For Christmas Santa, I Want… [POLL]

You might think by the title that I am going to tell you what I want for Christmas but it's not about me. It's my five year old daughter.

Last weekend my wife and I took our kids to see Santa Claus at her place of employment and the night before we did, my wife asked my daughter what she wants for Christmas. My daughter actually replied with "nothing". I have never heard a kid say that. As we get to my wife's work to see Santa the next morning, she sees Santa and proceeds to his lap for a picture. After the picture is taken Santa asks "what would you like for Christmas"? She paused for a second and I was waiting for her to say "nothing" and instead she comes out with " I want an iPad!" I immediately blurted out "Yeah! Maybe when you're 30!"  The room erupted with laughter. I will admit that it was funny to hear but in all seriousness she is NOT getting an iPad. I would've been content with hearing her saying a new bike or a dollhouse or maybe even world peace.

It is amazing what kids desire in this day and age. When I was five I was asking for a new street hockey stick, some Hot Wheels cars or maybe even a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. It really is amazing how things have changed over the last 20-25 years with the emergence of computers and cell phones. Kids these days are so used to playing on a computer and with their parents tablet or cell phone rather than being outside playing all the time like I used to. It's rare.

My daughter will most certainly not be getting an iPad for Christmas after all I didn't get one until I was 29. But this all brings up a great question, what is a good age to get a child a tablet or a even a cell phone? Personally I think it's a matter of how responsible and mature the child is. What do you think?