'But I Neeeeeed It!' She Suggested (What a horrible, selfish story!!!)

The New York Times ^ | 5/29/05 | Alex Williams

[paulat]

May 29, 2005 'But I Neeeeeed It!' She Suggested By ALEX WILLIAMS LAST Christmas, Kristi Stangeland, a mother of two who lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., made a grievous mistake: she bought her 14-year-old daughter, Erika Hinman, a shiny new MP3 player. But it was the wrong MP3 player.

"I tried to get away with getting her an MP3 player that was $100 cheaper," Ms. Stangeland explained sheepishly.

"I was in the biggest dog box," she said, recalling Erika's crestfallen response. "She went to school, and everyone else had got an iPod for Christmas. It was like, 'How come everyone else got one, and you couldn't buy me an iPod?' So we got one for her birthday two months later."

[paulat]

I shudder to think what these kids are going to be like. I guess I am GLAD they'll be over-paying for my Social Security!! LOL!!

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Those kids will find a way to scam and steal our social sec, if there is any left. Imagine being married to a squealish, selfish little oinker like that. Boot her butt to the street or back to her mommy.

[Frank_2001]

Two different last names....might contribute a bit to the problem, eh?

[stands2reason]

Your link keeps killing my browser.

[paulat]

Your link keeps killing my browser.

Then you have the wrong browser...works fine for everyone else...it is the print version of the NYT story.

[Mongeaux]

Ok I admit it - my 12 year old daughter got the Ipod and cellphone for christmas. The little laptop came last month on her birthday. But she lives with her mom so I really wanted her to have the cell and the puter so we can exchange emails and such, and for emergencies.

[Pan_Yan]

My kids have recently moved up from my old Sega Genesis game system to the Play Station (old PS1) their uncle gave them. I intend to keep them up on the latest technology available at the flea market or E-bay, where the old games are 50 cents each.

They'll get MP3 players when the new ones cost the same as a cheap CD player.

[paulat]

Ok I admit it - my 12 year old daughter got the Ipod and cellphone for christmas. The little laptop came last month on her birthday. But she lives with her mom so I really wanted her to have the cell and the puter so we can exchange emails and such, and for emergencies.

I'm gonna be harsh...look at your sentence and tell me what is wrong with your situation.

[lowbridge]

bump

[bannie]

Juat say, "No."

[Marauder]

After my divorce, I bought my son a drum set to take home. My ex is still mad about that. :)

[nopardons]

You've fallen into the DIVORCED HOLE of BUYING your daughter's love/DADDY IS BETTER THAN MOMMY trap. Your excuse is pathetic and you're making your kid a spoiled brat.

[Huntress]

This article makes me remember why I'm glad I'm not a kid anymore. It sucks to have so little self confidence that you actually think you need a certain brand of MP3 player, or cell phone, or whatever to be accepted by your peers.

[Clock King]

Two different last names....might contribute a bit to the problem, eh?

Yep. Fathers generally don't tolerate such nonsense. They teach kids to value their posessions. BTW, I bought the Samsung YP-MT6 for less that $100.

It's small, plays well, and holds more music than I have time to listen to. Also has an FM tuner in it.

[paulat]

My folks had a kinder reply. They said, "When your part-time job contributes enough to your college expenses that there isn't a hardship to the family, and you can buy it yourself...then it's yours!!!"

[bannie]

I was number 5 of 6. I never even bothered to ask.

aaaahhhh...when parents were parents...kids were kids and didn't rule the pocketbook...

[Gabz]

My friend's 8 year old was appalled this afternoon when I stopped him by saying "I am talking and you do not interupt anyone without at least saying excuse me" - he was appalled mostly because his mom (my friend) did not disagree with me and side with him.

She and I then had a conversation about manners in children and I explained to her the difficulties I had with my almost 7yo after she spends any amount of time with her children. Her kids don't like coming to my house or me babysitting - because my rules are vastly different than their mom's rules are.

We don't have Playstations or gameboys - but we do have top of the line up-to-date computers in this house, because my husband builds them himself. Her little friends do like to come here to play on her computer, because their computers can't do what hers can do - so it is a trade off.

[nodumbblonde]

Same here. We learned math early... 4 kids + expensive item = don't bother asking. lol

No. It's such a small word, yet so many parents have such difficulty uttering it. :\

[redheadtoo]

When my sister and I wanted some high priced and extravagant object my parents had a set answer. You don't need that.

Now, when I see a high priced and extravagant object a little voice in my head goes off saying, "You don't need that." It save me oodles of money. And I actually find that it is true. I don't need it.

[Angel]

I think it is good for kids when the parents say "no". We are pretty well off and my kids don't have ipods even though they want them I told them when they can afford one as well as paying their miscellaneous college expenses, then they can buy it. I'm not going to. Gosh, I can think of a lot of expensive things I want, but I'm not going to buy them. (things like a waterfall in my back yard to reduce the traffic noise, an outdoor kitchen, granite kitchen counters, etc).