Broken Expensive Camera
First time on here, so we'll see how this goes.
Overall I'm extremely blessed with a supportive husband and my two teen step-kids love me and I love them. Lots of stress still.
The newest stress is from my step-daughter breaking my expensive digital SLR camera. She didn't do it maliciously, just jammed the card in over and over and felt bad afterwards, but it's hard to treat it like other objects because I had it before I married her father.
It is on our list of things to pay for when we get enough money but that doesn't feel like enough for me. When we get an extra $150 we'll pay for it after his computer gets fixed, after we get a new couch... We're on food stamps and quite poor right now, and it could be ages until the camera gets fixed and I use it at least weekly.
I don't have this emotional reaction to other things in the house. Do I just need to get over it? Can I ask that she pay for part in fixing it? When it's a family object, I don't have a problem saying "You broke it because of your carelessness so you fix it or pay to replace it", but nothing of 'mine' that is this expensive has ever been broken before. I'm not good at asking for things for myself and if they're both sorry, maybe I should just let it go?
Thanks,
stepmom22teens
I have a digital SLR that I
I have a digital SLR that I love. It was pretty pricey, and I wanted it for years before I was at a place where I could afford it.
It doesn't sound like she deliberately tried to break it, so at least that's a plus. (Why was she taking the card out a lot?)
I can understand you being upset about this. Things happen. It sounds like money is REALLY tight for you (who buys a new couch when they're on food stamps??) so the repair sounds like it will need to wait.
Is SD at least remorseful about it? Is she gloating? Does she have any way of making money to help pay to fix it?
She was trying to get it in
She was trying to get it in and put it in the wrong way, and then when it didn't fit she kept pushing it in thinking that if she pushed harder it would fit. I looked over at her and she was doing this and yelled 'stop'. I then tried to calmly tell her that when using electronics if things don't slide naturally into place then she's doing it wrong, and it should go in the other way.
We aren't buying a new new couch, just a new used couch to replace our other used couch that the cat peed on and when we tried to clean it, we couldn't get the smell out so we curbed it.
She was remorseful when it happened but hasn't said anything since. She could do extra chores to earn money but because she doens't do any homework at her Mom's house she does all her homework at our house and she never has any free time. It's either family time or homework time.
I understand the emotional
I understand the emotional reaction.
DH's kid broke so many of my things. Things I purchased long before I was married. It was just stuff, but it was my stuff. Purchased with my hard earned money. She had (has) no respect for my belongings. And to be honest, DH is just as careless with my things.
Thanks for understanding.
Thanks for understanding.
By the sounds of things
By the sounds of things although I am sure the camera is important to you, it probably should not be a high priority given your current financial situation. With that being said I am not sure how old your SD is, is she able to get a part time job? I would think it is fair that she pay a portion to fix the camera. Not all of it as you had the camera for some time and things do wear out over time. Now if she tried to stuff something in the slot on purpose to break then I would expect she pay for all the damages.
Ugh that sucks!! Two years
Ugh that sucks!! Two years ago I bought SD16 a camera. She broke it within 3 weeks. Then a few months later she dropped my camera and it broke. Then last summer she borrowed DD's camera and snuck it to the beach and dropped it in the sand and broke. Then I see on facebook that she dropped her friends camera and it broke!
Oh no its ok because DH bought her a new camera of her very own!! Way to go DH!!
She didn't do any of it intentionally but she is still an idiot! I was pissed and I still am pissed!
Children need to be taught
Children need to be taught that they are responsible for their actions, ignorant actions or not. I think she should help pay for the camera. I just got a nice one for $130 plus a picture card so the prices continue to come down.
She could work off the cost by doing chores around the house that normally would be done by you or her father.
My skids do not touch my
My skids do not touch my shit. Ever. If they broke something of mine, I think I would flip.
That being said... she better start babysitting. Or raking leaves. Or mowing lawns. Or applying at McDonalds. You don't get to break someone's belongings without consequences.