Do you send your kids' iPads on playdates?!

Put Toy Story 5 on for them instead,..

It's more that 9 isn't that young, I'd understand the incredulity over a 3/4/5 year old but by P3 my kids school has a lot of online homework and most kids have a tablet. Rarely an iPad but a Kindle tablet or whatever. I was literally checking what you meant

You can't pretend to be surprised that other kids do though

Mine do as they like to sit and play mine craft and other games with their friends. Personally I don’t have an issue with it. It’s not like they spend all day on the devices and to be honest having listened to them play it’s just a way to extend the whole role play of mums and babies without physically using dolls.

I’m not going to tell them that spending 2 hours creating an imaginary world is the devils work just because it involves a device.

My 11yo has neither a phone nor an iPad. She went on a birthday sleepover recently where the girl had both in her bag. Sad sad world we live in.

I’ve got 4 children and so far have encountered this once. I told the child I won’t be connecting it to our WI-FI. In our house we have to ask for screen time and we don’t have it on play dates. So I’ll need to put it away and give it to your mum at pick up time. Child cried and said what are they supposed to do!! I got out one of these character easy mix cupcake boxes so they did that and happily played games, child didn’t mention after.

She did ask why I took away iPad, I gave same explanation I did to child! She seemed to think I was OTT and she was far superior as she’s more ‘easy going’…. but said her child had a nice time and tried to arrange more play dates.
I’ve been heavily judgmental of the mum since and made excuses for any more play dates. 🤣 she got the hint eventually.

We have a no phones upstairs rule, which I’ve applied to DD12s friends, and they’ve all been pretty accepting that it’s our house rule. Kids usually understand if you explain different houses have different rules around screens. And give them snacks to soften to blow!!

I agree with this. It's not shit parenting.

Kids can communicate and negotiate and learn skills through gaming together in the same way they can through other non screen device play. Just because they bring an iPad round, doesn't mean they are playing solo.

Personally I don't LIKE it and the rule is bikes / trampoline / board game / cricket / football first, but building a den and then watching a film in it? No problems. Using Lego to build a world and then using it to make a scratch animation or stop motion movie? Absolutely no problems. Crack on.

Screens are not the enemy. Encourage sensible use. That's all.

If the parent asks can they bring one- eg Tom was wondering if Toby could bring over his tablet to play, otherwise no. And when kids bring them as they walk in I say do you want to go put that on the table so ye can play later? Lesson learned after for a rainy day I put out where’s wally books, colouring stuff, uno, boppit and more on the bed and they never went into the bedroom just stayed on screens. Afterwards son saw it all and said ah that would have been fun and I wanted to throttle him!!!!!!!

My DS (7) doesn’t have an iPad, but even if he did I wouldn’t allow him to take it on play dates! And if he did have a friend who brought one over I’d probably gently suggest putting it to one side while they played with Lego etc.

Yep I do with 8 yo DS. He goes for a fair few hours usually and they will play outside a lot with each other but then have some Roblox time which they enjoy. Never really thought it was a big deal. If he was only going for a short amount of time I wouldn’t, or if they had something solid planned for the full duration.

My 9 year old and his friend have arranged to have their tablets at a play date before, not an issue they just wanted to see what each other were playing and swapping tips (such as on Minecraft) as they talk about it at school. No major issue, it was one of the activities they played together including football, at the park and Lego. Life’s all about balance and teaching safe use of devices.

It’s weird how repetitive you are with thinking every young child should have their own iPad.

They don’t have tablets so no they wouldn’t bring them on play dates.

Agreed! I have 2 kids.

No because ds doesn't have one

Absolutely not

the iPad is for long car journeys and planes only. That’s literally it

I’m left with a vision of a load of iPads all coming out to play together.

My daughter has just started doing this sometimes at 13. She is into gaming and sometimes she and her friends get together specifically for this purpose, which I am OK with. My younger child never takes an iPad anywhere.

No because we don’t have one. Kids are 10 and 12. No phones here either yet. DS12 will get one for Christmas.

One friend came with one and then told me he was taking it downstairs to play Fortnite. No, you are not. I gave him the option of going home ie I could call his mum but no iPads here. He was happy to stay.

My kids are older now but I would never have done this, nor have I experienced it. Playdates are for playing.

My kids sometimes had playdates at that age that were Minecraft playdates. They could play online together, but preferred to do it when they were physically close too. Basically a LAN party. So those that could bring a device did and we provided what we could for those that couldn't. Minecraft was a bit of a saviour during COVID so I was glad they had that solid foundation playing together.

Mainly though, no, they didn't bring devices.

I would ask them to leave with me but tell them if they want to message their parents on it at any time they can

Mine dont and they are totally fine about it. 🙂

That's just daft. You think because a kid plays Minecraft at a friend's house for a couple of hours it's going to make them unemployable?. Thats just bonkers 🤣

Yes. 3