Guest Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Because it's the Easter holidays, all 3 of my darling children have managed to catch some kind of illness (all different, so they can pass it round each other for the next 2 weeks), so are stuck in bed feeling sorry for themselves, instead of enjoying their holidays. Feeling sorry for them, I went down to the shops this morning, with the intentions of buying them a comic each, to cheer them up. Have you seen the price of comics nowadays???! We just don't buy comics normally, it's just one of those things we have never started them on. I just about had a heart attack. They all seem to come with a 'free' gift, as well, and none seem to cost less than £2 In my day (god, I sound old) a comic was pocket money priced, and free gifts were an occasional treat. In the end, I put them all back, and got some colouring-in and puzzle books and pencils - came to £1.50 more than the comics would have cost, but will last a heck of a lot longer. Imagine the amount of money frazzled mothers must spend on these things without realising it - grumpy child, long supermarket shop, what better way to keep them happy rather than giving thm a sweet? Total rip-off!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I quite agree - I never started buying them for grandchildren for the same reason, although my two children had them when they were younger. I've just taken Lauren and Jake to the farm shop to stock up on fruit and told them they could choose something for a snack - Lauren chose Cornish Brie and Jake chose Anchovies Pity they don't sell crayons at the farm shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I've just taken Lauren and Jake to the farm shop to stock up on fruit and told them they could choose something for a snack - Lauren chose Cornish Brie and Jake chose Anchovies Children with taste! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Aren't they sophisticated!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swiss Chick Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Surprised the comics cost so much in England. We pay around 3 £ for one but that is high priced Switerland. My oldest daughter (10 now) buys herself once a month the WITCH comic which is quite good for girls really. But she has to use her pocket money. For my boy 5 and my other girl 8 I buy them from time to time and they use them a lot . We have a "bookshelf" in the kitchen and under the week they are allowed to read during supper (husband not home otherwise would not be allowed) Hubby and I are both bookworms so I am pleased when the kids read a bit. But concerning the prices a good pocketbook is only around 2£ more expensive so usually I buy a book. When my sister and I were kids my mum would buy us the Mickey Mouse and a thing called Fix and Foxy (in German don't know wether it existed in english) every week after church. I am sure that could not have costed a furtune otherwise she would not have done it (my mum being a bit tight with money..) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I'm just trying to think how much comics were when I used to buy them 20 odd yrs ago..... Mum was up in the loft recently and came down with a handle full of 'Twinkle' & 'Jackie's' from when I was about 12 (22 years ago) and they're in good condition. Do the girls remember those. I used to love Twinkle. There were also Grange Hill annuals from the days of Tucker Jenkins! I wonder if the antiques road show would be interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 On a related note Gina when I was at school I remember the grange hill series being set in a London comp with Tucker Jenkins and co but I saw it recently very briefly and it had appeared to have been moved to Liverpool I don't much care where it is but is it now set somewhere in the Northwest It could just be the snippet I saw had two characters with a strong regional accent and I jumped to conclusions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I remember the 'Twinkle', and 'Bunty' and 'Jackie'. I also remember being allowed to get 'Just Seventeen' when I was 13, until my mum read it, then I was banned. I used to get my dad to buy it for me and get him to sneak it in so my mum didn't know - ah, the joys of being a daddy's girl! I feel quite mean at not getting the children comics, as I used to love Thursdays as it was magazine day, but they just seem so much more expensive nowadays compared with the price of 'grown-up' magazines! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 And "Blue Jeans" - who else remembers that??? My girls get one magazine each a month - Sugar for Devon & Shout for Cleo. Any more than that & they have to pay themselves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Ollie has a Beano for not biting his fingernails every week. It's horribly expensive tat but he loves it. I had various comics and magazines when I was younger and couldn't wait for the day they popped through the letterbox. Twinkle, Look In, Smash Hits, Melody Maker, NME. Oh those were the days! Country Living and Practical Poultry now! Look how far I've come! