To the parents of teens...I am fed up with you!!

[foolishmortal]

Evil parent that I am, my dd9 has had a tv in her room for 5 years!!! And you know, she hardly ever watches it. Of course, if I hook her up to cable (as I'm considering), that will change a little. See, I TRUST my dd. She's very responsible, she's pretty predictible, and her tastes are pretty boring.

Basically it does come down to trust. It's unfortunate that you don't trust your son to only spend short periods of time watching tv or on his computer in his room. (Or maybe you're not willing to invest the $$ for the amount of use-hours you would allow? Or maybe YOU'RE the lazy one because you don't want to have to monitor it.) Personally, I think kids learn more by having limits set an followed, not by being denied access to fun stuff.

And I think kids benefit more by being raised by non-judgemental parents than by having to listen to how all their friends are exposed to BAD parenting.

p.s. my dd prefers card games to board games.

STRIP POKER....Have her broadcast it on her highspeed connection..don't forget that.

 

[sgtdisney]

...and a son that I'm actually going to play a board game with! Remember those...Board games??

I have an idea, instead of playing games, why don't you take some time and teach your son that life is full of inequities and isn't always fair? That in life you will always know people who have more than you and even less than you. Unless of course you are Bill Gates,but then your son would probably have a computer in his room anyway. Teach him that just because Johnny got a BMW for H.S. Graduation and Buffy has a cell phone, it doesn't mean that everyone will get one.

Enforce your rules in your house, that is your right, and I will enforce mine in my own. Unfortunately in this world, not everyone is financially equal or even has similar ideas on what is a need and/or want. Get off your soap box and teach your son about life, that will help him more than condemning people here.

Oh, and by the way, my 4 year old has a princess tv and dvd player with satellite access in her room.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Okay, my most sincere apologies everybody.

After I was able to stop laughing long enough to give it some thought, I see that perhaps the OP is right.

Excuse me for a moment while I run in DS room and

 

[clutter]

DD prefers poker

Had to put a kabash on the poker. I was losing my retirement account!!!!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Wow, I feel so much better now... that was liberating!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

OK, then. Thanks for joining us. What is your trolldar telling you? Inquiring minds want to know.

Denae

My trolldar says...not a troll, but a frustrated poster who wishes she didn't have to deal with the hard parenting it takes to say no to her own child, and is finding it easier to wish out loud she didn't have to. There, did I say that nicely? I don't want to be too critical, but I think a lot of this kind of talk is just silly. If you're a good, grownup parent, this kind of stuff is pretty easy to deal with. Just say yes or no.

 

[L107ANGEL]

as long it is not on the computer in her bedroom!!! Does she have a visa card to put her gambling debt onto?? I hear those are popular with the kids these days!!

Please don't let this get locked before I get back from the car dealership!!

But of course!

 

[ckay87]

My 13 1/2 girls each have their own...

You have 13 1/2 girls? That's a lot of kids. What happened to the other 1/2 of one?

Sorry I couldn't resist. This thread is funny.

Makes me think of how we drive to WDW every 2 years. My poor poor kids - ya'd think we were making them walk. "Everyone else flies" they wine. D**n you all anyway! You are lazy lazy lazy. Just shove them on the airplane because you can't deal with them for 20 hours in the car. WE spend that time playing bored games

 

[Mermaid02]

No, this is not tounge in cheek. And, no, I don't think a 12 year old needs a regular cell phone to keep in touch with his parents! A phone programmed with the parents numbers works just fine, and is cheap too. And, sorry, but no 10 year old needs a TV in his room or computer for that matter.

Good thing I don't care what YOU think. I'll do what I want with/for my kids and YOU do what you want for yours. Your way isn't the only right way.

 

[poohandwendy]

My trolldar says...not a troll, but a frustrated poster who wishes she didn't have to deal with the hard parenting it takes to say no to her own child, and is finding it easier to wish out loud she didn't have to. There, did I say that nicely? I don't want to be too critical, but I think a lot of this kind of talk is just silly. If you're a good, grownup parent, this kind of stuff is pretty easy to deal with. Just say yes or no.

Very well said.

