To think that IPads/laptops for younger children are just ridiculous

[MummyGalore]

I don't know if this has been covered before as not on here often so sorry if so.
But AIBU to be getting increasingly riled/concerned with the amount of mums who are talking about getting their children (I'm talking under 10s but some i know are buying them for children as young as 4!!!) Ipads and laptops for christmas. It riles me as i think that they are starving their children of their opportunity to learn through imaginative play. Simple toys are the best at that age, surely ipads are not a good option especially at 4.
What do others think?

Sorry once I haven't seen your other threads. I certainly wouldn't have suggested that your son's HFA was anything to do with your parenting, I might be a Luddite but I'm not a moron.

YANBU.

I think there are some applications that are useful e.g. they are great for travel e.g. watching movies, and I love card/board games that are adaptable to iPad like Blokus and Uno and useful for storing books. (I am too low tech to know much about proper computer games, so can't really comment on the pro's and con's).

However, I would never allow a child under 10 unfettered access to an iPad so it would be a pretty rubbish Christmas Present for them. "Here you are! you can use it for half an hour a day when we go camping in the summer!!!!".

once - it depends on the child - my 5 year old daughter quickly drifts away from screens and starts playing with something else. My 8 year old son really would just play games all day if he could control his own access. I accept completely that children exist who aren't like this, however, many are. When you combine this with the kind of parent who thinks that anything done on a computer is 'learning about technology', you have a pretty toxic combination.

It's a tough one but like many have said that's life and going forward it's going to be a requirement of life almost to beable to use these kind of things. I don't really agree with buying a 4 yr old their own iPad however I admit my 3 and 6 yr old use mine and are amazing on it. They have brilliant apps for phonics, numeracy etc and it does really help with the learning process as its more interactive and exciting. They have learnt so much but I do limit the time they spend on it. I have read a couple of studies which claim that using things like iPads are much better than watching tv as it encourages hand eye coordination as is much more interactive. I don't see the harm as long as they are not glued to it and do still do the other playing that they need for development.

nokids that's reassuring re kids now and over the last 35 years. Tbh my concerns are pretty irrelevant. Screens are a fact of life for many under 5s and any evidence that they're harmful would have to be overwhelming and probably backed by legislation to remove them from their lives.

It depends on the family set up IMO, they are great when used as part of normal life and not a replacement for family interaction or parental supervision. My DH is a software developer and I work for a separate global software company, technology is a massive part of our lives. We have several laptops and one of each generation iPads in the house. Both DD use them, eldest is 12 and youngest is 4.5, screen time is restricted and supervised, we are also a very sporty and outdoor family so they do not sit for hours on them. I don't see a problem at all with children having access to technology.

Lambert, you are talking less sense than my 4 year olds. Both of them are totally capable of sitting in restaurants for 2 hour stretches without the need for any other stimulation apart from talking to us about what is going on around them. They are perfectly capable of managing long car journeys with just their imagination.

what do you think I said, Glitter
All I've said is that we don't know what effect screens have on young children. The fact that I have concerns is irrelevant.

What a lovely post nokidshere :)

Merrymouse - I agree, I am only talking about my own children.

I totally agree with McPhee, let kids be kids and stop blurring the lines between child and adult. Why condition them early to solitary and isolating screen time. Adults are easily addicted to screens, why encourage young children to revere them too.

m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=xFAWR6hzZek&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxFAWR6hzZek

For those who feel our dc will be damaged.

Why thank you dowager

In Australia you can claim a tax-break on buying a laptop for a school aged child. (over year one). Technology is such a big part of life now (as you know working in IT) and they need exposing to it from a small age

Is the OP writing about this for a magazine perhaps?

I bloody hope not missb I've not huffed and puffed and probably pissed off people who really don't need an argument to provide some hack with copy.

Have read all your commens with interest. My ds is sx ext month. He plas on my iPad a little and my ds 1and 2 love to look at home moves, photos etc on it. My dilemma is that my son is desperate for some sort of games console for his birthday that he "doesn't t have to share with anyone"(!) I m reluctant to buy something like a ps3 but at the sae time wondr f I m a bit out of touch?! Any thoughts.........?

