Amazon Echo Dot in kids room?

[BB8sm8]

Thoughts? My 8 year old loves listening to stories after I’ve read her a bedtime book and dancing to pop music. She currently has a CD player in her room but theCDs are constantly scratched and lost. The Echo Dot seems the obvious modern answer but I don’t like the idea of Alexa always listening and can imagine my DD grilling Alexa late into the night.

Mine have one although it’s unplugged at the minute. Never had any problems with them talking to it at night when it wasn’t though

Mine both have them, they use them for audio books and for checking the weather before getting dressed. No issues with using it into the night and you can see everything they have said to it/it has heard through checking the app.

You can mute it at night. We do.

Oh wow how do you see what they’ve asked & what it’s heard? I didn’t know that, or that you can mute it.

The Alexa app is downloaded to my phone. When my little nieces come to stay, they love having an Echo Dot in their room and use it to listen to music and bedtime stories. I can see, in real time, what they are listening to if I look at the app on my phone. Also, as a PP said, there is a mute switch, although for DNs, this isn't a problem. They are very good at settling down to sleep if given a firm time limit.

Both my DCs have dots in their rooms. DD loves music, DS likes to play pointless. Never a problem at night.

Both dc have them in their rooms. No issues at night in fact dd has sleep sounds on playing “rain” all night. As long as you set parental controls on whatever music streaming service you link to it you don’t have to think about unsuitable content.

And yes you can check what’s been heard and said on the Alexa or amazon app. Although be prepared for a million questions about farts and asking for fart noises

My dc have them. They mainly use them for stories and music but also good for telling them things without having to shout up the stairs.

That's right. You can use them as an intercom system. My DSis is seriously considering buying an Echo and Echo Dot for this reason alone. When they stay here, my DNs don't always respond quickly if you call them downstairs for mealtimes but if I do it via Alexa, they run down straight away. Plus I can use it to settle arguments. If they ask Alexa "whose turn is it?", it is programmed to respond with their names in strict turns. They never argue!

DS(12) has one in his room, he plays music on it mostly, but it’s also useful as it allows me to talk to him too without having to yell upstairs.

Particularly handy in the mornings when I’m trying to get him out of bed!

Mine have them. They are 12 and 9. They pretend they don't get on but there are many nights we have to go in and turn Alexa off in both their rooms as they have fallen asleep with the intercom function on.

My 8 year old daughter has an Alexa but only uses it to play random songs. Can anyone advise how she can get stories or other fun functions?? Tia x

mine likes to sometimes talk randomly (without anyone prompting it) so i wouldn't have one in my room simply because it would scare the shit out of me if it started talking in the middle of the night! (and i just know that i would forget to mute it every night)

These type of devices are the work of the devil. Avoid. What is wrong with a book?

My kids all have one in their rooms. I turn the WiFi to them off when I want them to be asleep. Never had a problem. They use them for music and chatting to each other. I use mine downstairs to call them down for dinner and whatnot. Im a bit addicted to Alexa.

CelebritySkin, using the Alexa app, open the menu, go to Skills and Games, then Categories, then Kids. You will find bedtime stories and all sorts of puzzles, jokes and games there.

Worth mentioning too that you can block all content (including music) with explicit lyrics so it's safer for children. I did this...then found out this also blocks my favourite Christmas song, Fairytale of New York 😂

My okder 2 have one each in their rooms. My son loves the relaxation and focus sounds to send him to sleep. Occasionally I have caught him asking Alexa who her favourite Pokemon is 😂