To Think that Tablets (computers) ARE ok for young ish children ie maybe 5 on wards?

[TheHouseonHauntedHill]

Just a few comments on a few threads regarding the Hudl recently, I noticed some people mentioned that they would not get one for "young" children.

Why?

My DC have have a leap pad thing, and its been most educational.

I'm getting DS2 (5) a Leapad 2 for Christmas. Can't afford the latest version, but the local toyshop is doing Leapad 2 for £50, with a free gel skin thrown in.

The character games on it are all right up his street, so I know he's going to love it.

I break out in a cold sweat at the prices of iPads though!

They are about £100 cheaper for the 16g.

In fact, thanks retro, for crystiallising the idea I'd had. 16GB 4th gen are pretty much at our price point!

hah! x-posted!

My total computer addict, DD2, who has been able to work my desk top from 3 and has had her own lap top from 6, is also the DD who plays with playmobil for hours, trampolines and joins any sport club going.

It's DD1 who is the antisocial, sit quietly one.

I think if a got an iPad, it would be kept in a glass display case, and no one would be allowed to actually touch it.

I have my Kindle Fire, don't think I need anything else.

No we are really "I" virgins here, I have I pod, DH has smart phone not I, and I have old brick phone, we have lap tops and the dc have old leap pad.

Hence thinking of the Hudl as much cheaper.

If either of us had an i pad I am not sure we would be thinking of the Hudl.

Star

I think its down to personality and what the DC prefer.

My iPad mini is the only iThing in the house! I've had it since February and DH is still suspicious of it :o

And it turns out that the rear cameras on the 4th gen iPod touches are only 0.7MP. They're 5MP on the 5th gen, but the 16GB ones don't have it. The 32GB ones cost almost as much as an original iPad mini!

DH has been looking at an Android tablet from Ebuyer - good spec, OK cameras, decent reviews, £120, including case. Might go for that.

This is the one
www.ebuyer.com/521621-hisense-sero-7-pro-32gb-tablet-m470bse

I have the 32GB 5th gen iPod, I bloody love it. It's the first iAnything I've ever actually bought (others were handmedowns), saved up for months and months and NOBODY ELSE CAN TOUCH IT :o

I don't mind DS2 using my iPad mini (so long as he doesn't drool on it or waste my gems/gold or whatever in my various puzzle/arcade games) but I don't trust DS1 to be out of my sight with it for one second! The lack of separate user account ability is quite annoying. That's something that Android definitely gets right.

My 3yo has his own kindle fire and he is amazing on it, he can play games that I wouldn't know where to start, and most of the games were FOC from Amazon. The kindle fire has an update due that will allow children to have a profile set up (as many as needed 3 kids 3 profiles) that will enable screen time to be limited individually for each profile without restricting the ability to read a book on it. I am getting his 3 sisters one each for xmas because they won't leave his alone. The tablet was invaluable when he was in for heart op because he sat still and played rather than fighting to get out of bed.

"surfing the internet, spending time on Facebook, or watching YouTube videos is considered unhealthy screen time."

Sorry, but that's total bollocks! I've learned loads from surfing the internet. Yes you can spend hours looking at amusingly-titled photos of cats, but you can also get sidetracked on wikipedia clicking through articles for hours, or go to look up something about a building and end up sidetracked in the history of a town, or loads of things.

Facebook can provide contact with friends or relatives who live all over the world. It's interesting for DC to see their cousins who live in a different country and how their lives are different etc. I've also seen loads of awareness-raising links via facebook that I'd have had no idea about. I was on a private support group for a course I was doing. And youtube, again, there are so many educational videos on there. Whenever DS asks me "How do they make X?" I always go to youtube as a first port of call.

And even if you are bumming around on the internet looking at cats, I don't think that's unhealthy! Everyone needs downtime and sometimes it's good to just switch off and not use your brain too much. There are other websites too which are incredibly creative and interactive which make you think. I think we need to stop being so afraid of screens. Everything has benefits as long as you're not reliant on it 100% of the time.

Mine have nothing and won't for as long as possible (10, 6 and bump)

I don't have a ipod or an ipad so they're certainly not getting one!

I'm not against them, they use them in school. But we're not home often enough to justify the expense, they have plenty of toys, books and dvds and I prefer them to do other things.

DS1's learnt how to identify counterfeit pound coins, thanks to bumming around on the Internet!