Is this an appropriate gift? I am shopping for an adopt a family for our church and do not know them at all but do know they are struggling financially. Apparently grandparents are raising the kids and grandfather is very ill. They do have access to a computer and internet. Initially I was also thinking of an ipod for the 13 yo., but saw the tablet and thought it could be educational. Can they get into any trouble on these devices if they are not closely supervised? It has been so long since my kids were that age. FYI, I also will be giving clothing, games, a few legos for the 10yo, food and a walmart gift card.
Thanks for the advice, however I cannot contact the guardians due to the fact that our church does not reveal who the people are for privacy reasons. I was just hoping someone who has experience with this brand could tell me if it was something a 13 year old would like or find useful, and that it would not be too mature for her.
Certainly a tablet or any computer device is not too “mature” for a 13 year old. The question is, is the 13 year old mature enough to act responsibly with it? That’s a question you probably can’t get answered either. Who wouldn’t love a device to read, play, search on? But if you’re concerned how about just a more basic Kindle - that would be mostly/only for reading (books, magazines) downloaded for free? Does your local library system (the one that this girl would live in) support overdrive, hoopla or any of the other downloadable apps? To download things she would need access to wireless - in her home, at school, at the library or a coffee shop - do you think she has that access?
In our area, which is not particularly affluent, a cheap tablet is not an unusual possession for an 8yo. A 13yo with a tablet, rather than a phone, generally has stricter parents (either in general or because the kid gets into trouble).
That said, I don’t think I would give a tablet to someone else’s kid.
Our D got a fire table around that age when she was going overseas with W for a few months. I loaded it up with movies, games, and her favorite books and it worked out really well as entertainment.
The 13yo can certainly figure it out on her own; the 8yo will need someone to guide him through it. Both will need access to content (games, movies, books) which costs money. So a tablet for kids that age requires at least some involvement from the parent/guardian. I would pair the tablet with an Amazon gift card which will make it easier to buy content for a struggling family, although the gift card might get used for more essential items which I suppose is also a good (maybe better) thing.
The fire tablet is supposed to have good patental controls. I never explored those though. Anyway, I think my overall view is that it would be a great idea for a family I knew, not such a great idea for an unknown family that’s having financial difficulty along with a seriously ill guardian.
I’ll also add that it can be difficult to understand the issues faced by families that are struggling financially. I’m certainly in a big, big bubble when it comes to that. For secret Santa a while back, some office mates and I pooled our money and bought a Safeway gift card for the receptionist for our floor. This was an executive-suite building so we shared the floor with a number of other companies and the receptionist was employed by the building manager.
Anyway, I thought a Safeway gift card was a bit of a blah/boring gift. But she literally cried when she opened the gift and said something to the effect that she never gets to shop there (because it was too expensive). It really opened my eyes to how insulated I was from the private circumstances of others.
This is a long-winded way of saying that putting that $100 for the tablet towards the Walmart gift card might be more appreciated, depending on how financially challenged the family is. The kids might appreciate new shoes and coats more than a tablet.
The tablet isn’t the problem. The problem is how they’ll get the books/magazines/whatever else on there. Ebooks and the like are expensive. Yes, you can order them through libraries and whatnot but in my experience, that is kind of a PITA.
I agree that giving the guardians gift cards if they’re struggling financially may be more appreciated than any of us can know. If you know the general neighborhood where they live, you can get them gift cards they can use in the area to the nearby department store such as Target or Walmart, etc. grocery store gift cards may encourage them to get things they normally might not–splurge a bit.
I’d never give electronics to a child without consulting the parents or guardians. It can create great strife.
Thanks for all your replies. There is internet at home. I am giving them a Walmart gift card, a box of food items, clothing, books, games and toys. I always want to give each child a kind of “dream wish”. In past years, their teachers used to give us an idea for that, but no longer. Makes it harder for me to shop, especially when they are girls as the 13yo is…I had boys.
If they have any artistic leanings, Costco had a gorgeous art set with paint and other things in a kit for $30. A calligraphy set? A sewing machine? I’ve seen them at Costco for under $200. What would you buy differently if it was a boy(s)? Girls have hugely varied interests too. Telescope? Microscope? Science kit? Board games are also increasingly popular, like 7 Wonders.
I think they would love the fire tablet and agree that one special gift at Christmas may really make them happy.
My kids had plenty growing up, but we weren’t wealthy and their friends had a lot more than they ever did. My sister’s kids opened Christmas presents for hours while mine each got about 5 gifts (plenty, but it is hard to see others get so much more). I tried to get them one thing at Christmas (from Santa) that was really special and usually something they knew I’d say ‘no’ to if they asked. One year a bell just like the one in the Express movie. Heely skate shoes. Tracfones (when all their friends had more expensive models with unlimited minutes and cameras and bells and whistles).
The OP is buying for kids. Sure, the grandparents need the Walmart cards and food and money, but kids should get something just for them, something they don’t ‘need’ but just want. I like the Fire tablet idea, or the art set. Thirteen year old girls usually like any kind of clothing from a cool mall store (Forever 21, American Eagle, etc), jewelry. The younger one will want what the older one gets.