How to Persuade Your Parents to Get You an iPad

Impressing Your Parents

Work hard in school and get good grades. Your parents will be more likely to say yes to you if you show them that you are trying in school. Study for your tests, do your homework and pay attention to your teachers. This will show your parents that you are responsible and that you can handle an iPad.

Do your chores. Complete the chores that your parents already give you and complete extra chores to show that you are responsible and want to help them. Doing chores for your parents shows that you know how hard they work and that you want to help make their lives easier. They will appreciate this and it might persuade them to give you an iPad.

Be well behaved. When you are in public or around their adult friends, be extra polite. Be nice and social to their friends and answer their questions about your life. Behave when you are at home too. Eat what they make for dinner and try not to get upset with them or whine.

Be mature. Offer to take on more responsibilities around the house, such as offering to make dinner or help take care of the garden. If you get upset about something, handle it maturely. When your brother starts pushing your buttons or your sister wears your favorite shirt, be the bigger person and don’t let it bother you. If you show you are mature in life, it might help your parents see you are mature enough for an iPad.

Asking for the iPad

Find a good time to ask them. You don’t want to ask your parents if they are in a bad mood or angry. If your mom or dad is rushed, it is probably not the best time to ask for something. Asking around a holiday or birthday might improve your chances of getting the iPad. Let your parents know that you want to talk about something important to you.

Have good reasons for getting the iPad. Your parents might not want to give you the iPad because they will see it as just another toy or game console. Mention features of the iPad they might like for you to help convince them to get you one. Talk to your parents about the educational and how-to apps you can download to help you in school or to learn new things. You can say something like, “I can use the math apps on the iPad to help me get better at algebra.” Explain the technology skills you will learn if you have an iPad that will stick with you in life as technology continues to grow. Mention the access you will have to thousands of books on an iPad and how that will get you reading more. Bring up the location services on iPads. For example, “You won’t have to worry about me getting lost because you can use the iPad location services to find me.”

Ask with gratitude and be appreciative. Your parents will likely tell you no if you act like your parents owe you the iPad. Do not behave like you deserve it and are obligated to have it. Be polite and appreciative when you ask your parents for the iPad. Remind them how thankful you are for everything they have given you before you ask. Say something like: “Dad, I know you work hard for everything that you have given me and I want you to know I am very thankful for that. I know it is a lot to ask, but I was wondering if I could have an iPad.”

Offer to help pay or work in exchange. When you ask for the iPad, offer to pay for some of it with any money you have or to give your parents payments. You can also offer to work off the iPad by doing extra chores around the house. For example, “Mom, I want an iPad, but I don’t have enough money. If I pay for part of it with my leftover birthday money and do extra chores around the house, can you buy it for me?”

Accepting the Outcome

Give your parents time to think. Don’t pressure your parents to give you an answer right away. Instead, tell them to think about it. Otherwise, they will be more likely to say that you can't have it. Tell your parents to think about it and then give them space to decide. Say something like, “Mom, you don’t have to answer right away. Take time to think about it.”

Figure out why they said no. Maturely, figure out why they said no and it might turn their answer around to a yes. When they explain why they don’t want you to have an iPad, ask what you can do to change. In a calm manner say something like, “Okay. That is completely fine. What is the reason you don’t want me to have an iPad?” Do what they want you to do before you ask again. For example, if they say you need to get better grades first, then work on your grades and ask them again when your grades improve. Try to listen to their response with and open mind (and without getting defensive).

Suggest alternative options. If the reason your parents don’t want to get you an iPad is because of money, suggest similar options. Other tablet brands are less expensive than iPads which you can suggest instead. There are also used iPads that are less expensive than new iPads.

Keep your temper under control. Don’t whine, cry, or get upset if they say no. If you show your parents that you can handle it when they say no, they will be impressed. Be mature and stay calm. An iPad is expensive and a big responsibility. If they don’t think you are ready to handle it, then you need to respect that.