Kids expecting too much for Christmas?

I hate to be "mean" to kids at Christmas. I have to admit that I spoil my child (in many ways) practically rotten! He's getting far more than he needs for his birthday & Christmas this year. Even so, I don't think that if you add up ALL what I'm giving him (for birthday & Christmas) it comes to anything near $350. I've even gone a little wild this year because I actually managed the miracle of all miracles in this economy - a new, higher paying, job.

Still, in this particular situation, this child needs to be taught an object lesson. You and your husband have to nip this in the bud before it gets any worse. Soon she's going to need to be getting a job and learning how to budget - and allowing her to get $350 by whining is just going to make matters worse.

Here is my suggestion - no phone period! You husband is right. Her behavior right now warrants serious consequences. If you cannot cancel adding the new phone to the plan, then give that phone to the 13-year-old. She may not be QUITE ready for it, but she'll appreciate it far more than the older girl, and it will really teach the older girl a lesson about gratitude and responsibility. It will also teach her mother a lesson about interference. Guess who the girl will be whining to next about a phone!

I say get her a phone that looks cool, but much less expensive. Shes probably acting out because that's the same personality as her mom when her mom isn't really around. keep the budget the same for each child, but if you have extra in the end you can add it to another kids budget. Or, you could take all the gifts back and save up for a vacation for spring break of something. That's what I got last year and it was much more fun then any other gift I would have gotten.

She's ungreatfull because people keep giving into her. You need to stop and treat her like all the other kids you have. how old is she anyways? she sounds young by the way she is throwing a fit so in that case she doesnt need a phone anyways! Why dont you explane to her that if u get her a phone that u will have to buy all the kids a phone and you cant afford that. you are her parents you have to be stern with her! if she still really wants the phone, then u can buy it for her but let her know that it was so expensive that she is getting NOTHING else at all for christmas, and while the other kids are opening all their gifts she will only have a little cell phone.

I can see why your hurt about this,

you have both had to struggle to get them what they got already, so she should understand this and be grateful ,

To be honest i wouldn't give her the option of getting the more expensive phone by giving her the reciepts,

she should be grateful for the thought that has gone into the presents she's got.

If she saves for the phone herself,

maybe she'll realize that money doesn't grow on tree's.

To be honest i would take the phone you have got her back and buy her something completely different.

Then she would have wished she'd hadn't been ungrateful and had the phone no matter what one it was.

If not, and you do want to get her the phone,

then why not ask her mother to pay towards it aswell ?

even though she doesn't deserve it

xx

I would give her no phone at all, or a dirt cheap one - after all, you can't afford the expensive one (and I wouldn't spend that much money on a status symbol for a kid regardless of if I could afford it) and she doesn't want the cheaper one. So call her bluff. Put the money you would have spent on the other phone in a savings account for her for her college fund, and be sure she can't get at it to spend on other junk until then. She can have it when she needs it.

how old is the ungrateful little sucker? You know these kids act this way because of the parents. if we weren't always going out of our way to make sure they get everything they ask for then they wouldn't expect so much.

what ur suggesting is reasonable but i'm sure the older one won't care about homeless people only bout that phone. If i were u, i would return the less expensive phone that u got for her and let her save up the money through allowance, or work and have her buy the phone herself. It's always easy to spend someone else's money. See if she'll spend her own.. Not only that u know the price of the phone is gonna drop in a month anyway.

have a sit down w/her and her father and she can accept it or not..

Remember ur the parents, it's not what the H she wants it's what u can afford to give her.

Tell her that...what you just told us.. She is being ungrateful..many kids are excited for Christmas because of the presents. It would be a good idea to take her to a homeless shelter. Take the kids there and have them donate presents. Try to get them to understand that they are very fortunate. She probably will be upset that she's not getting as much presents...but thats normal for a kid. Just try to make Christmas extra special for the kids if you can't afford as many presents. Remember money doesn't buy everything..although it seems like it.

first- make it firm that she is not getting the phone under any circumstances. she is old enough now to know that money is really tight and how your financial situation is. I would spend $150 on each kid tops. then on Christmas make them go to a soup kitchen and serve homeless people and let them know that they don't get any presents. if they whine say that it's not too late to take back all the presents they got.

about the phone, get her like a Juke (verizon) or a LG shine (at&t) or a 20 or 30 dollar phone from your phone company.

Hope it helps!

Does she live with you or does she live with her mother and your husband pay child support? This is important. My husband pay over $1,000 a month for two kids. When it comes to holidays, we buy them gifts but we spend no where near what I spend on my kids. I make the same amount of money as my husband and if you take the $1,000 a month away, I make more. My children get what "I" can get them. My step kids get what their "dad" can get them. To me this is fair and just the way it is. I know most people will not like this answer but I feel it is up to the mother to get the kids the majority of their gifts or the parent the kids live with and do not have to pay/and receive child support. This is where the expensive gifts should be purchased.

I would return the phone and have her volunteer at a shelter on Christmas day. I have almost the same problem with my 14 year old wanting a $300 ipod touch. I made him volunteer at our towns childrens christmas party where he had to help pass out toys to 10,000 children who would otherwise not have a christmas. I think that may work for your problem too.

Good luck