I broke DS tablet wwyd?

Hang on. You recognise that screen time is clearly bad for (unknown age) child, you're not replacing the tablet, but you're letting watch things on your laptop?

Is this some new fangled laptop without a screen???

Just tell them what happened. That his behaviour isn’t acceptable when he has the tablet.

OP seems coy about giving her kids age. I guess he's young but what's with the paint being over the fence, garden and himself? What the heck was he watching on his tablet to get addicted and make him kick off when the tablet was removed?

You could have sold it and put the money towards another present they'd like or in their savings. Nasty ungrateful behavior on display imo.

If you didn’t smash it in front of him then you deliberately planned to do it. Thats worrying.

Tell him it was the Grinch disguised as you.

And to add my dad used to smash things sometimes. Including the tv in my brothers room when he also became too obsessed with that.

None of us grew up to be serial killers. Your son will be fine

I can't get past you smashing an expensive tablet and then getting upset that your son is smashing things up.

I also don't believe there's no connection between this modern usage of screens and poor behavior in kids.

Nice family 🫢

What age is he OP?
I’d maybe buy him something else from Granny and Grandad as a replacement present?

I would explain all of this and suggest either that you put the money into an account for him when he's older or else they can choose another gift.

@Thenonstopcleaner I once threw (and smashed) my OWN phone out of frustration because my young daughter had become obsessed with it - so I understand how you must have been feeling.
Did you tell your son you threw it? Or just that it broke?
My daughter was a thrower and we had several products get broken or damaged.
She never fully understood the consequences until I got so angry and broke my own phone. It was a turning point and we did get some help with behaviour and various other issues.
If you've never had the urge to throw something in this way before and you don't think you will ever again then draw a line under the experience.
But make sure you explain to the grandparents exactly why you don't want a replacement tablet (the
way it made your son behave).
💐

She should not replace it. The tablet has damaged his behaviour. Correct response would have been to confiscate the thing rather than smash it. How do you react when you DC covers the fence, the kitchen and himself with paint btw? And grandparents should consult before buying digital items for GC.

I'd buy your son a good book.

When my ds was 2 the in laws brought him an iPad.
Me being staunchly against kids wasting their childhoods rotting in front one of those it went straight in the bin. I didn’t tell them and they have no idea.
I never quite got why anyone would buy such a young kid an iPad anyway when there are so many toys you could have got?

Honestly never felt bad about wasting their money. Buy a better present next time.

Yes I’m aware I could have let him play it a little and had rules around it or whatever but who wants to hear a kid begging to have that all day instead of enjoying their childhood? that’s what I used to watch my little brother do to my mum he could never just enjoy the day it all revolved around “when I get home can I play on the iPad”.

Depressing.

This 100%

I can't imagine that the kid hasn't seen anger issues before if the go-to response by his mother is to smash the tablet 🙄 All kids get stupidly addicted to screens if they are allowed to. Smashing things instead of parenting isn't the answer.

Still not saying how old he is…

@Thenonstopcleaner I think you should replace it- throwing something of someone elses and breaking it is awful behaviour on your part. Are you sure some of the aggression you see in your son hasn't come from what you are giving out?

I also think that you have likely failed your DS in how you have handled the tablet so far. I am not judging too hard as I think the first month or two my son had one we did also- youtube kids was not the protected interface I thought it was.

I think tablets can definitely be ok for kids but you need to control and care about it's use. We have an hour screen time restriction on our sons. It doesn't unlock unless I grant access in the parent account. If he has been badly behaved either while on it or before I don't unlock it for him. I can remotely lock it if he is rude for instance.

Youtube we pay for a program ( Safe Vision) where we control all the channels he can watch. We include science channels, engineering channels, some fun ones, minecraft etc. I screen them all before I add them. He has no access to shorts and reels- these short form content videos are known to be the most damaging.

I agree the download of apps and pre screen them for suitability. And we have child settings on it so he gets some screening from unsuitable results on the web. Lots of apps are beneficial and even good for kids. He loves duolingo and the one you can point at the sky to identify what star or planet you are seeing. And this puzzle one with a crocodile and some bathwater.

In our house our son couldn't have not had a tablet this year, every week they have Times Tables Rockstar homework set.

Give them the money to buy him something else. Send them links to show how being on screens affects the brain, and behaviour. For children and adults.

Here's the thing, what you should have done is confiscated the tablet, not smash it, and let him know that if he behaves well you will consider letting him have it back for limited use when he's a bit older.
I think what you can do now is do apologise for breaking it, let him know you have put away money for a new one which he will get when he's a bit older for limited use IF he can show good behaviour.
The in-laws need telling by DH its not up to them, and if they buy him new before you think he's ready, it will be put away for later. You and DH are the parents. It's not a kindness to let little children have things that aren't good for them.

Remove the tablet - yes, but to smash it? That’s insane and you need to get a handle on your behaviour because when he is a teen, you’re going to have some bad moments and you cannot react by smashing and hitting things.

Did they ask permission before buying it?

You need to be able to control your own anger as your child doesn’t stand a chance. You can’t just throw and smash things.

So you purposely threw and broke his tablet out of anger...Great parenting there 🤔 you should replace it, if not directly then at least give the value of the tablet in cash to the GPs.
Stop deflecting/blaming others, this is all on you.