Son wants a Sony Play Station

puddle jumper

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My son wants a new video game box, Sony Play Station. I told him he has to pay for it him self but hes only 12 and there about 300 dollars.

He can't touch his savings as that's all xmas/birthday money for education.

I told him he can do choirs around the house to make money to pay for it (the small community we live in he can't get a job as all the kid jobs are taken bye high school kids but that's ok.

My question is what should i pay him for odd jobs. He does not get an allowance to speak off but we do give him money when he wants to do things like the show or a slushy at the store. He is a good kid but i want him to earn it. Plus i dont want him to reach is goal to fast as he must show responsibility and the ability to make his goal a reality.

I was thinking
-2 bucks for the dishes
-5 bucks for the lawn small yard
-2 bucks for vacume and tidy up the house
-5 bucks helping mom garden

Does this sound fare to you guys
 

WAVENBYE2

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

Oh go ahead and buy it for him!! Chances are you'll probably end up playing it more than he will anyway. MOM dad won't let me play!!:D
I Love my video games!! And I'm 41
 

4JawChuck

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

I've got three kids, the twins are 8 and my oldest boy is 12. The twins get 10 bucks every two weeks and the oldest gets 20. All those chores you listed are included in that allowance, we call those daily chores and are expected to be done to receive the allowance.

Car washes are extra cash and special jobs are handled by negotiation. I like them to get into the habit of doing a regular job as a responsibility and getting regular pay, the odd jobs are a chance for them to barter their labor and estimate how long it might take to do a job.

We tried the individual pay for chores but it gives them a chance to avoid ones they don't like...it didn't last long. Avoidance of any chore is a forfeit of the two week paycheck...in essence they get fired.

It has worked very well for us and we even enjoy the bartering part, its hilarious to discuss labor charges and hourly rates with 8 year olds...sure has taught them the value of a dollar.

Good luck with whatever you come up with, love those kids.;)
 

coolbikeguy

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

Oh go ahead and buy it for him!! Chances are you'll probably end up playing it more than he will anyway. MOM dad won't let me play!!:D
I Love my video games!! And I'm 41

thats how it ended up being when i got our ps 2. but those dang football games ... i have one of the maddens, like 99 or something and still havent caught a ball yet lol i gave up and it sits on the shelf. i dig guitar hero though ... LOL scott
 

FishyFish

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

Oh go ahead and buy it for him!!

I agree with that! You'll probably play it more than him and enjoy it just as much. I'm over 60 and I play. I'm one of those game-a-holics, I can't wait for the newer games to come out. Madden 10 is warm right now from the nites games. I tried the grade reward program and it worked to well, I bought my son a 2009 Honda Civic, he just got a new HP laptop, ...The program will put me in the poorhouse. All grades are "A's"......Don't give up on the choirs, but those are just responsibilities that we expect and they build character.

Fish
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

i agree on chores, and allowances. buy the system, but extra games, hardware come out of allowance savings. there can be also a bonus system, extra $5 for not having to remind him to do his chores, during that time period.

it is like a salaried employee, with a bonus, for great performance.

this also helps them to become "self starters" in life.
 

redone4x4

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

Oh go ahead and buy it for him!! Chances are you'll probably end up playing it more than he will anyway. MOM dad won't let me play!!:D
I Love my video games!! And I'm 41

I just bought a Wii for the house.....yep, I like to play it just as much as my daughter does now. but, it has become kindof a family thing, we all hang out together and take turns, try to help pass different levels, etc. turned out to be and excellent purchase. The buy the system but let him buy extra games deal sounds good too.
 

Numlaar

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

I like 4Jaw's idea on the allowance but required to do the chores...

Also your idea for the individual ones has merit as well... but like 4Jaw said they might "pick and choose" which ones they want to do...

Some others have mentioned buying the system and then making them work for the games... that is what I do for my son...

Since I used to own a video game store, he is a bit spoiled as far as the systems go... (has a Wii, and PS2, and I have the XBox360 which will go to him when I'm done with it ;) )

But since he's only 6, we make him do very minor choirs (clean his room, put laundry away, etc.), and keep up his grades... he gets 1 game/report card if he does well, the others he has to earn...we are trying to teach him early,that stuff doesnt come free... (the only reason he got the systems was because I owned the store, and had them in inventory, and I grabbed them before I closed the store).

I think the most important thing to take from all of this, is that no matter which method you choose, you are doing the right thing by teaching him the value of a dollar, and the importance of hard work... (which is more than a lot of parents do) so Kudos to you!
 

Tyme2fish

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

I'm as old as dirt. I received 50 cents a week for my allowance. Shoveled snow, weeded the garden,mowed the acre lawn,etc for that 50 cents. And may the Lord protect me if I didn't get the snow shoveled off before Dad got home. This was when I lived in Northern Indiana and the winters were brutal.

