what do you allow your 8 year old to do??

[2boysmama]

My son turned 8 last week. He got a kindle fire for Christmas and I know half his class did too. Honestly, I think as long as the parents supervise and set and enforce rules then it is an incredible educational tool. We got a lifeproof case for it and paid an extra $50 for a 2 year warranty and we let him take it outside with him. He has a survival app (totally his thing!) that has animal print identification, animal sounds, plant identification, how to build different shelters,...anything related to outdoors pretty much. He loves it. He loves his legos and reading (ebooks as well as paper) and is an incredibly smart (straight A) student. I have no issues with him having a Kindle. Other than that, yes, he has a camera but the rule with that is that he may not take pictures of ANYONE without their permission. Kids are kind of growing up faster today but not allowing your kids to have the 'in' things doesn't slow down their childhood (IMO). That said, my kids will not have TVs or Internet in their rooms EVER. As far as clothes, they can wear anything once but when it comes to my laundry room it is my decision what happens to it. I really think each of us does what we think is best for our kids, each kid, family, and budget is unique, there is no easy age for things like this.

[scwendy]

My DD2 will be 8 next month.

She has only ever had a very inexpensive camera.

Her bio dad asked my permission to buy her a Kindle Fire this past holiday. I consented with the caveat that he install all protected software and use it to see if it worked properly BEFORE she received it. She reads children's book and plays games (through Kindle Free-time, it is set to her age group). DH and I personally would not have spent that amount of money on a tablet for an 8 year old, but I totally respect him asking me first.

She is only allowed to watch limited television or DVDs and only under our supervision. No cable in this house.

She does NOT have a phone, nor will she anytime soon. I never got my first mobile phone until I was like 29 or 30, so I am sure that she will survive until I feel comfortable with her having one.

She wears whatever clothes we choose to buy for her. We take her taste into consideration to a point, but we absolutely refuse to buy anything not age appropriate or very expensive.

I cannot even fathom the prospect of a small child dating. We can discuss this on a maturity basis but not any sooner that 16-18.

IMHO, being permissive (in the negative sense of the word) with material things or behavior when parenting isn't really parenting at all. Sure there is a subset of kids who go on to thrive in spite of a near complete lack of boundaries growing up, but I would rather parent them in such a way that it would be the norm (barring any extraordinary conditions) for them to thrive.

My oldest two are NOW very appreciative of having had the strict mom who insisted on best effort and accountability in the context of being shown my love and support.

[HugeBabyBoy]

Originally Posted by newbiemama i am flabbergasted at the things my BIL and SIL allow their 8 yr old to do. She's had her own digital camera since 5 (a nicer one than we have, mind you) and now she has her own cell phone and regularly texts people. then i read some stories of 8 years olds going out on a date, entering "no getting fat" pacts with their friends, and having their own smart phones and laptops. so, seriously... what do you allow your 8 year old to do? Do these things sound normal in your household? Or is this outrageous to you, too?

I can't speak on the behaviors or social lives of 8 year olds, so I'm only going to touch on the electronics issue...

Although they may not be staples in everyone's home, I certainly don't find it "outrageous" that she has a camera or phone.

When DD has been interested in the technology around her, we encourage her to explore. She's 3yo and has her own iPad and a flip video that are obsolete to DH and I. She FaceTimes or Skypes with us (when we are traveling for work or if we won't make it home before bedtime), the grandparents, her aunts, makes movies & videos, takes pictures, play games, etc. If one of us ran to the store and we call to see if anything else is needed, she says, "I can't see you!" She lives in an age where communication is no longer strictly audio, but visual. These pieces of technology are part of our lives and our world, and for us, they bring us closer together.