To wish I'd never bought my children Ipads?

My kids spend more time on their tablets than I’d like, so I’m far from a perfect parent, however I have blocked YouTube on our router as it is absolute dross, even kids YouTube. They were like zombies watching other people playing games and providing hyperactive commentaries. Now they don’t have YouTube they’re at least playing the games themselves.

How do you do this??

Bunkum. In what way does it ‘damage their brains’? 😆

I bought my DS his first iPad at 4yrs old as they were using them at pre-school. We used educational Apps on it and he learnt to read and gained basic maths skills very quickly.

I think it depends on the child but my DS was never interested in games like Fortnight or mindlessly scrolling YouTube although he did love playing Minecraft when younger. I took him to a coding club at 7yrs and he really enjoyed that.

Teen DS much prefers playing his guitar to computer games these days.

Op also posted she wished she hadn’t bought them. Easy solution to that, take them away.

Or Mumsnet. The irony of everyone condemning tablets yet here we are.

OP I use sleep timers. If they’re more hassle than they’re worth try taking them away during the week and getting them out at weekends and if that doesn’t help put them away altogether.

If you’re managing their time and the content isn’t harmful I don’t really see the benefit of TV vs tablets tbh.

Mine are 9 & 11 and don't have you tube. They do have you tube kids for 30 minutes. We use family link.

I think 6 years old is too young for iPads. General advice is to avoid iPads, phones and devices that make them sit on their own and zombie out. It’s preferable to have a tv on so they can watch together (family movie night, or some education stuff on YT).

I don’t know many primary school kids with iPads, but we are not in then UK, so it might be different.

Mine are 8 & 6 and don't know youtube exists. We have two kindle tablets but they are password protected and we simply don't let them have them at all mon- fri. Only one hour screen time on the weekend.

The tablets are heavily locked down and we supervise what is on them.

Wean them away, introduce some sort of creative play, like kids that age used to do before staring into a screen was a thing.

We had family iPad and consoles in the lounge. Parental controls (both on the tech itself but also DC having to ask if they could go on them and in respect of iPad what for). Until DC were much older games were set up so DC couldn’t ‘speak’ to other players. And games were age appropriate

We only let my DC (age 9 &12) have 1 hour, twice a week. They moan about their friends having more but I just tell them I am making the decisions I think are right as their parent.

(I spend far too much time on my devices so on that note I'm signing off!)

It’s not too late
Definitely block YouTube - two 6 yr olds scrolling on that content you don’t know WTF they’ll see
Disappear the iPads

if we had our time again the iPads would come in the teens at earliest

kids themselves say they were given them too early (same age)

Firstly, password protect the devices so they can't get on them whenever they like.

You must have spent at least £700 on them! Trade them in for one single, family, reconditioned iPad. They don't own the device or have autonomy on when to use it but it's there for everyone with restricted use.

I remember DS aged around the same age watching Thomas the Tank Engine on my iPad. All very good until he clicked in a version which had Gordon telling Thomas that he was a selfish motherfucker…
He didn’t have access again for a VERY long time!

You asked for people's opinions. You can't complain about being judged when you don't like them.

Agree

definitely block you tube. It’s not safe for kids that age. There is You Tube kids which is not perfect but it is safer at least.

i’m not being judgemental at all. I think lots of parents don’t realise how unsafe YouTube is. You need to have control over their content and keep them safe.

Id take YouTube off it and maybe just put some educational stuff on there. My kids have 1 they are allowed to use between them but all I allow them on now is Reading Eggs

I really wish more people realised just how damaging screen use like this is, for young brains. Just take them away!

I think your post has attracted a certain type of response.

Surely at that age you are not leaving them alone whilst on iPads. Internet babysitter will never go well

Just take YouTube off. There are enough other educational apps to make up for any educational stuff that they were watching on there.

Another just “lose” them or remove them.

there is enough on Netflix Disney+ etc if they don’t like it let them play or live their life in the real world.

they are 6 not 16… you control what they do

Complaining about judgement that you invited when you said it was a big mistake is a bit rich don’t you think?

You did something daft, it hasn’t worked out, so take them away. Not complicated. Other parents letting younger kids have them just means you know stupid people.

Pick a topic and get them to find out as much about it as possible

It’ll help with their reading skills and vocab

pick a topic they’re interested in like, cars or whatever. How does a car engine work, how does a plane fly, what are names of planets and their alignment. Fastest animal, what animals only live in Australia

give them a reason to use their iPads