 

[lyeag]

Wow, what a thread! My oldest has a tv in her room and a computer that isn't hooked up to the internet yet. If my kids want to get on line they do it on my computer. I let her have the tv because she is 5 years older than her sister and 9 years older than her brother. She would never get to watch any shows she enjoys if she had to watch tv in the living room! She also plays video games in her room too. I must be so lazy as a parent. Yeah, that's why she is straight A's, in the band, and is a great big sister.

Right now she doesn't have a cell phone for one main reason. She doesn't talk to friends on the phone. When she goes on band trips I give her mine so she can call me when they get back.


I understand parents wanting to limit material goods, and encourage family time, but judging other parents the way the OP is doing is just WRONG.

 

[Wishing on a star]

My trolldar says...not a troll
...
If you're a "good", grownup parent, ....

Ohhhh no!!!! Everybody be carefull now!!! Now there has been a personal attack on the OP. Careful, we don't want this to get closed just yet!!!

The OP can question others parenting, but the minute somebody insinuates that the OP is not a 'good parent' that would be 'gasp!' a personal attack.

 

[DVCLiz]

3) He wants a cell phone. Now, he has a MIGO, which is a phone with 4 programmed numbers where he can reach my husband and I, but he is teased about it and he is embarrassed about it.

This is really the only part of the OP that makes me sad. When you insist on something that embarrasses your child and causes him to be teased, it's about something more than just a communication device. It's a control issue, plain and simple, and I think it's abusive. Why on earth wouldn't you re-think this and simply teach your child what the parameters for acceptable use are? I feel sorry for your son, regardless of whether he ever gets any of these thigns before he leaves home.

 

[Magickndm]

My son is on a campaign because he wants the following items that "everyone" has...

1) He wants a TV in his room. Every child he knows has their own TV and DVD player in their room.

2) He wants a computer in his room! Of course, every child he know has one in their room.

3) He wants a cell phone.

My child (15) has all 3 and I don't give a crap what you think about it or me.

 

[debster812]

OK--I'm going to haul my lazy butt down to the lunchroom and make some microwave popcorn for us all. How many bags do you think we need? Oh, and can someone bring the drinks? Popcorn always makes me thirsty.

 

[binny]

ETA: ACKKK

Didnt mean to post this to this thread LOL Teach me to have more than one window open! LOL


Ummmm let me go back and read what the thread was about and then I will respond LOL

 

[foolishmortal]

My trolldar says...not a troll, but a frustrated poster who wishes she didn't have to deal with the hard parenting it takes to say no to her own child, and is finding it easier to wish out loud she didn't have to. There, did I say that nicely? I don't want to be too critical, but I think a lot of this kind of talk is just silly. If you're a good, grownup parent, this kind of stuff is pretty easy to deal with. Just say yes or no.

How lazy of you to say this instead of changing all the rules in your home to suit the OP'S need.

I for one see the error of my ways and will immediatley withdraw my son from sports, and the second we get home the tv, dvd, stereo and computer go straight into thetrash.

And I will tell him..if you want to have any fun...then pick a board game baby becasue we are going to play monopoly all night...wait maybe monopoly wont work..that will show that someone could be richer than others...we will play candyland all night long.

 

[DVCLiz]

Ohhhh no!!!! Everybody be carefull now!!! Now there has been a personal attack on the OP. Careful, we don't want this to get closed just yet!!!

The OP can question others parenting, but the minute somebody insinuates that the OP is not a 'good parent' that would be 'gasp!' a personal attack.

Oops, I never can leave well enough alone....

 

[ducklite]

this kind of stuff is pretty easy to deal with. Just say yes or no.

Exactly! And don't worry about what everyone else is doing, it's really not one bit of anyone's business as long as they aren't breaking any laws.

Now if other parents were cooking up crack and your kid was asking you to follow suit, you might have a problem on your hands...

Anne

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Kids 15 and 11. No TV nor DVD player nor computer in their rooms. 15 yr. old just got a cell phone as it became convenient for "me" for him to have one. He has asked for the other items in his room and I just tell him "no", we have plenty of TV's and DVD players in the house. I don't have a problem telling him "no". DD does not want the other items in her room.