in the house, but not those. I had the entire set read (maybe not fully understood) by the time I was eight.Merlin wrote:She always has to have something to do. Can't just sit and enjoy the ride etc.
Nowadays I can barely watch television without getting sick and I get up to watch the sun rise every morning, and I don't own a cell phone. The payphone a block away is fine with me (I live pretty back in the middle of nowhere so I don't know if you can relate). Think about your daughter, 14 years later at my age, rolling out of bed and texting.
Birdseye wrote:It's never over