Now, mind you, 25 cents was the cost of admission to the picture show at that time.

However, my dad did give a bonus during the school year. I got $1.00 for every A on my report card and an additional $1.00 if I made the honor roll. No extra $1.00's at all if I got any grade lower than a B. I sure could make some extra money every 6 weeks during the school year and it was a great motivator to study and get good grades.:)
 

bigskiohio

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

I bought my son a ps3 and now he wants a xbox because all his friends have xbox 360 not ps3. so make sure you get the system you want. They all play the same but xbox has halo which is really popular online. I thought ps3 was the one to have but apparently not.
 

puddle jumper

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

We had the xbox 360 and it was defective right out of the box. When we took it back the store clerk told us "didnt anyone tell you that 8 out of 10 come back" I just about flipped. He now wants the Play Station becouse his older brother has one and they can play on line.

I am leaning towards the contractor approach because if he gets lazy he wont make any money but if he puts out the extra effort he could have it sooner. I also want to see and guide him in finding opportunities on how to make money so hopefully when he has to be on his own he will be ok.
 

coolguy147

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

got an xbox but it mainly with older people games i always hear problems with xboxes and im sure it will happen to me sometime.

ps3 great system just xbox better games more better online more people have it but most good games rated teen up but it breaks down
 

4JawChuck

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

I should mention my kids have an XBox 360 and Sony PSP handheld gaming machines, the Sony PS3 is the latest and greatest and you can play high def movies through it on the TV so its a better investment. Our XBox has failed three times, I am thanking God I paid for the extra insurance through FutureShop when I bought it...they are not very reliable.

The PSP handhelds came about when I started looking at a DVD system for our Dodge Caravan, for the same price as an installed DVD system in the Van I got three PSP gaming systems plus games for each child. You can watch movies and listen to MP3 music on the PSP from a data card (after they have been ripped to the computer) and you can buy movies for them. These little handhelds have wireless capability and are light years ahead of other handhelds gaming systems, you can even surf the internet on them! Now each child can watch his own movie on his handheld when we go on long trips, way better than a DVD player for the van.

I would go for a PS3 if I was going to buy new at this point, the XBox has a very poor reliability rating and is one generation old compared to the PS3, the BlueRay capability is a deal maker if you ask me.
 

lowkee

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

If he is a good kid, then reward him for being so. I would add a conversation that explains why he is getting it and how big ticket items are not a regular basis thing, just so he understands the hows and whys and doesn't get encouraged to be greedy.
 

JaSla74

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

Definitely check into what his friends are playing, but PS3 is a superior machine in IMO. I bought one for myself & find that I watch DVDs/Blu-Ray just as much, if not more than I game. It's a great media system & is customizable. Xbox has some great titles, but still has a 50+% failure rate. It's not if, but when that box will fail. Ultimately the quality of the PS3 is what sold me. Check CL too. I picked mine up for $250 with two controllers before the price drop, so you might could find one even cheaper.

Buy it for him if you like, but let him know it's his privilege to play, not his right.
 

puddle jumper

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

I guess that i should mention that he just got a new $250 21 speed bike. He also already has the psp and the older xbox. We originally got him the 360 to finish the halo trilogy. Hes completed 1 and 2.

By no means is he deprived of toys. I just want him to start working for goals in his life and i think now is a good time to start. Who knows at Xmas if he has not come up with the full amount i may just kick in some. He just battled his mother to do the dishes. Cool
 

redone4x4

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

maybe have him trade in a system to get the new one. so he understands trading one thing for another? and he still gets the new system.
 

puddle jumper

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

maybe have him trade in a system to get the new one. so he understands trading one thing for another? and he still gets the new system.

I didn't think of that, reclaiming money already spent for his goal.Is there much of a market for older systems. Plus will he part with his old systems because he still play them.

That's good thinking.
 

windsors03cobra

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

My wife bought a PS3, I think by the time she walked out the bill was 5 or 6 hundred dollars, what a waste and a pile of crap. :redface:

I use it to play Thomas the Tank Engine DVD's for my daughter. :)

4I think Puddle Jumpers system sounds good and 4 Jaw Chucks system is nice. I heard that if someone gets something for nothing, that is what it is worth to that person. Nothing
 

redone4x4

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Re: Son wants a Sony Play Station

I didn't think of that, reclaiming money already spent for his goal.Is there much of a market for older systems. Plus will he part with his old systems because he still play them.

That's good thinking.

you can sell it on craigslist. even if its only 20 or 40 bucks or whatever, at least he could see that you have to give and let go to get what you want, you cant just have it all and never trade things up. i sold a ps2 a few months ago before we got the Wii for $50.
 
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