Four year old wants an Alexa for Christmas

[QueenoftheDay]

Is this a stupid idea? Because it’s down to £35 on Amazon just now and I can’t decide whether to order it for her or not.

She was at my sisters house today and they were playing with Alexa there. She was asking her sums and spelling and playing Disney songs etc. She has not stopped talking about Alexa since we got home.

I’m just not sure. I mean it would need to stay downstairs in the living room or kitchen because I don’t think I’d want her to have it unsupervised (is that daft? I don’t actually know much about them!) but then it seems like it isn’t really a gift for her. But then I wouldn’t even have considered buying one if she hadn’t been so keen?

Any thoughts??

‘Father Christmas can’t bring electric gadgets or living things.’
Served us well over the years.
They’ve had tablets/consoles/phones/stick insects/giant millipedes etc on their birthdays but not for Xmas.
Look into whether you, as adults, actually want Alexa in your house.
There are loads of interactive AI toys that can link to your phone (Spotify etc) he’d probably love in the meantime.

she’d

Seconding wait a week or two - Black Friday is 29th November, they always drop the price to £25 for the Dot.

Be aware that for ad-free music playback you'll need some music subscription service: www.makeuseof.com/tag/ways-play-music-using-amazon-echo/ (ignore it saying the dot has crap sound, the modern fabric-covered on is fine!)

Oh, just found there's an explicit music lyrics filter too - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?tag=mumsnetforu03-21&nodeId=G8CS8XNULS3A9GCS

We have them in almost every room in the house. You can place restrictions to stop them from ordering things. We got our first when they first came out. It had a little trouble understanding dd, but she has both gotten older and the AI has improved massively.

OP you clearly want to get it, just get it!

I think they're fucking creepy and also acclimatise children to a feeling of constant surveillance and monitoring. No alone time or privacy. No need for self reliance. A friend that never says no to you etc. Child development nightmare IMO. They're also notably sexist.

Why the hell would anyone want an Alexa? Fucking creepy weird, infantilising and deskilling.

want to know what the weather is like? Look outside!

Want to play music? Get Spotify!

Want another question answered? Look it up!

Talk to the people in your house, not a robot linked to amazon!

I honestly think it’d be a five-minute wonder. 4yos should be playing with toys, op.

We love Alexa.
We have 2 fire sticks.
1 in the kitchen with the big screen.
One in our room and 1 in our 5 year olds room.

The 5 year old loves them. He was in the kitchen for ages yesterday asking constant questions about animals, how the moon formed and how the dinosaurs became extinct!
Basically all the crap I used to get asked but could never answer.

He loves the one in his bedroom. He puts music on constantly.

He had Christmas songs playing this morning while working on his Lego.

@worriedmumtoteen

Why is Alexa any worse than Spotify?

What do you use to look stuff up on? Your phone?

Meh Amazon can hear me wittering on about crap if it chooses.

We have an amazon dot in two rooms and the smaller disc thing in another. Eldest has one in his room - he listens to night time audiobooks with a sleep timer, sets alarms for himself, and listens to music.

Youngest loves Alexa, and in fact worked hard to improve his pronunciation as she sometimes didn’t understand him. I wouldn’t have it in his room though because I think he’s not mature enough to not ask to watch blippi at 2 in the morning.

My DCs are 6 and 5 and they love Alexa! Playing music, times tables, how to spell stuff. She's got a maths quiz now which DS LOVES! You will get hours of 'Alexa, do a fart' but they've had so much enjoyment from her. DS's speech wasn't very clear when we first got one, but having to talk in a way that she understood him has really helped improve his speech. And I find her really useful for timers and reminders.

I've set ours up to our landline so that the DCs can call their dad when they want to. Also as a safety thing as I have health issues they could say 'Alexa call daddy' or 'Alexa call 999' which is simpler for them than finding my mobile.

What @worriedmumtoteen?? Look outside - yeah I’m not a moron, I’d like to know what the weather is going to be like during the day not at this particular moment.

Look it up? Apart from not having to type, isn’t that exactly what someone is doing by asking Alexa?

@Contraceptionismyfriend - because Alexa seems to be used as a substitute for parenting!

Why can’t parents do spellings and times tables with their dc?

Why do dc want to speak more clearly for the benefit of a robot rather than for their family?

Spotify is just a music system. You ask it to play a song and it does. Amazon is not listening in.

Sure, I look stuff up on my computer or iPad, but then I choose which website to visit to find information. I’m not relying on Amazon.

What's spellings and times tables got to do with it?

My DD learnt to speak more clearly because of Alexa. We could understand her babble. But Alexa didn't tolerate it. She desperately wanted it to fulfil her commands so ensured she pronounced her words better. Win!!

And? Internet is internet.

Phones gather a lot more information than Alexa.

Are you on Facebook on your phone, Twitter, you had to enter your details to get on MN. So it's remembered everything.

Spotify isn't surveiling you! Constantly listening in. Recording your conversations.

Have a look at what child psychologists think. It's not positive.

Hi we love Alexa in this house but why not try the new toniebox for kids. A bit like Alexa but designed for kids to use safely. It's high in the Christmas toy chart and seems really good from the reviews etc.

JFC.

Look if someone wants to survey and listen in to my kids constant stream of shit and 50000 questions then good luck!

How did the moon get made? Will it happen again? How old is the moon? Why doesn't it fall down? If I go to the moon will I fall down? Will I fall back to Earth? Will I float up into the air? Why did the dinosaurs die? Who died first? Will they come back? Can I have one?

This was all in the space of me trying to drink one cup of tea aimed at me. Before I suggested he ask Alexa.

Alexa is my BFF. She has my back.

@Contraceptionismyfriend -lazy parenting. I realise that dc ask lots of questions but how sad that you’ve delegated Alexa to answer your dc’s questions.

Anything for a quiet life.

Absofuckinglutley!

You think I know half those answers? I did do a bang up job of explains gravity though. But that just led to a lot more questions.

So what's better saying. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

Or teaching him to do what he can to find the answers.

Because a few terms ago my baby boy got an certificate and special acknowledgment from his teacher and I got pulled to the side and told about how brilliantly he spoke about Carnivores and Herbivores. Boom. Thank you Alexa.

Also. According to parents evening he is where he should be at the end of this academic year.
Must be the spelling tests and reading we do every night 💅

Alexa has been an absolutely amazing addition to our house. His thirst for knowledge has blown up. And it truly amazes me.

So yes I encourage my kids to use technology for whatever they need. It's not going away.

And if you weren't shocked enough. Santa is bringing a tablet and and Xbox 😂

I'm anti them for young kids & I had one myself but returned it as barely used it.

Apart from the security/privacy aspect I'm not convinced they are great for learning. There's a reason why many of those in the tech industry in San Fran send their kids to Steiner schools & are with tech.

The 5 year old loves them. He was in the kitchen for ages yesterday asking constant questions about animals, how the moon formed and how the dinosaurs became extinct!

Which of the many different theories regarding the dinosaurs did Alexa give? How is your son going to learn about all of the others/critical reasoning if all he has to do is ask, get an answer (which may or may not be correct) and think no more of it?

You think I know half those answers? I did do a bang up job of explains gravity though. But that just led to a lot more questions.

Isn’t half of the fun of parenting finding out new things because your child is interested in them? You missed an opportunity to bond over research there. It’s not just lazy parenting in terms of answering questions.