Real-life MMD: Should friend cough up for broken iPhone?

Would definately go and see the parents about their child pushing yours into the river because it could have been very serious.

With regards to the phone I would see what they say. They may offer to buy a cheaper replacement and I would be with them on that.

What on earth was a 13 year old doing with an iphone - surely at 13 if felt that a phone is needed the cheapest "pay as you go" would suffice.

An expensive lesson learned for your son, but letting him have an iphone - which have a reputation for not being particularly robust - is madness imo. He could just have easily have been mugged for his phone or worse.

If the parents refuse to accept any responsibility then as your son's guardian it is up to you whether or not you pursue the matter - the boys will be friends again tomorrow anyway!

Need more facts really.

If they are mates and had gone down to muck around in the river and were BOTH messing about then he should have been more careful.

If on the other hand they were just walking past it and his mate just pushed him in then he does need to take some responsibility.

I think the drowning thing might be a bit over the top from the PC crowd as in the hot weather the other day I saw plenty of kids messing about in the local river to cool down and it was nice to see.

Personally I think letting a kid have an iphone is asking for trouble as I wouldn't even trust myself with something worth that kind of money in my pocket all day, but if you must the sensible thing for something worth that money would have been to get it insured as kids do often break things.

robpw2 wrote: »

yes rough and tumble in the playground is how the school described all bulllying so as not to make it seem a problem ,
the fact that everyday i would have to put up with "rough and tumble" even though i wasnt wanting to be involved

i am sorry but pushing someone in a river is not rough and tumble its unacceptable the boy could have drowned!!!

Hi Rob.

I think it is important to realise that this child is not you.

When I was a child, I was also bullied, but that doesn't mean that when I played with my real friends, there wasn't rough and tumble.

The moral dilemma does not tell us that any malice was involved, if it was, then this would surely be a matter for the police as a river was involved.

This particular dilemma sounds a lot more like play, "my son broke his Rolex playing rugby" if you will. Bullying was not mentioned, so please don't bring it into it as my response to a bully would of of course be different.

Id love to know how parents can afford to pay for their kids to have these phones anyway! At age 21, 5 years after starting full time employment (in a decent job) I was just able to afford a contract phone which was more than £10 p/m for myself, let alone anyone else!

Getting back to the point... you should definately mention it to the kids parents and see what theyd suggest (mention how theyd feel in your shoes). If you cant come to an agreement, then I guess its a lesson learnt for not having insurance, and I would buy your child a bog-standard replacement phone which should teach them to look after their stuff properly!

im-lost wrote: »

Its called being a child and having fun. do you remember what that
is like? im guessing by your replies you have long since forgot about
what you got up to in your childhood, either that or you were one of
these kids that roamed around in their gardens for a few minutes a
day, befor being taken inside by your oh so lovely and doting parents.

Action and consequences my foot.

If the 'other' child is at fault, then surely the one who has a wet phone
is also at fault for taking it whilst playing near rivers..
children don't go and play near rivers to sit on the bank staring up at
the clouds..

mr-tom wrote: »

I agree entirely.

Kids are kids. This could so easily have been rough and tumble in the playground rather than pushing in the river. Either way, the phone would be dead.

I think that the only way we can give 13 year olds valuable, vulnerable and portable devices is if both they and all those they come into contact with agree to surrender their childhood.

It's not going to happen.

Bad idea to let kids have iPhones.

Are you two high? The kid saved up and bought the phone himself then his mate, who willl have known the phone was in his pocket cause he'll have been showing off that "I got me an iPhone" pushes him into a body of water of indeterminite size. Be it a puddle, stream or decent sized river the phone got soaked as a result and it was reasonably forseeable even to a 13 year old that this could happen. The pusher needs to take responsability for his actions and quite frankly its this kind of soppy left wing children can do no wrong so let them do whatever they want with no consequences Laissez-faire attitude toward parenting that is causing a lot of the problems with kids today. At 13 you bloomin well should be taking responsability for your actions. Not saying bring back the cane but the pusher should DEFINITELY be buying a new phone from apple for this kid. /endrant.

parky0607 wrote: »

Id love to know how parents can afford to pay for their kids to have these phones anyway! At age 21, 5 years after starting full time employment (in a decent job) I was just able to afford a contract phone which was more than £10 p/m for myself, let alone anyone else!

Read the OP mate, the kid saved his own pocket money, the parents didnt buy it for him.


Oh and OP, why didnt you get him to get a droid? They are better phones, cost less and do SOO much more. Yes apple fan boys I am calling you out. :D:D:D