How to Convince Your Parents to Let You Have an iPod Touch

Proving Your Responsibility

Keep your belongings and items in order. If your parents have to always tell you to clean your room or get your things off of the living room floor, they probably don't think that you are responsible enough to take good care of an expensive electronic device. Prove to them that you know how to treat your belongings well, keep them neat, and not lose them. Clean your room once a week. This should be often enough for your parents to notice a change. If you have a habit of throwing your coat and bag down when you get home, stop that habit by just hanging it up instead. When you leave a room for good, make sure you take all your things with you, and turn off the lights.

Get good grades. Good grades are a sure sign that you are taking responsibility for yourself. Your parents will be happier with you overall, and more agreeable when you make your request. If you don't have good grades then your chances of getting an iPod are very slim. If you don't get good grades, this may be a long-term goal. You may have to ask teachers for tutoring, and you will have to get in the habit of handing in homework on time. Just remember that it is all worth it! Keep in mind that a good report card might be a good time to bring up the fact that you want a new iPod. Your parents will be in a better mood.

Get a job or earn an allowance. This way, you will be able to prove to your parents that you understand money management. You can't get a part-time job until you are 14. If you are younger than that, you may want to ask your parents if you can earn an allowance. Otherwise, you can get jobs around the neighborhood, cleaning up yards for people, mowing lawns, or babysitting. Ask your parents if you can open up a bank account. This will prove that you are committed to good money management.

Mention your responsibility to your parents. Don't be afraid that they will think that you are trying to trick them. Let them know that your new responsibility is for a reason, and it will not stop once you get the iPod. Say, “I've been taking the iPod seriously. I've been taking up new responsibilities so you know that I am not taking it too lightly. I realized that responsibilities are not that difficult, so I promise I will keep doing them if you decide to buy me the iPod.”

Proving the iPod is Practical

Find good deals. You can find refurbished iPods for much cheaper than new ones. If you can prove to your parents that you can find a good deal, it might be easier to persuade them. A good idea is to show them the difference in prices. Say, “I don't need a new iPod. If you get a refurbished one, you can get $50 off. That's 25% off of the original price!”

Prove that the iPod touch is a valuable tool. Your parents might think that the iPod touch is just an expensive toy. Prove to them that you can use it in multiple ways. Tell them that you can use it as a calculator, an organizer for homework, and a pocket camera in case you see something you want to take a picture of. There are dozens of apps available on the app store that can boost your productivity, from note-taking to scheduling. Show your parents some examples of apps online. Mention how they could help you keep track of your schoolwork. Say, “The iPod can make staying organized fun!”

Prove you will use it. Nobody likes to see a gift that was used once and then forgotten. Make sure to let your parents know that you won't use the iPod for a week and then forget about it. It's good to prove to your parents that the new tool will just help you do the things you already do, but better. Say, “I'll be able to use the iPod as my planner, and it will give me reminders for when to do my homework.” Remind your parents of all the other things that you like to do. Say, “I like listening to music as I walk to school. And I take pictures of my friends all the time! With the iPod, it would all be in one place!”.

Offering to Help Pay

Get an allowance. See if your parents would be able to pay you weekly in exchange for chores and good behavior. Your parents may only want to pay you to do certain chores. This is okay too-- every bit adds up. Mention that you are saving up for something specific, not asking for extra spending money.

Get a job. You can work part-time when you are fourteen, but if you are younger you can still work around your neighborhood. Families are often looking for babysitters, so it's a good idea to find parents and ask if they need any help watching their kids. People often need help with yard work, especially lawn mowing. You can go door to door asking if people need any work done on your yard.

Get a bank account or a piggy bank. If you are going to save money, you should make sure that you won't spend it on anything else. Ask your parents to help you set up a bank account, or at least keep your money in a place where you can't get to it. Tell your parents you want to learn how to save money. They will appreciate your effort. A bank account is a great way to keep your birthday and holiday money safe.

Offer to help pay for the iPod. Once you have $75, you have enough money to pay for half of a refurbished iPod. Approach your parents and tell them that you've saved enough money to pay for half of the iPod, and ask them if they would be willing to pitch in the other half. Let them know how long you have been saving up. Say, “I'm taking the expense of the iPod very seriously. I've been saving up for three months to help pay for it.”

Asking at the Right Time

Find a good time to ask. A good time to ask for an iPod is near a birthday or Christmas or another holiday. If you do ask for one around those times, don't ask for a lot. Your iPod will be your "big" present. If your parents have been arguing or talking a lot about money, it is not a good time to ask for an iPod. Wait until you stop hearing those kinds of conversations. Don't stress that you need the iPod immediately. Instead say, “I know that maybe I can't get this immediately, so I was thinking that I could wait for a few months, or until my birthday.”

Ask in a good place. If you can ask when you can have a long discussion, your results will be better than if you ask when your parents are rushed or irritated. Car rides are a good time to ask since your parents will be sitting for a long time. If you spend time doing chores together, like washing dishes, your parents might be able to spend more time talking to you.

Be reasonable. If your parents say that the iPod is too expensive, they may not be able to afford it. Wait a few months, and try to save up some money before asking again. Do not whine or complain that everyone else has an iPod. Instead, revisit previous steps, and try to demonstrate why having the iPod would be useful to you. If your parents turn you down without much explanation, do not be too aggressive. Wait a month or so, and then casually bring up the reasons that you would like an iPod again.

Set ground rules. If your parents seem like they might say yes, but have some reservations, make sure that they know how responsible you will be. Let them know that you will not be distracted while your parents want you to be paying attention to them. Say, “I won't let the iPod distract me from what is important. I won't use the iPod when you're talking to me either.” Make sure they know that your schoolwork won't suffer either. Say, “I know that you might be worried that I won't pay attention in class. I only want the iPod for my downtime, or when I'm waiting for the bus. I won't use it during school.”