How to make a laptop a more exciting present for a child

BrassicWoman

Flyonthewall wrote: »

The laptop will be fine for games.

It's not dedicated graphics card, its a chipset, so it'll be fine for midrange games on low settings.

Therefore, I'd be sticking to the console for games myself.

You could check on the tech board for suggestions also? They'll know what the hot items are

bigmomma051204

pigpen wrote: »

as someone with more children than you (probably )


While I agree in a sense... if you can afford gifts for your children then get them.. they are little for such a short time enjoy them, spoil them.. not to the point of expectation and brattishness of course.. but also teach them the important things too.. they are the greatest gift.. love, compassion, manners, kindness, empathy (my parents did a crap job at a couple of those, I know my failings, lol)

Last year my daughter wanted a bottle of snow fairy shower gel! she was just turned 14 and it cost £10 (I actually had a nutter on here have a go at me because I bought her it) .. the odd special present doesn't make them ungrateful or spoilt.. knowing you as parents worked hard for it and gave them it because you scraped together your money means more.

I do aim to get things mine NEED rather than simply WANT.. which makes a big difference.. mine also get nothing throughout the year.. absolutely nothing so I CAN spend more at Christmas.. the fact they get nothing else makes it special, the fact we are all together as a family makes it special.. people make things special not money.

Thanks You have made me feel okay about buying him an extravagant pressie.... some others have made me feel a pretty shi**y parent :cool:
He really will need the laptop for school - so much is computer based homework these days... and my laptop is so old, it has no letters on the keys :D Seriously!!!!

bigmomma051204

BrassicWoman wrote: »

It's not dedicated graphics card, its a chipset, so it'll be fine for midrange games on low settings.

Therefore, I'd be sticking to the console for games myself.

You could check on the tech board for suggestions also? They'll know what the hot items are

Oooh tech board - good plan! Haven't really ventured on there much :rotfl:Time to say hello perhaps!

Georgiegirl256

bigmomma051204 wrote: »

Yes it was a bargain. And perhaps I should have worded my post more clearly to explain that he isn't a spoilt brat etc....
I posted for advice - the advice I asked for in my post. I didn't ask for a sweeping generalisation about the youth of today being materialistic, etc etc!
If you had no advice regards my question, why bother to reply?

I replied to say a laptop IS an exciting present and that most kids would be chuffed to receive one. They are appealing as they are and don't neccessarily need anything else with them to make them more so. I understand why you want to do so and that is understandable, but I'm sure he'd just be really pleased with it as is.

Andypandyboy wrote: »

I don't think it was an endictment of your son, more of you:D. He will not know how much you actually paid for it, and really, that is immaterial, it is worth much more. I know it is hard, but it is such a good present that he will be thrilled.

You don't need anyones approval of course, but trust me, you will be making a rod for your own back.................

Andypandyboy sums it up well. It wasn't aimed at you or your son, but in general.

meritaten

most operating systems come with games installed. I cant see why he wouldn't be thrilled.

Andypandyboy

pigpen wrote: »

as someone with more children than you (probably )


While I agree in a sense... if you can afford gifts for your children then get them.. they are little for such a short time enjoy them, spoil them.. not to the point of expectation and brattishness of course.. but also teach them the important things too.. they are the greatest gift.. love, compassion, manners, kindness, empathy (my parents did a crap job at a couple of those, I know my failings, lol)

Last year my daughter wanted a bottle of snow fairy shower gel! she was just turned 14 and it cost £10 (I actually had a nutter on here have a go at me because I bought her it) .. the odd special present doesn't make them ungrateful or spoilt.. knowing you as parents worked hard for it and gave them it because you scraped together your money means more.

I do aim to get things mine NEED rather than simply WANT.. which makes a big difference.. mine also get nothing throughout the year.. absolutely nothing so I CAN spend more at Christmas.. the fact they get nothing else makes it special, the fact we are all together as a family makes it special.. people make things special not money.

I couldn't agree more, but a £350 laptop for an 11th birthday is a good gift by anyones standards I would have thought. I do it differently though, for me, gifts are about wants not needs, something special that they are not expecting.

As you say, it is people or family, not what they give, that is special, which is why I am sure the OP will be surprised at how the laptop will be received by her son. He will love it.

Flyonthewall

BrassicWoman wrote: »

It's not dedicated graphics card, its a chipset, so it'll be fine for midrange games on low settings.

Therefore, I'd be sticking to the console for games myself.

You could check on the tech board for suggestions also? They'll know what the hot items are

Well, yeah. For an 11 year old who likes games like Minecraft it'll be fine, it's not as though he'll be playing GTA V on it and wanting the max settings!

Least, I hope not...lol.

If he becomes a PC gamer and one who loves graphics to be the best possible then he'll want something more. For now, especially as the idea is the laptop is more for school work and he has a console, the laptop is decent enough for the games he's likely to play (and that is what the reply was to, not some future possibility).

Flyonthewall

meritaten wrote: »

most operating systems come with games installed. I cant see why he wouldn't be thrilled.

Yeah, but usually card games like Freecell. Although you may get trial games like Airport Mania (I can't remember any others that were on my PC when I got it lol) which he may like but the trials are like an hour or something.

Different computers come with slightly different games.

Although there are games online too he could play.

Poppy9

You said he knows you are sometimes short of money so he will not be expecting his own personal laptop so no need to dress it up it will be enough of wow.


Have you thought about where he will be using it. Will it be in his room mainly or in a family area. Personally I favour the family area so you can keep an eye on what sites he's browsing as he's coming to that age where certain hub sites will be of interest to him


My DD is 20 now but I still remember her face on Xmas day after having her first ever laptop. She'd never asked for one as she hasn't asked for a specific Xmas present since a young child. We had set it up a few days before so it was good to go on Xmas morning. Sometimes I've failed. She didn't seem excited by her mini Ipad a few years ago but she grew to like it but I was gutted by her muted reaction on Xmas day. I try to go for thoughtful presents that will give the wow but doesn't always happen.


If you want to make his birthday special why not do a treat like have his friends over as a surprise and order a pizza. Not sure if 11 year old boys into films or whether they would be happy just on games console. Maybe they could sleep over. A birthday cake is always acceptable so you could bake him a cake.

Elsewhere

Games -
I haven't played it myself, but Terraria is supposed to be a very good game and suitable for age 11 and up. It's like Minecraft but better.

When my children were that age one of the things they particularly liked was the facility to make and print out birthday and Christmas cards they had designed themselves. We used to use Microsoft Publisher, but maybe there's a free application available these days which you could have installed ready?