Would you get a tablet

[krissie328]

So my mom decided to buy my son his "big" present we picked out. So I am searching for other ideas. I am leaning towards a kid's tablet that I can access the google play store on to download apps.

My son is only 3 but loves to play on my phone. He doesn't spend excessive time, maybe 15-20 minutes at a time unless he gets on YouTube and then maybe 30 minutes. He doesn't get access every day.

So would you buy a 3 year old a tablet? I just worry he will get addicted to electronics and not want to play with his toys or go outside. Although, as of right now he will watch TV and never really had an issue turning if off and playing, so maybe that is an unfound fear.

 

[SmartieMeUp]

We got DD2 a 10.7" Samsung Galaxy A tablet last year (she turned 2 in June). We only got her one because she kept trying to take over DD1's. She knows how to navigate youtube and play certain games.

She goes on it on her own accord, mostly when she's eating or wants to lay on the sofa. We don't really have the TV on so it replaces that. She still plays with her toys 85% of the time.

DD1 (5) got her first tablet for her 3rd birthday (a cheap £40 one off eBay) didn't last long. So we bought her a gemini which she knackered the charging port on and a Google Nexus 9 which she accidentally smashed the screen on. Now she has a Samsung 10.7 Galaxy Tab S3 which we got her sometime last year. She knew how expensive it was so she took more care of it. She uses it more than DD2.

They both use my google account for playstore, so I can see what games are on the tablets without going on them, as well as seeing youtube search and play history.

 

[Talia12]

I personally hate when my son goes on the iPad for the sole reason of YouTube and the fact that kids will just keep clicking through endless videos of streams of crap and like 90% of kids YouTube videos are just American kids playing with toys! It drives me up the wall as (a) I can't stand to hear it, (b) he picks things up from them (nothing wrong with an American accent...unless you're British!) and (c) there is absolutely nothing educational or worthwhile in them whatsoever. Excuse the anti-YouTube rant haha. So now I just don't let him have a tablet/iPad full stop. However if he had one with no YouTube and it just had games apps and stuff (no chance now because he associates any tablet with watching endless videos so would just complain) then that'd be fine. The games apps they have for kids can be pretty good, educational and fun.

 

[krissie328]

My son loves those stupid videos of kids playing with toys! I removed YouTube kids from my kidplace app because he was picking up things I didn't like.

 

[Talia12]

I just cannot stand those videos! A bunch of rich kids with annoying as hell parents playing with endless toys in their mansions and ginormous gardens - pick literally any show or movie made for kids and it's always got something educational in it or some moral of the story or SOMETHING to make me feel alright about my son watching them - but those videos have nothinggg! Just spoilt kids playing with toys. And no matter what kids start out watching on YouTube, they keep tapping through the videos and I know eventually I'll hear "welcome to Ryan's toy review..." or "welcome to justforfun290" 😱Makes me want to smash the iPad haha. That's why he never has it any more. But there's nothing wrong with tablets other than that imo!

 

[george83]

I keep trying not get my boys one but I think eventually we will do. I'm quite boring in that I don't like them playing on it but my oh always lets them and in all fairness the world is changing and they do need to know how to use technology. I'm hoping they can wait until maybe ds1 is 8 though so a little while longer

 

[Elphaba12]

DD has the kindle fire kids tablet, its great and full of age appropriate games tv shows and books already preloaded. No youtube in sight thankfully! She knows how to use the iPad as well, but also knows its for family use and not something she can just take to her room and play on herself. They use them in school too so she is very confident on it but also perfectly happy with the fact she doesn't "own" one.

 

[Wobbles]

I would agree that a kindle fire is more age appropriate x

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

I just cannot stand those videos! A bunch of rich kids with annoying as hell parents playing with endless toys in their mansions and ginormous gardens - pick literally any show or movie made for kids and it's always got something educational in it or some moral of the story or SOMETHING to make me feel alright about my son watching them - but those videos have nothinggg! Just spoilt kids playing with toys. And no matter what kids start out watching on YouTube, they keep tapping through the videos and I know eventually I'll hear "welcome to Ryan's toy review..." or "welcome to justforfun290" 😱Makes me want to smash the iPad haha. That's why he never has it any more. But there's nothing wrong with tablets other than that imo!

this is so true! I can't believe how wealthy these children are to begin with! The houses in the videos are shockingly huge, I appreciate Americans have bigger homes (usually) but the homes on these videos just blow me away. I appreciate that they get given alot of the toys for free so that they feature them but they just end up looking spoilt, they will be making a fortune from utube though. It's a shame no one would be interested in watching us play in our tiny terraced house hahah. My 9 year old told me the other day that he is going to be a utuber when he grows up; ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Haha

 

[c1403]

My children can't don't YouTube as I took off the app and they can't spell yet!

Mine use the iPad for netflix, we do not have a TV so they get it after school whilst I cook dinner.

 

[krissie328]

Thanks for all the input ladies!! I actually gave my son my old gen 2 kindle fire. Some days he enjoys it but for the most part its not a huge interest. So I decided to revamp it a little bit and just use that for now.

DH agreed that DS does not use it enough to justify the cost of a new tablet for him.

 

[Buttercup84]

My girls both have kindle fires (they're 5.5 and 3 on Friday) with a kids subscription. We drove to France in June and got our younger daughter one for that as an early birthday present but tbh she doesn't use it much other than listening to music. I'm sure she'll get more use from it as time goes on though.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

Yeah absolutely. Lucas has access to tablet, laptop, phone and PS but I limit it so he still has a great imagination and plays with traditional toys.

 

[misspriss]

My IL's bought DS an ipad mini when he was 3. I was not happy about it, I did not have access to the itunes account (although there was nothing "objectionable" it bothered me).

We bought DD a fire tablet on Prime Day, and then DS HAD TO have one - I debated about buying him one to start out with on Prime day but decided against it. Well we had to buy him one the next week, which I hated feeling pressured to do by him but I was so happy to buy him a kid appropriate tablet with excellent parental controls, that *I* control.

DD was 2 when she got hers, she literally spends 10-15 minutes a day on it, but if momma needs to go #2 or get the dishes done, those 15 minutes are GOLD. DS spends his full screen time limit on his.