Would you give your child a tablet? What age?

[Eternal]

I have been shocked seeing lots of posts from people giving there toddlers Ipads! Which seems shocking for such a expensive and fragile piece of hardware and I just didn't get it.

However my eyes have recently been opened to the world of educational toddler apps and I must say I am impressed and my son loves playing on my phone or my OHs tablet.

Now, we are contemplating getting a tablet for him, part of me thinks that is crazy (especially as OH think a tough pad is a better option, due to retail over £1000), but part of me thinks he is learning from it quickly and I am amazing that a 25 month old can use a tough screen when at his age that technology was unheard of in my time lol!

Anyway, I am really sitting on the fence, part of me thinks, spoilt, stupid and really not appropriate, the other thinks education, productive and fun.

What do you think?

 

[Raven24]

We have and ipad 2 and he plays with it, i think it has helped his speech alot, he can say so many words now an dpicks up new words every week.
I like the idea of a toughpad but i jut give him the ipad it has taken quite a few knocks and is fine although we are always sat with him while he uses it.

 

[dani_tinks]

I do think they're great if used properly. I'm sure we'll probably buy Jacob one when he comes out of his destructive phase!

 

[babydevil1989]

im getting toby an ipod touch for his birthday.

he loves the apps on OH iphone. he can work my phone better than me.

my mum thought we were crazy for considering getting one but honestly the educational apps are great! x

 

[wilbz]

Both our older girls (9 and 4) have an ipod each and an ipad2 between them, I invested in good quality covers for them to protect them, and must admit it's our 9 year old who is the clumsiest with it as our 4 year old tends to sit and play rather than wonder around with it. I think maybe I spoil them a little to much, but we live with technology all around us an is educating them from an early age and there are so many educational apps for all ages

 

[Maman]

Tyler has an imac, a ds a wii, a digital camera and he uses his dads tablet- he does ok with them all. Obviously you have to only allow them set time witht these things but my son is far ahead of his peers when it comes to computers, motor development and logic

 

[cherryglitter]

i thought you meant like a pill or something

 

[Blah11]

Amelie would just destroy it but when she's older I'll have no issues with her having one. Just because she might have one, doesn't mean she won't play outside too

 

[teal]

i thought you meant like a pill or something

So glad I wasn't alone in thinking that when I read the title!

 

[ames_x]

We have an iPad 2 and LO does tend to use it more than us lol. He loves playing games on there and they help with his colours and numbers he loves the cupcake app too!

I was planning on buying him a leap pad but whats the point when he can just use the iPad? We have a protective cover and a leather case on it so it doesnt get damaged x

 

[Jaysmummy]

We have an iPad2 and DD will just sit and play on it.

DS likes to drag his fingers across the screen but if its on the Doodle app then he can make pictures and stuff which is quite cute.

I am thinking of getting DD something similar for her birthday, just not sure what yet.

xx

 

[smokey]

Lo plays with our stuff, touch screen phone and kinect here and tablet at his grandads but tbh I dont think there is anything these things can teach them that parants cant wih a good book some flash carfs and a bit of imagination

 

[KayBea]

My niece (5) plays on my phone & her mums.

IMO i dont see why a 5 year old would want there own ipod/iphone/tablet etc.. whats the point? its not like they can go on the internet or even understand how to use it properly...

my daughter can have her own when she can afford to buy it & can actually use it...

i dont really want her having her head stuck in anything like that at a young age.. she should be out playing with friends/being active...

 

[Reedy]

Ive learnt my lesson with my last ipod, DO NOT LET FINLEY NEAR IT!!!!
He threw it twice & smashed the screen so I would no way let him near an Ipad x
I'm thinking about getting him an innotab for his birthday this year though x Something a bit more sturdy x

 

[babydevil1989]

its not like they would be on it constantly, why do people say they should be outside playing not stuck on a computer, why cant they do both?

at school these days you NEED to know how to use a computer so why not teach them through play surely thats how they normally learn anyway!

if your happy for him to have one why not its not going to do any harm (except to your bank balance )

 

[Jaysmummy]

its not like they would be on it constantly, why do people say they should be outside playing not stuck on a computer, why cant they do both?

at school these days you NEED to know how to use a computer so why not teach them through play surely thats how they normally learn anyway!

if your happy for him to have one why not its not going to do any harm (except to your bank balance )

I completely agree with you. My DD is 6 and still doesn't play outside with her friends, no blinking way!!!

Don't see any harm in using them, especially for educational reasons

xx

 

[New2Bumps]

I agree with Kaybee and Smokey. I'd let Ethan have a small go if I had one (he watches nursery rhymes on the laptop sometimes at the moment) but he's certainly not missing out by not having access to one all the time. I think however you choose to fill your child's time is up to you. Most parents do a range of things with their children, purely fun, educational and a mix of both and computer time is a part of that by differing degrees. I have no problem with the use of one but I wouldn't get him one of his own until he was at least 7.

 

[Laura2919]

I'd not let the girls have one simply because they wouldn't understand the value of it and if they broke it we wouldn't be able to replace it...
I would think about it when they are older though

 

[smokey]

its not like they would be on it constantly, why do people say they should be outside playing not stuck on a computer, why cant they do both?

at school these days you NEED to know how to use a computer so why not teach them through play surely thats how they normally learn anyway!

if your happy for him to have one why not its not going to do any harm (except to your bank balance )

But the point of the thread wasnt about letting them play on it and for how long it was about buying them their own.

I just dont see the need to buy them their own (there is a differance here between want and need) by all means buy one for yourself, have some fun with it and let them use it if you trust them to be good with it but there is no NEED to have one when there are other ways.
Lo has had his own ipod since he was 3 days old he had my old one but that was just because it was easier to keep his nursery rymes and white noise seperate from my music so I could play it easier not becauses he needed one

 

[Eternal]

I agree its not a need, but what "toy" is? all toys are wants, some are more educational than others.

As I say I sit on the fence, if we got one it wouldn't be specifically his, rather the families. The twins can use it when they are older (we would probably get it for christmas) and we would use it too, but the main reason for it would be for the kids.

I don't think it replaces anything, it doesn't stop me teaching him the same things. It doesn't replace play time, outside time, etc.

But then I think its a flipping tablet that some people cant afford and I am thinking of getting one for my 2 year old! That seems crazy and im back on the fence lol!