WIBTA for not letting my stepdaughter spend £200 on a tiny leg for Roblox?

A couple is facing a tough decision regarding their stepdaughter’s spending habits. She has her sights set on a sought-after Roblox item—a virtual leg accompanied by additional features—costing £200, which she plans to purchase using her personal savings. Although it’s her own money, her parents are concerned that permitting this transaction might not instill in her a sound understanding of financial responsibility. They’re at odds whether preventing her from making this purchase would be an overreach of authority or a warranted exercise of parental guidance. The complete narrative can be found below.

‘ WIBTA for not letting my stepdaughter spend £200 on a tiny leg for Roblox?’

I (m46) and my fiancée (f41) reside in the UK with my son (18m) and stepdaughter (13f). Both children are somewhat indulged and typically receive whatever they desire for special occasions. Consequently, my stepdaughter has accumulated £200 in savings since Christmas—not due to any lack of purchases, but simply because nothing has caught her interest.

She became an avid reader, and we supported her interest by buying the books she requested, as we believe it’s a worthwhile pursuit to foster. She’s also a big fan of Roblox, and she’s been telling us about a special deal currently available for £200 (around $250) that would give her 22,500 Robux (the game’s currency) instead of the usual 20,000.

This would also give her some unique gold headphones (within the game, not physically), and she’d be able to acquire the highly coveted Korblox Deathspeaker outfit. Primarily, it’s a way to flaunt your in-game wealth.

She just wants the leg piece – apparently, the outfit has a single, small leg that others would find quite impressive, or so we’ve heard. I read a Reddit comment that said, “Korblox is basically a toothpick that rich people put on their leg.”

We’re unsure how to handle this situation. While it is true that she earned and saved the money, using it for this purpose would deplete her entire savings. Perhaps she should have the freedom to make that choice if she desires.

However, her allowance is due soon, so I don’t believe she’ll be affected. Also, it’s £200 for a small leg. I’m incredibly ashamed to even ask this.

There are families who live on less than this a week. How can we talk about the value of money and approve of something like this? My fiancée and I are really aligned on this. So Reddit. Would we be the assholes if we told her she can’t buy this thing?

Here’s what the community had to contribute:

Jashuawashua −  This right here shows just how predatory that game is. a 13 year old asking to spend 250 bucks on some cosmetic items in a game for kids. I really dislike the whole let her learn her lesson mentality, you don’t need to hurt your children to teach them a message.

A suitable rationale explaining the flaw should suffice. If you’re truly sympathetic, allow them to proceed, but make it clear that no further funds will be allocated to this game; this is the definitive limit.

Comfortable-Gold-982 −  Have you as a parent researched Roblox? It has a horrendous reputation, firstly for using m**ipulative and addiction-forming methods to extract money in huge sums from kids (case in point) but also as a breeding ground for unsavoury people looking for easy access to kids. NTA if you prevent the purchase, but seriously look into this more deeply and maybe make sure she’s being safe in a more general sense. This game is grim.

Competitive_Jump_744 −  NTA. while yes, it IS her money, you still have to teach her HOW to spend this money. 200 dollars for something for Roblox is just ridiculous.

CaptainAureus −  It’s threads like this that really highlight how many children use this site lol. NTA, obviously. $200 spent on Roblox is an obscene waste of money. 

StAlvis −  NTA. As a result, my stepdaughter has managed to save up £200 since Christmas – not because she’s not buying things she wants, but because she didn’t want anything. Sounds like it’s time to recompute how much allowance she actually needs, then. How can we talk about the value of money IDK but maybe stop buying her every book she wants would be a start. Take her to the **library**.

JurassicParkFood −  NTA – if it were $20 or even $50, I’d say let her learn from a dumb decision. But $250 is far too much to give her access to for something so pointless.

tritoonlife −  Never spend real money to get f**e money. NTA

Nrysis −  NTA. While I do agree with letting her make her own choices and mistakes, at that age I also feel it is still appropriate to have some oversight of her spending to prevent her doing anything too wasteful with it. In this case I don’t necessarily see an issue with her spending money in games, but I feel the type of item and its use in game is a problem.

I appreciate in-game purchases that unlock things with a practical application. Throwing down cash in GTA for vehicles or weapons that would otherwise be inaccessible, and that serve a purpose, seems worthwhile.

The problem here is that the item is purely cosmetic, serving only to flaunt your capacity to waste money on something unnecessary, which I find somewhat insensitive and offensive.

The cost of these purely cosmetic character customizations is not the problem in itself, but the current price range puts them squarely in the realm of ostentatious display.

Each individual will establish their personal limit based on varying factors and consequences. Nevertheless, intervening and addressing her actions directly, while articulating your concerns about their inappropriateness, seems warranted in this scenario.

Realistic_Decision99 −  YWNBTA. Allowing your kids to do anything they set their mind to won’t get them far in life. First of all it’s a stupid thing to spend so much money on. Then they need to realise that life doesn’t always go their way and it’s difficult to make money these days. Your statement that the 13yo is autonomous is just plain nonsense. If you allow her to do this now she will soon figure out that you probably won’t stop her from getting her way.

SWC8181 −  NTA. You’re the parent, your decision. However. I parent differently. I let my kids do totally dumb s**t with their own money. I feel they need to learn how to budget and the consequences of dumb decisions. I’d rather her learn these lessons at 13 than at 25.

OkOkOk: After my children entered the 7th grade, they were required to create and adhere to a strict clothing budget for the entire year. They also had to create a spreadsheet to support their budget. We settled on a budget of $500 every six months. Now, we no longer purchase any clothing for them, including uniforms and sports apparel; it is their sole responsibility.

They had complete control over the funds. They could choose to forgo buying clothes and instead splurge on $500 worth of sweets. That’s their decision. Just don’t expect me to buy new soccer cleats. It’s remarkable how much they gleaned from that experience. Now, two of them are in college, and I believe they handle their finances very well. The sooner they begin learning and are given the opportunity to make mistakes, the quicker they grasp the concept.

Would they be excessively harsh if they refused this purchase, or should they allow her to decide for herself, despite it appearing wasteful? How would you deal with a comparable request from a teenage individual? Share your opinions in the comments!