Grandmother scolds mom for not buying her 8-year-old son a new iPad after he punched and broke his: 'It's unfair younger son has a tablet and older son doesn't'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Jun 29, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

All actions have consequences, and unless parents are willing to let those consequences stand, their kids will have difficulty transitioning into adult life. A famous line of parents everywhere is "Money doesn't grow on trees," and they're absolutely correct about that. Money only grows if you put it into a very specific type of investment account, but that explanation is not the best for 8-year-olds. That age group understands consequences if they can get them, and even if your family is well off, it's not always the most productive solution to just buy something new when your kid breaks it, especially if it was done deliberately. That's precisely what happened in this story. An 8-year-old boy broke his tablet by punching it, and his mom refused to get him a new one. When his grandma commented that it wasn't fair that he didn't have one, she let her have it. 

Advertisement
  • 01
    Me
    via Emily Wade
  • 02
    Boomer grandma thinks her favorite grandson should get a new tablet after breaking it
    via u/realmotherofdragons
  • 03
    I have 2 sons, 8 and 7. My oldest son (grandma's favorite grandson) broke his tablet punching it when he was angry, and I told her he'll have to deal without it for a while. Boomer grandma had the Gaul to tell me, "It's unfair younger son has a tablet and older son doesnt" •. I told her, "younger son didn't break his tablet, and that's why he has one".
    via u/realmotherofdragons
  • 04
    bong_cumblebutt. 6 hr. ago Keep doing what your doing, don't listen to your mum
    via u/bong_cumblebutt
  • 05
    homucifer666.5 hr. ago It's not fair to the younger one who was responsible that the older one gets a new tablet after breaking his.
    via u/homucifer666
  • 06
    Alldone19 3 hr. ago Obviously the older son is the most important because he is older. He should never be overshadowed by a younger sibling, or ever lack for something the younger sibling has. The only appropriate move here is to give the younger brother's tablet to the older so the older doesn't have to face any consequences and the younger learns his place. /s
    via u/Alldone19
  • 07
    KagatoAC 3 hr. ago Buy the younger one a brand new tablet, the older one gets the hand me down.
    via u/KagatoAC
  • 08
    KagatoAC 2 hr. ago Thats how my mom used to handle stuff like that with my sister and me. Especially if it was temper tantrum related. It worked
    via u/KagatoAC
  • 09
    Cryptic Technologist - 3 hr. ago Yeah it teaches a bad lesson. Say kid 2 wants a new generation tablet? Easy just break yours in a fit of rage and the hapless parents will be obliged to replace it, because Grandma says so.
    via u/CrypticTechnologist
  • 10
    battery_pack_man · 6 hr. ago That generation has zero concept of consequences as illustrated by our current metapredicament
    via u/battery_pack_man
  • 11
    Maanzacorian · 4 hr. ago yet at the same time, it was the same generation who would have told their own child to it up and deal with it after breaking it.
    via u/Maanzacorian
  • 12
    Puzzled-Peanut-7147 5 hr. ago It's very difficult for our parents to not overextend and get preachy when you become a parent yourself. They always think they're helping you or that since you didn't die, they did a great job. I'm late Gen X and their parenting consisted of just about everything they tell you not to do today.
    via u/Puzzled-Peanut-7147
  • 13
    It took time and a lot of really difficult conversations to properly set boundaries and it included a couple of no-contact periods when they wouldn't accept those boundaries. Eventually they accepted that we don't need their advice unsolicited, we would ask if we wanted it and to otherwise support and accept our parenting decisions. From there it's been fine.
    via u/Puzzled-Peanut-7147
  • 14
    twizle89 4 hr. ago My younger niece has a habit of breaking things, then gets mad because mommy and daddy won't replace it. She's 12. When she was 9 dad installed a wall mount TV in her room. Hooked up to the network so she could watch cartoons. She didn't clean her room like she was asked to. A week later the room is even worse. Dad disconnected her TV from the network. When she couldn't watch her shows one morning she threw the remote at the TV and broke it. This was at like 8 in the morning o
    via u/twizle89
  • 15
    Mom and dad were enjoying the peace for once and just laying in bed, heard the bang and then screaming. Came out thinking she hurt herself, saw what happened. And had to live with no TV for 6 months. I don't agree with the amount of electronics she had at the time, or how much screen time she was allowed, but I'm not the parent. I do agree with the punishment.
    via u/twizle89
  • 16
    Obvious-Jacket-3770 3 hr. ago $20 says if you would have bought a new one quickly it would have been "why would you buy him a new one already? He broke the last! You need to teach them restraint!". Legit no winning with them.
    via u/Obvious-Jacket-3770

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

ipads grandmothers ipad kids mother grandma reddit story parenting grandmas grandparents reddit thread Reddit grandmother mom Parenting Fail Parenting FAILS
Scroll Down For The Next Article