To wish I'd never bought my children Ipads?

Indeed, 2hrs a week is more reasonable.

Another one here refusing to do app based homework set by school, I think it’s so wrong that AI is being brought in to schools.

in the meantime, for us what they do at school is plenty. Any practise done in the old fashioned ways.

Chuckling at the poster who said the kids wouldn’t learn to ‘type’ as a result - these apps involve jabbing at a screen and receiving some dopamine hits, it’s hardly touch typing! On second year of it and both teachers ok with it so long as paper alternatives are used. If it’s something a bit more meaningful like a bit of research and typing something out then happy for DC to do that and I supervise.

DC getting high scores for the times table test at school already so won’t be doing any apps for that at home either.

We have a ‘family’ iPad we use for long journeys / flights so sometimes DC watches tv on it / plays games, but no regular use at home and no browsing or YouTube. If I were op I’d probably put them away if they can’t be returned, and use them like that.

2 hours per day IPad use for a six year old is not “strict”, I’d actually consider that quite excessive…

I let mine watch elmos toothbrush song to help with teeth brushing. That turned into another song and another. It's so addictive. So then the ipad "broke". What a pity 😆 Never again, just go cold turkey, they'll kick you a fuss for a day or two then forget about it

Kids don't need devices until they are in secondary school. Get rid of the ipads for at least the next 5 years.
And you said everyone you know has given ipads to their kids long before you did. Well, everyone I know has never given their children any electronic devices until they were at least 10 years old and they are still controlling their teenagers' social media far more than we do. So, start looking into that other direction a bit more maybe?

Hi OP. I haven’t read all the comments but when my DD was younger I used an app called Safe Vision. It sort of sits on top of YouTube.
You can pick 5 channels that they can watch (you can set an age limit too) and they can only watch those channels. You can switch them around and take some off and add new ones. Maybe you could have some educational ones and a least annoying squeaky kid playing with random toys one?

An hour on an iPad for a six-year-old is far too much.
There’s lots of good updated research, to support this .
you made a mistake, take them away sell them whatever buy books art materials instead.
the initial fallout will be tricky to navigate, but just be strict and stick the rules.
tv should also be limited.
long term your children will benefit.
if you’re strong now
good luck Op we’ll all make mistakes but u have time to fix this huge one

Delete the YouTube app and replace it with YouTube Kids app.
Set the timer on the iPads and reduce it gradually, 5-10 minutes less every week until your desired time.

Why are they behaving like toddlers? And when they act grown yo? What on earth does that mean they are 6 🤣

Agreed

Just take them away. They'll have a meltdown but then they'll have their childhood back and forget about them. So much less hassle for you in the long run.

I would take it off them. They’ll soon forget about it. Far too young. Knowing what we do now about dopamine hits and how addictive screens are you should delay as much as possible or at least dramatically reduce their use to 15 mins a day and half an hour on the weekend.

Them doing work in a Chromebook at school in the context of learning is enough.

The PP isn't "leaving her child behind" computers and tech are easy to use. Hence why 3 year olds can use iPads and 90 year olds can use smart phones and computers are, by design, intuitive to use.

Children's digital literacy is fine in small controlled bursts with a purpose, such as a Chromebook session once or twice a week inKS2.

Giving them an iPad at 6 isn't the way forward.

Which is fine. They can learn with out it. Especially at primary.

And...after the first time, why wasn't the 4 year old not allowed on the iPad.... Seems like a fake...

I suspect it was a fabricated comment.

Why can't children share anymore? Even a magazine or comic was shared around our house and we weren't poor.

The other weird thing about that 4yo story is how did anyone on the Internet know it was a 4yo child on the app?
How capable was the child of sending messages? And engaging in social media?
Most 4yos can barely read never mind send messages on social media

That posters child is only 8 he can easily catch up.
I'm in my early twenties so computers were around when I was a child but my family were poor so didn't have one, we had computer class in primary school and I was the slowest typer.

But it really didn't take much to catch up tech wise as a teenager.

@GiraffeCup some posters don’t want their child to use a screen full stop (doesn’t matter whether it is connected to the internet)

Yes, but the school will have filtered access, locked down iPads etc

Again...it all is down to supervision and responsibilities.

You can block imessages from unknown senders
You can lock the iPad to certain apps
You can disable chat in Roblox.
Australia has things like the ABC kids app.

And if you can't it won't do anything to prevent your child being exposed to the content... Don't fucking give them an iPad.

It's like saying "well, I'll let them cross the road on their own, the roads are quiet round here" and then getting upset they got hit by a cyclist.

Anybody can send msgs to a iPad you don't need a app for it your iPad is the address I'm in Australia and we don't have CBeebies people can also msg your kid via Roblox if they have it they pretend to be kids

For those not using a screen for your child’s homework, how are they accessing the multiplication test in Y4 (if you are in England)? Also they will be using screens in school

As adults we are glued to screens, why on earth would you have thought giving access to kids would be different? It’s the tech equivalent of giving them a dummy.