Hundreds are slamming this mum's birthday gift for her seven-year-old son — can you spot what the fuss is all about?
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It's always nice to shower your loved ones with gifts, but sometimes it goes too far. Gift giving can be a very thoughtful gesture, but it can also be a way to show off.
And sometimes, these gifts can be inappropriate for the person who's receiving…
Such has been the case for one woman who has come under fire after sharing her numerous gifts to her son for his 7th birthday on social media.
Brisbane mum Bonnie planned to surprise her son with a box full of Nintendo Switch games, a 12-month membership, three Fortnite "V-bucks," and a $50 gift card to EB Games (all of which would have cost about $250) for his big day.
'Slowly putting together a shadow box for my son's 7th birthday, next month. I am going to put a couple of notes and some lollies,' she wrote in the Kmart Home Decor & Hacks Australia Facebook group.
A photo of Bonnie’s gifts to her son for his 7th birthday. Credit: Facebook/Kmart Home Decor & Hacks Australia.
However, the post sparked a barrage of 'nasty' comments from group members, who Bonnie claimed were attacking her, suggesting that the mum was showering her young boy with 'too much technology'.
One comment read: 'Plenty of journal articles showing that excessive exposure to tech at an early age damages the brain structure of children.'
Several users also criticised her for showering her son with 'age-inappropriate' gifts.
One person said: 'Too many games for a 7-year-old and not many are age appropriate for a 7-year-old. Aussie mums seem to have a lot of time on their hands.'
'Nice idea but the games, apart from Kirby, aren't really that suitable for a 7-year-old,' another argued.
The negative comments prompted Bonnie to edit the post's caption and explain her decision in more detail.
Bonnie said that she had fun planning her gifts for her son's special day, writing: 'For all the people saying he has too much tech for a seven-year-old, he already has all the outside stuff.'
'Nana and pop will get him some Lego. He also loves drawing and has a nice little drawing pack from his baby brother.'
She explained that her son is not fond of playing with toys as he is 'at that hard age where he only plays with them [toys] for five minutes and never plays with them again'.
The mum also mentioned how the number '7' in the packet of digits appears to be a '1' in the photo in an attempt to stop the 'trolls' from criticising her for it.
Bonnie added that she doesn't want 'too much big stuff' laying about because the family is getting ready to move and downsize.
Other parents sent words of encouragement and commended the 'brilliant' gift idea despite the criticism.
One mum wrote: 'My son would love that present. Sad though you are having to come on and justify yourself and choice of present to other mums.'
'You're doing a great job mum, don't explain yourself,' another said.
A third chimed in: 'This is amazing and just gave me an idea for my son's 15th.'
We believe that while it's important to show your love with presents, it's also important to make sure that the gifts you give them are appropriate to their needs. We don’t have much knowledge about the video games being gifted by the mum to her son but we highly recommend any members buying video games for their grandkids to double-check the age-rating. These are stickers you can find on the packaging of the games, which include classifications such as the following:
When reviewing the games purchased for the son’s 7th birthday, we can see Zelda is rated M, however, Assassin’s Creed is MA15+ due to the violent and graphic content.
We hope this guide can help you choose appropriate video games to give to your grandkids.
Also, we want to hear from you! Do you think the mum's gift was appropriate? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
And sometimes, these gifts can be inappropriate for the person who's receiving…
Such has been the case for one woman who has come under fire after sharing her numerous gifts to her son for his 7th birthday on social media.
Brisbane mum Bonnie planned to surprise her son with a box full of Nintendo Switch games, a 12-month membership, three Fortnite "V-bucks," and a $50 gift card to EB Games (all of which would have cost about $250) for his big day.
'Slowly putting together a shadow box for my son's 7th birthday, next month. I am going to put a couple of notes and some lollies,' she wrote in the Kmart Home Decor & Hacks Australia Facebook group.
A photo of Bonnie’s gifts to her son for his 7th birthday. Credit: Facebook/Kmart Home Decor & Hacks Australia.
However, the post sparked a barrage of 'nasty' comments from group members, who Bonnie claimed were attacking her, suggesting that the mum was showering her young boy with 'too much technology'.
One comment read: 'Plenty of journal articles showing that excessive exposure to tech at an early age damages the brain structure of children.'
Several users also criticised her for showering her son with 'age-inappropriate' gifts.
One person said: 'Too many games for a 7-year-old and not many are age appropriate for a 7-year-old. Aussie mums seem to have a lot of time on their hands.'
'Nice idea but the games, apart from Kirby, aren't really that suitable for a 7-year-old,' another argued.
The negative comments prompted Bonnie to edit the post's caption and explain her decision in more detail.
Bonnie said that she had fun planning her gifts for her son's special day, writing: 'For all the people saying he has too much tech for a seven-year-old, he already has all the outside stuff.'
'Nana and pop will get him some Lego. He also loves drawing and has a nice little drawing pack from his baby brother.'
She explained that her son is not fond of playing with toys as he is 'at that hard age where he only plays with them [toys] for five minutes and never plays with them again'.
The mum also mentioned how the number '7' in the packet of digits appears to be a '1' in the photo in an attempt to stop the 'trolls' from criticising her for it.
Bonnie added that she doesn't want 'too much big stuff' laying about because the family is getting ready to move and downsize.
Other parents sent words of encouragement and commended the 'brilliant' gift idea despite the criticism.
One mum wrote: 'My son would love that present. Sad though you are having to come on and justify yourself and choice of present to other mums.'
'You're doing a great job mum, don't explain yourself,' another said.
A third chimed in: 'This is amazing and just gave me an idea for my son's 15th.'
We believe that while it's important to show your love with presents, it's also important to make sure that the gifts you give them are appropriate to their needs. We don’t have much knowledge about the video games being gifted by the mum to her son but we highly recommend any members buying video games for their grandkids to double-check the age-rating. These are stickers you can find on the packaging of the games, which include classifications such as the following:
- G - General - Very mild in impact. Suitable for everyone
- PG - Parental Guidance - Mild in impact. Children may find content confusing or upsetting.
- M - Mature - Moderate impact. Not recommended for children under 15.
- MA 15 - Mature Accompanied - Strong in impact. Legally restricted to people over 15.
- R 18 - Restricted - High in impact. Legally restricted to people over 18.
When reviewing the games purchased for the son’s 7th birthday, we can see Zelda is rated M, however, Assassin’s Creed is MA15+ due to the violent and graphic content.
We hope this guide can help you choose appropriate video games to give to your grandkids.
Also, we want to hear from you! Do you think the mum's gift was appropriate? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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