With Christmas around the corner I find the eldest asking Santa for a tablet this year.
What's the general consensus as to giving iPad type devices (and games consoles for that matter) to nippers?
My children are 5 and 3 and I am really reluctant to give them any kind of console, computer or tablet at such a young age. Nothing to do with Internet security or anything like that, but on the very rare occasion where one of the kids gets to play CBeebies on my phone, or when another kiddie brings out an iPad they turn into absolute zombies, and I mean pretty much unresponsive.
It's not just my kids either, all to often when out for a summers drink, in a restaurant, or on a train I've seen children just sitting there glued to a screen, as opposed to playing in the pub garden, engaging in conversation with their parents, or just looking out of the train window curiously for that matter. I even saw one of the kids produce a tablet at a "soft play" type party once and it killed the atmosphere.
I am in no way judging, it's not for me to tell others how to bring up their own children here - each to their own.
At the moment, we never leave the house without colouring books and drawing paper, a massive bag of pens, a few small soft puppets in a bag and some puzzles to keep them occupied a which they are very happy with.
I'm not trying to be a Luddite, I suppose I'd just like them to enjoy being kids for a little while longer, using their imagination and communicating. I suppose on the flip side, these devices are the future of course, and maybe the earlier they start the better!!
I have friends who've bought their 18 month old a tablet for Christmas, and just wondering what the opinions are and for how long I can delay the inevitable??
My 21-month old Son uses my old Kindle Fire tablet to play a few educational games, and watch the occasional Peppa Pig to calm him down, but it's very much a last resort. Most of his day is spent getting out and about, playing with his toys or reading with Mum and Dad. The tablet is just another toy to him, but can be useful if you want to get him to calm down.
I'd recommend Fire tablets too.
If you buy them today they're £35: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
Or the kid's version is £70: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...A3P5ROKL5A1OLE My nephew's had one for nearly a year without breaking it.
We have a house iPad loaded with educational games, time telling, mathletics, letter writing etc. We got a stylus to simulate a pen when letter writing and depending on behaviour they collect tech time up to 45mins a week, they can also lose tech time but I agree with the whole zombie thing and that just the immersive trait that takes place, but tech time is at home only, normally happens after dog walking in the weekends and they get it in 10 minute blocks and have to share between the 3 of them and they're all under 10... As a special treat every now and then they get to play ice age or frozen, minions or Lego Star Wars for ten-15 minutes of that tech time. As my eldest is getting older, she gets extra mathletics homework time from school which is maybe 30 mins a week, it's an old iPad 2 and works for us, anything more complex gets done on the laptops (school projects) absolutely no reading in it though, they have books for that ;)
Everyone will have their own views on this. Personally I think 3 & 5 is too young for a tablet (and buying one for an 18 month old is just ridiculous).
My son got a tablet when he was 8, my daughter will get one for Christmas (almost 8). There is also an Xbox and a Wii in the house. Both tablets and consoles are strictly limited through the use of weekly 'time tokens'...they can be used whenever they like,within reason,but once they are used up that's it for the week. If they are well behaved etc etc during the week then they get the tokens renewed. If not then they can be reduced for the following week.
They both have access to a laptop for schoolwork only.
Only tablets children should be allowed near are their parents'. Nay to personal tablets for kids
This is all down to personal choice although there are plenty of studies on how too much screen time effects kids if you do a search. I love tech my wife hates it. Our daughter is 6 and gets the iPad maybe three times per week, she uses my wife's and we strictly control what she has on it but they are the future and i believe she needs to have a grasp of technology.
As a black Friday impulse buy I have bought her the Kindle fire for kids as a christmas present. I hope to encourage her to use spotify etc for music and to use it for reading as well as games and iplayer. The main reason I succumbed is there seem to be a lot of parental controls so we can give her some freedom with it whilst still limiting the time she is on it.
Some behaviour based reward use deal will definitely be the order of the day.
A used iPad or galaxy tab is probably a good idea, and you can load lots of useful/educational stuff on them.
It's just a matter of time...
I presume there are no such things as grandparents then.
Lucky you...
they bought my girl an hello kitty samsong smartphone when she was 4 (which was confiscated by the parental gestapo)
then last year both kids got tablets at 6 and 3 after I gave the girl an old one of mine with a japanese cartoon series, some memory games and a barbie fake stuff game.
but anyway, the grandparents bought the tablets like in lidl or something, kids tablets, that needed to be activated with a monthly rate to pay for games and stuff.
so I had to hack them and install other free stuff.
plus buy some memory because they suck at standard memory.
my boy's tablet is almost non working now, because he bashes it around all the time, I've had to tape it and glue bits and stuff, some buttons have fallen out.
my girl's tablet is... dunno somewhere around the house.
I use them as media banks basically, they've got their cartoons, films and music and videos and when we go to the sofa everyone has their favourite thing to watch.
me, I just sleep.
anyway, it's lovely to watch them dance to the videos, they are big fans of one direction and some other italian pop punk bands.
my girl now wants a smart watch for christmas...
MMUUUAHAHHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!
No way. I think even 10 is too young for any sort of device.
Kindle fire 7, got mine from Argos as they had stock, amazon was right near xmas for delivery.
Argos delivered (free) next day, so didn't even have to go in store (thankfully! 😃)
My kids are also 3 and 5. They used to use an old tablet, always supervised, until it eventually got dropped one too many times and the screen cracked. Since then they have either used the laptop or one of our phones, again always supervised, and mainly just to play the games on the CBeebies app.
Sometimes when we take it away from my son he gets stroppy, which is not a good sign. We tell him if he continues to behave like that he won't have it again, and he seems to be getting better.
It's far too tempting, and easy, to just use them as a pacifier, but like all things I think moderation is the key. A lot of the games they play have educational value, so I have no problem using tablets as part of a rounded.
Fundamentally though I don't think at that age they need there own device. Use of a parent's in supervised sessions is enough.
At what age do you expect them to be diagnosed as clinically obese?
About 5 - they test them at school in year one and send letters to the parents.Originally Posted by number2
At what age do you expect them to be diagnosed as clinically obese?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote