Why oh why are people giving their under 12s tablets?

I think harping about what we did in the 70s/80s/90s/ pick pre tablet decade is a bit pointless.

We aren't living in that time now. Yes, I grew up in a different time when we didn't have all that, but kids today aren't living in that world. The technology is there. We aren't going to suddenly see it disappear.

People can sit and do the smug, 'oh, well, MY child doesn't use any of that' like the parents of my generation used to smugly announce little Josephine didn't know what a TV was.

But the fact is, this is their world. It's more than a TV, it's a tool that, no, many might not need at the dinner table, but all are likely to need more as their lives progress down this current technological path.

We really should be more concerned about our children being prepared for a job market that existed 20 years ago, not the one that will exist when they leave school.

Who here would have said, 'I'm not buying a computer for my child' 20 years ago for anything other than financial reasons?

I know you'll say, 'it's different', but it really isn't. Your children need to be using the tools that will have the most prominence in their lives as they grow up. We can't pretend all this will go away.

Usage doesn't have to be irresponsible. You are still the parent, not the machine. You don't have to leave them sat in front of it until their brain rots, but you DO need to recognise the importance of this stuff in modern lives.

I wish it wasn't so, but wishing doesn't change it, and trying to take their child out of the sphere of references for their era is not the answer.

Do you need a sit down? The hysteria!

I know someone who has a permanent injury from falling over backwards on her drive when the dog pulled her over then stopped suddenly. That doesn’t make dogs or driveways unsafe, or walking your dog unsafe.

It isn't hysteria, I am simply pointing out the process that would happen should your children come to harm. You are an incredibly lazy parent and your children deserve better.

Do you need a sit down? The hysteria!

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@Gruffporcupine our kids play out. Can’t get them in at times. But we’re blessed with a no through road fairly small estate so it’s the kind of place where you can. And there’s lots of kids of all ages all looking after each other and various parents doing turns doing the same. They come in when the street lights come on. Estate has tons of green space and a play park. We’re so lucky.

My DH was seriously injured at 4 whilst playing out under the supervision of his siblings. By SS's standards this is child neglect. Whilst hopefully a kind lady will be on hand should an incident occur, if emergency services are involved a meeting will be held about whether it is safe for your DC to be returned to you given the previous neglect. You must have plenty of time to judge other parents whilst ignoring your own children's needs.

I know someone who has permanent injury due to playing out unsupervised as a young child.

My DH was seriously injured at 4 whilst playing out under the supervision of his siblings. By SS's standards this is child neglect. Whilst hopefully a kind lady will be on hand should an incident occur, if emergency services are involved a meeting will be held about whether it is safe for your DC to be returned to you given the previous neglect. You must have plenty of time to judge other parents whilst ignoring your own children's needs.

They do yes, mostly with their older sibling. They know where and how far they are allowed to go, and I tell them when they need to be back by. As they get older, where and how far increases naturally. They also know what to do in an emergency (find a nice lady, ideally with children, to help) and they know our address and phone number. My eldest gets the bus into town alone to meet friends. We live in a safe and rural area where this is possible, and so I fully appreciate that this may not be everyone's experience. But I do think parents should try to facilitate this kind of thing where they can, as it builds so much resilience, problem solving, independence, all that good stuff. This could be things like letting children run on ahead when out walking for example. If we go out as a family, me and DH often sit at a Cafe and the children will just run off and do their own thing. The worst that's happened is a sprained ankle or cut. We are usually out for the entire morning in the hols, unless it's absolutely torrential.

They look out for each other, as I did for my siblings. There were a lot of us growing up and at 5 years old I was often babysitting for my younger siblings while my Mum got on with things. Perhaps it's my background and growing up that way, but it really saddens me that there's so much less playing out and being outdoors than there used to be. These devices are such a terrible replacement. You literally see families out at restaurants and the parents, rather than involving their kids in conversations and talking, are happy to shove an iPad in the kids face. It's just sad

They do yes, mostly with their older sibling. They know where and how far they are allowed to go, and I tell them when they need to be back by. As they get older, where and how far increases naturally. They also know what to do in an emergency (find a nice lady, ideally with children, to help) and they know our address and phone number. My eldest gets the bus into town alone to meet friends. We live in a safe and rural area where this is possible, and so I fully appreciate that this may not be everyone's experience. But I do think parents should try to facilitate this kind of thing where they can, as it builds so much resilience, problem solving, independence, all that good stuff. This could be things like letting children run on ahead when out walking for example. If we go out as a family, me and DH often sit at a Cafe and the children will just run off and do their own thing. The worst that's happened is a sprained ankle or cut. We are usually out for the entire morning in the hols, unless it's absolutely torrential.

They look out for each other, as I did for my siblings. There were a lot of us growing up and at 5 years old I was often babysitting for my younger siblings while my Mum got on with things. Perhaps it's my background and growing up that way, but it really saddens me that there's so much less playing out and being outdoors than there used to be. These devices are such a terrible replacement. You literally see families out at restaurants and the parents, rather than involving their kids in conversations and talking, are happy to shove an iPad in the kids face. It's just sad

They do yes, mostly with their older sibling. They know where and how far they are allowed to go, and I tell them when they need to be back by. As they get older, where and how far increases naturally. They also know what to do in an emergency (find a nice lady, ideally with children, to help) and they know our address and phone number. My eldest gets the bus into town alone to meet friends. We live in a safe and rural area where this is possible, and so I fully appreciate that this may not be everyone's experience. But I do think parents should try to facilitate this kind of thing where they can, as it builds so much resilience, problem solving, independence, all that good stuff. This could be things like letting children run on ahead when out walking for example. If we go out as a family, me and DH often sit at a Cafe and the children will just run off and do their own thing. The worst that's happened is a sprained ankle or cut. We are usually out for the entire morning in the hols, unless it's absolutely torrential.

They look out for each other, as I did for my siblings. There were a lot of us growing up and at 5 years old I was often babysitting for my younger siblings while my Mum got on with things. Perhaps it's my background and growing up that way, but it really saddens me that there's so much less playing out and being outdoors than there used to be. These devices are such a terrible replacement. You literally see families out at restaurants and the parents, rather than involving their kids in conversations and talking, are happy to shove an iPad in the kids face. It's just sad

Do your 4 and 6 yr old play out unsupervised? How many hours a day are you spending outside? I'm genuinely interested because having a neurotypical child and a neurodivergent child the difference is massive. I actually COULD lazily parent my daughter and shed manage absolutely fine. She potters from her room where her small world toys and dolls are to the dining room where her messy play and colouring is to the living room where her roleplay toys are and if she wants screentime it's 15 minutes of numberblocks or doc McStuffins. She will actually watch a Disney movie or whatever curled up on the couch with a snack on a rainy afternoon and she might play a tablet game for 5 mins now and again but it's not even weekly id say. I could definitely have been entirely screen free with her no trouble at all.

As I said I was with my son too all through babyhood and toddler years. But he had hospitalisations and keeping a hyperactive 3 yr in a hospital bed on a busy ward opened the portal. And we discovered that gaming was the only thing he'd do sitting down. I'm going to have a look at that link now. I am however genuinely interested in your kids playing out and ages

That's still an exceptionally high figure. And the fact that everything from bed wetting, to ADHD, to profound physical disability is included in that umbrella explains why. The category does just become meaningless when mostly quite normal childhood developmental concerns such as bed wetting, and treatment managed health conditions like diabetes, are placed alongside a child being disabled from birth and needing, say, a wheelchair. These things are distinct. Categories have to have utility and the SEN one doesn't anymore, which is detrimental to those children with the greatest need

That's still an exceptionally high figure. And the fact that everything from bed wetting, to ADHD, to profound physical disability is included in that umbrella explains why. The category does just become meaningless when mostly quite normal childhood developmental concerns such as bed wetting, and treatment managed health conditions like diabetes, are placed alongside a child being disabled from birth and needing, say, a wheelchair. These things are distinct. Categories have to have utility and the SEN one doesn't anymore, which is detrimental to those children with the greatest need

That's still an exceptionally high figure. And the fact that everything from bed wetting, to ADHD, to profound physical disability is included in that umbrella explains why. The category does just become meaningless when mostly quite normal childhood developmental concerns such as bed wetting, and treatment managed health conditions like diabetes, are placed alongside a child being disabled from birth and needing, say, a wheelchair. These things are distinct. Categories have to have utility and the SEN one doesn't anymore, which is detrimental to those children with the greatest need

If tablets are so damaging, can you explain why so many schools are using them as a learning tool?

So what that link states is in kids born between 2002-2008 50% were identified as having 'special needs' AT SOME POINT. so that would include bed wetters, it would include kids with dyslexia, it would include me who had ankle surgery in childhood and was immobilized for a time, it would include every child who went through childhood cancer, every child with a childhood seizure disorder, type 1 diabetes, severe eczema, every child needing additional exam support, every child a school didn't want to support so wanted to document as academically behind. It specifically states that a restructuring to allow support in education for additional support needs led to a 20% drop instantly in those considered AT ANY POINT on their childhood to have additional needs.

You understand the difference there right? At no point did 50% of children at any time have a documented additional needs, across the 18 years of their childhood 50% of children at some point had AN additional need. Can you understand the statistical difference there?

There are likely no trucks out in the woods or riverside. We obviously aren't talking about sending kids to play out on the M4

Gosh if your 2 or 3 year old was, not only walking before they were one but also, ambushing you to discuss the finer points of WW1 politics you were dealing with a completely different raw material that I was as despite their books they managed neither of those things.
My post was in response to very young children having them and I have yet to hear any child that age watching a WW1 documentary when I am being deafened by what they are listening to in shops/restaurants and public transport.
Unless you are implying that your children were quietly reading at that advance level at 3 and under?

I thought you meant paracetamol capsules versus calpol…