He's 9. All his friends play it. I don't want to be the dad who says no to everything but a $1500 gaming PC seems excessive for a 4th grader. I get that gaming is what kids do now but where's the line? He's actually a pretty active kid, plays baseball, goes outside. Would one gaming PC turn that kid into a zombie or am I being paranoid? How do other parents handle this?
My 9 year old is in the same boat. We ended up getting him a used gaming laptop for like $600 instead. Does what he needs for Roblox, and honestly if it gets destroyed or he loses interest in 6 months I'm not in the hole. Worth looking at refurbished options.
I hear you on not wanting to be the bad guy. With my two teens out here in San Diego, I've learned the key is finding the middle ground. What if you told him you'd match half the cost if he does chores or saves up allowance? Then he's invested in taking care of it, and you're not dropping $1500.
Just say yes and figure it out later. Just kidding. Sort of. But real talk, a decent gaming laptop that can run Roblox doesn't need to be $1500. You can build something or buy refurbished for half that.
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The problem isn't really the PC though right? It's that ALL his friends have one so he feels left out. I get it. But $1500 is serious money. Maybe use this as motivation for him to earn it somehow. Makes him appreciate it more when he has skin in the game.