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I have over 13 years worth of "Country Homes and Interiors" September 1992 was £1.95 Its now £3.20. Not sure whether that's good value or not. Seems a lot of money to me! I still buy it though! OH gets "Volksworld" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymama Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Comics? I used cherry lips when DS started copying his dad and biting his nails - and it worked, ONE only WHEN WE HAD TO CUT HIS NAILS! We don't feed sweets very often, in fact DS has only just finished his Christmas stuff. (Also, DH stopped biting too!) I hate Easter, all sorts of rubbish for the kids. Sweets are in this house very much a treat. I used to get Hotspur. Fitted very well with climbing trees and beating boys up. I buy a couple before we go camping for DS, and will probably get one this year for the girls (each, or they fight). One dot-to-dot book every 6 months for the 'I'm BORED' moments for DS. Fortunately, he likes reading so much he's 5 and a half and is reading age 7! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 . I also remember being allowed to get 'Just Seventeen' when I was 13, until my mum read it, then I was banned. ! Me too. And like a good girl I never bought it again Good grief, what a dull child I must have been Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Don't forget the delights of a bag of books from a Library for sick children The Sunday Times' Funday Times is now available on their website And for older children there is always Su Doku Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Beano Jackie Just 17 then Cosmopolitan Thursday was comic day for me too, and I used to rush to the porch, just incase my Gnasher fan club badge had arrived . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I agree that comics cost a lot but I do buy them occasionally for the children.... generally as a bribe or a time filler for long journeys or other boring events, and I do like to encourage reading in any format...... I'm a real bookworm and hate the fact that son in particular dislikes reading, so I keep trying out different kinds of reading matter, hoping that somehow, somewhere I'll stumble across the style of writing that opens his eyes to the pleasure of reading. Anyway, in terms of comics he likes Match.... or any of the other football mags, can't remember the cost, but I don't mind paying it occasionally. Daughter on the other hand requested "Bliss" the other week, apparently all her friends get it. Well, I bought it, she read it from cover to cover and pronounced it excellent, and I smuggled it away later to read it myself Girls are definitely trying to grow up earlier than I ever did.... I used to be a Jackie girl, but this is so much more grown up, and, well, explicit, than Jackie ever was, that I feel quite uncomfortable about her reading it.... but I can't decide if I'm really an old-fashioned prude or if it really is more information than young teenagers really need. We read a couple of articles together, had a giggle over them and discussed some of the issus, and I don't want to be over-protective..... but I don't want my little girl to be pushed into a maturity that she's emotionally not ready for.... if you know what I mean.... but again I don't want to make her different from her friends. Difficult Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Kate, I agree. My daughters are 11 & 13,& "Shout" is fine for the 11 year old (in my opinion) The 13 year old reads "Sugar" & there have been a few articles that I have not been 100% happy about,but all her friends read it & some of the more grown up stuff too,& take them into School.I don't want to be a Mum who censors her,& as I said she has access to her friends ones at school anyway. She is mature in her reading & mostly reads adult fiction now,which can also be a bit too adult at times.I only tend to let her read the books that I have read myself so I know what she is being exposed to. 13 is so much more mature now than it was when I was 13 - they are more like 15 year olds really,with developed bodies & attitudes to match I do find it hard,but am probably more liberal that some people. One of my friends won't let her 12 year old watch anything more grown up on TV in case of swearing ,& is only allowes her to read fantasy based adult literature (LOTR etc) I think she is putting her child at a disadvantage,but then again it is not my decision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 I think it's really hard bringing up children now when the media is so sexualised There isn't any 'right' way and all we can do is our best I'm not perfect by any means and I've made more mistakes than I'd like to try and count, but despite this my young adult offspring seen to have come out of the process quite well balanced Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusannenoZ Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Twinkle was my favourite, my gran used to own a hardressing salon in the 60's and we lived in the flat over the salon, it was an all ladies salon , all blue rinses and weekly sampoo and sets! and there was one lady who used to bring me Twinkle every week and I used to sit on her knee whilst she was under the drier, and read it, I am thinking of calling one of my chickens Twinkle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 I used to get Twinkle too. Couldn't call a magazine that now could you? Sounds like a pet name for going to the loo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
