Disposable generation
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=36060
Printed Date: 27 July 2025 at 9:44am
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Topic: Disposable generation
Posted By: _H_
Subject: Disposable generation
Date Posted: 02 October 2010 at 9:12pm
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im embrassed to say im part of the disposable generation. We are buying and using more things then even! we dont think about how long things will last, and we dont look after things as we can always buy another (and we will probably want the new upgraded one by then anyway!) even if we dont have the money the good old credit card can get it for us, if you dont like the people you live with it doesnt matter because with a TV and computer in every room you never have to see them (and if you have to talk to them you can always text each other!)
while i was thinking about this today i also had some questions i couldnt answer- how can those of us in the generation change our behaviour? how do we stop our kids from growing up to be like us, as it seems to be getting worse and is it sad but true that they just dont make things to last these days? ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: MyLilSquishy
Date Posted: 02 October 2010 at 9:59pm
__H__ yeah im part of this generation too! im 22 next month ( ) and ive been thinking about this the last couple of months.
basically my plan of attack is I want to have a family night minimum of once a week (when R gets a bit older) where we do something together tv/computer/technology free. maybe a board game or I would love to set up a scavenger hunt in the backyard in spring/summer for DP and DS to do together . go for a walk after dinner, do some family baking, play dress ups etc. basically anything that is technology free. also as soon as we finish painting the house, one of the rooms is going to be my computer/work/sewing/craft room so I can shut the computer away. I would like to say the TV wont be on if its sunny outside... but I can guarentee that there will be days when it will be lol. But most days I will be playing with DS... the stuff i used to do as a kid... dress ups, playing in the backyard, playdough, colouring in, board games etc. (and im glad Im handy at sewing coz i want to make dress ups for both of us lol. eg fairy and wizard, king and queen etc) working on buying some more cloth nappies and want to make a point of recycling old clothing (using it to make new clothing... op shop it and buy 2nd hand or make it myself.) also join a toy library. I also make alot of DS's toys we are going to paint half of one of his walls in his room with blackboard paint so he can draw on that aswell and entertain himself without fancy toys. |
Posted By: kiwi2
Date Posted: 02 October 2010 at 10:00pm
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Only you can change your behaviour. We had a goal to save for and cut out all the unnecessary spending and it was amazing what we could acheive.
Kids mimich behaviour. If they see mum and dad watching tv all day then they will want to watch tv all day. Likewise with the spending. By doing the above goal thing they will see what you can do and maybe not be too bad. However it seems that even with our good example my DD 13yrs thinks money grows on trees. True things don't last. It is cheaper to throw away than to fix. This is hard for me as my kettle got knocked off the bench the other day. It is 8 months old and I tried to get a new lid for it from the supplier but you can't get the part. So I have it in the garage and have bought another. I just can't bring myself to throw it away. |
Posted By: Babykatnz
Date Posted: 02 October 2010 at 10:06pm
I cant remember the last time I bought anything new (apart from clothes for the kids and the odd clothing item for me) Most of the bigger items have all been 2nd hand via TM, opshops, friends etc. I dont really bother with upgrading until its beyond fixing  I even wore my fave jeans til the split went right around to where fixing it was impossible! I spent a lot of time at my grandmothers while growing up, and I've always been part of a low-middle income family, so never got anything brand new as it came out, and I guess I learnt to look for what I needed as cheap as possible...------------- Brandon - 05/12/2003  
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Posted By: monkey33
Date Posted: 02 October 2010 at 10:09pm
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I think going to one income pretty much fixed it for us! I find us taking more care of our things as we can't afford to replace them! Or instead of replacing something straight away we have been 'shock horror' trying to fix it ourselves first! We weren't always like this that's for sure. Nothing goes on the credit card now and we definitely avoid HPs.
I will be teaching DS the same thing as he grows up. Hopefully if he sees us mending things, selecting purchases carefully and not putting things on credit he may learn from us! I haven't thought about other ways yet, will be interested to see if anyone else has ideas. I agree, things don't seem to be made to last but they are also cheaper too. We seem to have more 'stuff' than our parents did because it is more accessible - as you say by using credit, & I think also because some of it is really cheap. We need to rethink our 'I'll buy the cheap one and it doesn't matter if it breaks, we'll just get another cheap one'! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: monkey33
Date Posted: 02 October 2010 at 10:16pm
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I like the technology free days idea - we will definitely be doing those.
