In- App Purchases

They can spend their money however they wish as long as what they're buying is appropriate. As Erica suggests use this opportunity to teach about money. Hopefully, you've been teaching the value of money already. This is an opportunity for another lesson.

Kids need to make decisions on spending their money. They may have bad experiences. That, too, is a part of learning.

I look at it this way, the app is free, then you pay for it. I pay around 50 bucks for a Nintendo game so if they keep it under that I am okay with it.

Besides, it is kind of fun to hear my son's salesmanship.

It's no different than any other toy, game or activity, if you think it's worth it, or you want to let your kids have it because THEY thinks it's fun, then why say no?
I know my husband always thought me having more than one pair of black heels or more than one purse or eye shadow color was a "waste of money" too but don't people (even kids, wow they're people too!) have the right to enjoy what they enjoy as long as it's reasonable and affordable?

Usually no. But we will at times give our kids iTunes gift cards--Christmas stocking, Easter basket, birthday, etc. They can use them for new apps or in app purchases. It was actually a good lesson in spending for our kids. We talked about how a $10 gift card can buy 10-$1 games, 2-$5 games, or extra coins for a game. We talked about how extra coins would only last for so long. Sometimes that is the choice they make, but they know that when they are gone they are gone.

Uh...no.
I have "in app purchases" disabled on his devices.

no. I have that feature blocked. often kids are unaware of the costs when they agree, especially if they upgrade or buy cheats frequently - it might only be $2.99 at the time, but do it ten times and you lose track of how much you're spending. Lots of people have gotten into trouble letting their kids do that.

I let mine use their iTunes gift cards (Christmas, birthdays, even Easter Baskets often came with a $10 card in them)... And kids gift other kids at birthday parties with them, too.

So yes, I have let them buy add ons in games. They've actually only asked a smattering of times. I think b/c they knew that they would tire of the game quickly or something. But I wouldn't allow them to spend their allowance money on them, I don't think. I know it seems like there is no difference, but... with an iTunes card, they *have* to spend it in iTunes.... so why NOT on that accessory or inapp item? But with actual cash money, they don't have to spend it ever, and certainly not in iTunes.

So why gift them with iTunes cards? Well, they can also buy other games, or music. My kids tend to buy more music and additional games/apps, than in-app purchases.

Are these games that they play a LOT? Or just the latest hot thing that they'll be done with next week?

I do let them, but only with money they have earned themselves, I never pay for them.

We turn those options off at every opportunity.
The ads can be pretty relentless.
Seems to me if a kid can't resist that sort of sales/marketing pressure then maybe they should spend more time away from those sorts of games for awhile until they develop better impulse control.

We give the iTunes gift cards too - then I know how much they're spending on it, and once card is used up ... that's it.

They do extra chores or work for them. Or get as gifts (one in stocking, etc.)

I would set a limit as to how much and just keep it reasonable.

Good luck :)

It depends on the cost and the app. If it's Mine Craft I know they're going to keep playing it and enjoying it for some time so a small amount would be okay, like Christmas money or birthday money. They've even just asked for gift cards for the games. I let them spend some of it to upgrade but they have to do it my way and a little at a time.

My kids all have iTunes gift cards and they get them frequently enough. It's their money to use as they want. So yep - if they have the money for it, they can have it.

This also helps them monitor their spending though, because they don't want to spend all of their money on one game or app.

I allowed mine to spend her own money on her games, music, and other downloads.

if i had kids at this point, they would only get to do that with their own money from chores or birthdays. i myself would never pay for that sort of thing.
but they would be perfectly permitted to spend their own money as they chose.
khairete
S.

Yep -- with their own money.

No, we've turned it off. On rare occasions they will get an itunes gift card as a gift for some occasion and we let them "splurge" a very small amount of it on in game purchases. That's rare though. We don't keep a credit card on file on our itunes accounts and only keep a small balance from a gift card at any given time anyway so it makes it super hard for them to.
It really is a waste of money to do it all the time. Once in a while as a treat isn't too bad though. They know and understand it's a waste all the time.

My kids don't play app games, but they do play computer games that have add-on packs for additional content and special items. I do let them use their own money to purchase things.

I know what they are doing because they give me cash and I use my banking info to make the purchases/put money in their virtual wallet. It is super important to make sure you don't pre-authorize future purchases or store payment data.

Sometimes they get Steam cards as birthday gifts. They can input those on their own.

No. The option is turned off on my kids iPods.