I would love to get an ipad for my 3.7 year old. (Can't afford it).

We often go on train journeys together and he's mastered my iphone no problem! He knows how to switch it on and find the games and the levels he wants to play. It's a useful distraction on long journeys. (We also play our own version of i-spy and other games, but the phone is great if he's getting bored.)

He also plays games like these Dinosaur Train on my laptop and DP's. I would guess he plays with the laptop about once a week, and once or twice on my phone.

There's no way he's playing with these things at the expense of imaginative play! But he is learning valuable skills IMO. He is able to control things on the screen with ease now, and that can only stand him in good stead.

A computer is an amazing tool. Of course I'd love my child to excel at using this tool. It's not just about entertainment, it's about teaching him how to access information IMO.

And yes, I am talking about a 3 year old! He's starting to get the idea you can look stuff up. He asked what a crystal was today as he heard me use the word, so we looked up loads of pictures of crystals. I then showed him some salt in real life, and some sugar.

Last week, he asked my how the biscuits in the packet were made last week (we'd been making biscuits ourselves) so I looked up biscuit factory on youtube and we watched biscuits being made, then pizza and bubble gum and cars and other stuff.

As he gets older I'll encourage him to look stuff up himself. If he had his own machine then I could put parental controls on it more easily.

I fail to see how that's bad for him?

I mean if you're going to get a computer of any sort and just load it up with games, and let them be on it 24/7, then that's similar to just sticking them in front of the TV all day (although at least they're learning skills I guess).

But to mock someone encouraging their DC to get to grips with technology at such a young age is really Luddite IMO.

Give it a few years, it will be so normal it'll be a non-issue anyway IMO, as silly as asking if you should give books to very young children. (Of course you should!)

Have you seen this?

which answers a couple of questions / criticisms viewers may have of the first one.

And makes some good points I think :)

They don't own their own iPads/ laptops but DSS aged 9 with autism and DD aged two both have games downloaded on our iPad that they enjoy for a few minutes most days. They are yet to become boggled-eyed zombies. In fact it has helped them noticeably -DSS with concentration and DD with recognising letters and numbers. Both of them have better fine motor skills now although they think all technology is touch-screen sweep operated

amused ...number of people that think these sorts of things are totally reasonable and almost essential for children to have and then the number of people that have to make a chicken last five meals

I feel by the "No way will my child have own mobile phone/Facebook before secondary school, totally unnecessary, blardy ridiculous, too expensive" comments followed by folk here insisting it's completely reasonable to buy their 4yos a £430 quite breakable toy, else they might well end up behind in school.

Think I need to go lie down in a dark room.

Saw a 16 month old relative walking to the powerpoint to recharge the battery for some game or other.

He pushed it in perfectly and then went and got his Mum to flick the switch.

He knew he wasn't allowed to flick the swith himself.

I think we just have to accept that DC are extremely bright regarding technology these days.

aufaniae, I think everything you are doing with your son sounds very positive.

My only point would be that I have never met anybody (except for maybe my parents who are in their late 70's and not interested) who has difficulty manipulating an iPad. They are designed to be easy to use straight out of the box. It is more tricky to operate a washing machine.

I therefore completely agree that computers are a brilliant resource. I just wouldn't agree that the act of using one is educational in itself, or, with young children, develops skills that couldn't be equally developed away from the computer (excluding children with some specific SN).

Perhaps back in the 1980's you had to be a bit techy to use a computer, but not any more.

Their value is completely dependent on how they are used.

Merrymouse, I totally agree with your last post, it is exactly the point I've been wanting to make.

Mine use ours , on long car/ plane journeys , wet rainy days when they want to watch C beebies ( we are abroad). DD1 6 also uses the computer for games, spellings, reading and I have no problem with it. She plays with toys,plays outside, does lots of non screened activities ..... uses her imagination , in fact behaves pretty normally. She also has her own leapad , which has been great with her reading and number skills and again great on car / plane journeys.
As and when her school work requires her to have regular internet access for research etc then we will probably get one for her.
She is after an Ipod for Christmas and a DS. She will probably get an Ipod!