What age are kids getting cellphones these days? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kandk
Date Posted: 02 October 2010 at 10:29pm
And it is worth saving up a bit and buying better quality stuff eg wooden or metal toys rather than cheap plastic which breaks after one week's use in the sandpit  . Markets are good for finding old stuff like that.
They do still make quality items, but obviously not at the price of the cheap throwaways. I suppose in teaching DS the value of things, I would rather he looked after his toys because they were 'good', as opposed to 'oh well if it breaks we'll just buy you another'. Having said that, DS has at least three old cellphones as toys, cos we have upgraded or they have broken so not a good example there for him!------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Disco
Date Posted: 02 October 2010 at 11:27pm
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A simple question I ask myself before I purchase:
Is this a want or a need? It usually helps me decided whether to buy it or not. It's amazing how much I don't end up buying. I still buy "want" stuff sometimes but not as often. Disco:) |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 8:18am
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I think a lot of it comes down to the fast pace with changing technology & if you are techo minded then you want to keep up with it.
It can be cheaper to buy a new printer than replace the ink. So sometimes things are made to be throw away unfortunately. DH has upgraded his phone several times & now has an IPhone. I am not bothered by what type of ph I have. We have several sitting in the cupboard. We have a couple of computers & laptops. DH wants the IPad so will see if I can hide enough money to get him one for xmas. I want a new laptop & he is saying we should get me a IPad but I don't need an expense one. DS1 who is 9yrs & will be 10 in Feb wants a mobile ph, laptop, Ipod, I was expecting to hear a lego toy, some army toys etc but no want to enter the techo world. We are looking at getting him a notebook for his b'day & a ipod for xmas. No to the phone till he is 11 & at intermediate school. For us we change & update often. DH is in IT so that is a big factor. I love gadgets & DS1 is taking after his dad. We don't have Credit Cards, they were all paid off & cancelled long ago, so everything we get we pay for. So we save hard for things & its a great feeling updating things when you have the money. DH wants a 3D TV....I want a new car...gloves off 
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 8:25am
We have had long talks about this as DS1 really wants one as some of his friends have them. I don't want him to have one as there is no need for it & think he is too young. DH said yes to it & then when we were talking about it he came up with ph bullying so changed his mind. We agreed on when he is 11 at intermediate school. They have to hand in their phones to the office & get them after school. I will have DS2& 3 to pick up from primary school so I could text him if running late etc & DH said he will ring him....we however will be checking his ph & limiting the amount he has to use on it...but this is over a yr away. |
monkey33 wrote:Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 8:30am
| Also when buying toys & baby stuff I have spent a bit extra to get quality long lasting stuff & when finished with them I sell them on TM, the toys & clothes money are used to update stuff for the kids. |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 8:33am
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My 11yo sister doesn't have a phone, and I don't think she's been asking for one (Mum and Dad would let her if she did, I imagine, but she'd have to pay for it herself which would probably put her off). But then again, my 15yo brother doesn't have one either, and that must be unusual these days (I have no idea why he doesn't, must just not see the need or something). My next sister up (now 16) has had one since she was abbout 12, I think. -------------   
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Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 8:37am
| gee how times have changed...we never had cell phs when I was a kid, ha ha...& all I wanted was dolls |
Posted By: kiwi2
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 9:12am
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My daughter got hers at 12 and there were only 4 other kids in her class who didn't have one. I was class mum and asked at the end of year party. Two of those 4 were getting them that summer in time for middle school. (We were in the states) So we caved at 12. At her 13th birthday of the 6 kids that came 3 had iphones. I asked them as that was her next plan was to get an iphone. I said once I get an iphone then she can have it once I am done with it lol. Still haven't got one. So she is out of luck.
