AITA for regifting my kids their own tablets for Christmas?

A parent is considering regifting their kids the same iPads they confiscated months ago after the children misbehaved. With money tight this Christmas, they wonder if a factory reset and some new cases would make the old devices feel like fresh gifts.

‘ AITA for regifting my kids their own tablets for Christmas?’

My kids, 6&7, each had an iPad mini. Over the summer they were having a rough time, constantly fighting with each other and just being brats in general. I lost it one day and took their iPads away, saying they were being sold, never to be seen again. Tears were shed. The iPads were cleaned up, put back into their original boxes, accessories packed away, ready for sale…but I couldn’t do it. They went into a box in the closet.

Summer passed, fall passed. The kids have been great and I feel they’ve earned them back. Christmas is coming. Money is super tight this year. AITA for wanting to clear the iPads with a factory reset, buy a couple new cases as a distraction and regift them their old iPads as new ones?

These are the responses from Reddit users:

greendeformedcubepig −  Altough im only 15 i would say that that is fair, they lost their ipad for a reason. So giving it back cleaned and with some accessories for christmas wouldn’t be a dumb thing, i think it would also teach them a lesson or something. (Again im just 15, you should probably listen to someone else who is an actual adult). NAH.

Edit: i wanna thank everyone for such great replies! And especially thanks to those telling me that my opinion still matters even though im 15, this has definitely been an much needed ego-boost. Cough cough obligatory thanks for the gold kind stranger cough cough Edit 2: damn this blew up over the night, so uhm, again thanks for all the great replies and also thanks to *cough cough* the one plat, 2 new golds, and 8 silvers (and the poop knife for that matter) cough cough.

hmm_yes_ −  NAH- the children are 6 and 7. They will be ecstatic to have their tablets back! You could leave a note from Santa (if you celebrate that way) explaining why their good behavior has earned their toys back. I feel like an explanation in some way is necessary here, especially because they earned it.

[Reddit User] −  NAH (edited from N T A) per se, but couldn’t you just give them back for Christmas, specify that they’re getting them back because you’re proud of them for being good, and then spend the money you were going to spend on new cases on a small extra gift?

pottersquash −  NAH. HOWEVER! Consider that if your kids behavior changed once they were removed, why reintroduce them? Perhaps sell them and find a new more cost effective and more enriching gift. Apple still sells the mini at like 400 bucks, a used one will easily fetch 200 and if its in as good condition you may have $600 bucks to play with. Getting each kid a $100 dollar gift would leave $400 for family budget.

Nexxisvain −  I’m feeling YTA for a few reasons. First for jumping immediately to “I’m selling them and they’re gone forever.” Without possibly giving them the chance to earn them back, especially since they’re so young compared to an older child/teen-ager. This leads into part two that by giving them back as a gift, I feel would be undermining the previous punishment you set forth.

Third I don’t think lying or re-gifting something sets a good precident. You should be upfront about returning the iPads for good behavior, not treat them as a gift. You shouldn’t have to ‘earn’ a gift, at that point it’s not really a gift anymore.
I’d let them have them back before Christmas. Explain it’s for their good behavior but they’ll be taken back again if they misbehave.

Then for Christmas give them new cases or accessories, maybe buy them a game or movie on the app store if money is tight. Then the presents can be linked to the iPads without needing to lie to them about it. Or since their behavior has changed a lot without the iPads around, perhaps sell them and use the money to buy them something else they’ve really been wanting.

Sadistic_Justice −  YTA for giving 6 and 7 year olds their own ipad minis. ”Money is super tight this year”. I WONDER WHY.

Complete_Entry −  YTA – you’re playing a gross game here. Have a strong feeling you’d take these “new” tablets away when you get annoyed again.

Mangotime100 −  INFO – Why don’t you just give them the iPad minis, buy them each their chosen cover, and tell them that they have earned them back with their excellent behaviour and you hope to see it continue?

rusty0123 −  YTA. But just a little bit. You told your kids the ipads were sold. By giving them back as Christmas presents, you are completely avoiding the responsibility of (1) lying to your kids, and (2) not following through with consequences. So, while your kids might be happy to get them back, in later years they will understand how you deceived them.

If you do this, then the only choice you have is to be straightforward and honest with your kids. Return the ipads (even on Christmas, if you like–even wrapped as Christmas presents, if you like) but tell them what you did. “I felt so bad about taking your ipads that I put them away instead of selling them. You’ve been so well behaved that you deserve to have them back.” Buy the new cases as gifts from Santa.

centuryblessings −  I’m so confused by these comments. YTA, OP. You “lost it” on your young children and took away their beloved electronics to punish them, and told them you were selling them. You end up keeping them, meaning you lied. You think your kids aren’t going to recognize their own tablets? Additionally, What’s the logic in making them think that you sold their first ones and then bought the same tablets for Christmas? That’s a waste of money. This is a dumb idea OP.