We pay for her phone. She doesn't get an allowance so we put $12 on for unlimited texting each month. I really should start an allowance for her so she can learn to manage money. It is the best discipline tool. She has lost it for a month for taking too long in the shower and rarking up her brothers and sisters when I specifically asked for help that night. We have had a little text bullying but we got it stopped with the principal pretty fast. It was a one off and more of a case of a boy thinking he was being grown up by using inappropriate words. Calling her swear words. He was called in to a meeting with the principal and the school police officer and it was squashed straight away. |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 9:27am
kiwi2 wow iphones, lol... DS1 told me he changed his mind about a phone the other day & I was like "yes" till he said he wanted an iphone ha ha
hmm might start a topic about pocket money/allowance as we don't do it yet & wonder if we should or when we should. DS wants a ipod to listen to music & when I asked what he like he said Lady Gaga..I'm like "What"...what ever happened to the Bee Gees ha ha |
Posted By: kiwi2
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 12:37pm
| I got DD a ipod for her 11th birthday and everyone who didn't know what to get her bought i tunes gift cards. Great for that age as they are too big for dolls etc but not old enough for grown up stuff so everyone breathed a sigh of relief when I said to buy the gift cards. |
Posted By: flakesitchyfeet
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 5:25pm
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We are so bad at this!
So when we want something, we don't try and squash the want, it's unlikely to work. We just hop on tm and find it second hand  -------------  http://lilypie.com"> |
Posted By: LittleBug
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 8:39pm
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Wow, iPhones and laptops for kids? I would love an iPhone myself, LOL.
We hand things down all the time, and get things passed on to us. We barely buy any clothes for the kids, because we get given them, then we pass them on when we are done with them as well. Same with kids shoes. We can't really afford to replace stuff all the time, so we have to look after it or go without. We just got a dog and we were given a crate for her, and a kennel but someone else, and some dog toys. The kennel was solid but not best condition so I borrowed some filler and leftover paint and boards and stuff from my sister and have patched it up.
Wish there were better recycling options in Dunedin though. Our recycle bins are pretty limiting. ------------- Chloe (4 years) and Oliver (3 years). |
Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 03 October 2010 at 9:25pm
It is really sad to say that im also part of the disposable generation
There are heaps of things im doing to try not be like this. We not longer buy the latest of everything. We dont have a flash TV or laptops, or even cellphones. We only have one tv in the lounge. There are heaps of rules i have for DD growing up. There will be no TV in her room, no dvd player, no cellphones etc. She can get these when she becomes a teenager lol. DD got alot of toys for her 1st birthday but we have brought her nothing since. This year for Birthday & Christmas she has gotten less than half what she did last year. We always play outside with her, no inside watching tv etc all day. Although we brought nearly everything for DD new. We did this with plans to use for future children. So our next child will have everything handed down lol. -------------  
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Posted By: Emmecat
Date Posted: 04 October 2010 at 9:09pm
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I dunno if I'm part of the Disposable Generation, being a child of the '70's (1970's not 1870's lol).. But it does give me the sh*ts well and truely to see how kids are being brought up these days and I want no part of it. I understand there is a (debatable) need for technology but that doesn't mean we NEED to buy a Wii or MySky or give our children cellphones IMO. We can't afford it anyway, unless the retailers take Monopoly money I'm hoping- and trying- to start early by already asking family & friends not to buy as cheap sweatshop crap for gifts (I didn't word it like that tho lol), I would rather the kids had books or $$ toward savings or swimming lessons or a trip out to a park or good quality preloved toys or clothes... or nothing is also absolutely fine. I won't be buying the kids gifts except at Xmas and birthdays. I will not be having birthday parties with goody bags....I think that sort of thing encourages children to think it's their special day when it's not iykwim? In my ideal world, we wouldn't have a tv at all but we do and that's unlikely to change unfortunately so I will have to go with monitoring closely what I allow the kids to watch. At age appropriate levels we'll talk about ads & what they actually are trying to do to viewers vs what the companies want them to think... Also at an age appropriate level there'll most definately be talks bout WHY some things are so cheap, and how perhaps it came to be like that...and who benefits from throwaway 'stuff'- the consumer or the people who make it...or noone? I'll teach respect for people, animals, and the earth and try as much as possible to give my kids 'heuristic play' ...which I always thought was playing outside with what's outside and learning to entertain themselves, not BE entertained. It's just a fancy-shmancy name for what we did as kids lol Hmmm, what else....household help toward chores will be expected, not paid for. Haven't decided about pocket money yet! I'll be encouraging my children to save and pay for what they want when they have enough money from part time work (obviously that's some time away!). I'll encourage my whole family to reduce, reuse and recycle where possible. There's heaps of other practical things I can think of but don't want it to sound like I'm getting on my preloved hobby horse hehe -------------   http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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No doubt my comments below will raise some ire but I'm not saying it to annoy, it's actually how I feel! Maybe idealistic but still....