to think there are better presents for a one year old than...

[guiltynetter]

a tablet?

this isn't exactly a TAAT but i was reminded of it. when I asked a friend the other day what she was getting her 11 month old (1 in January) for Christmas she replied 'a tablet so he can play games on it, he loves playing on mine'

AIBU to think this is just sad? all of the wonderful toys he could play with at 1...train sets, mega blocks, etc etc and he's getting basically a computer! I keep looking at toys and being disappointed my daughter is too young to play with them (she's 4 months) it's none of my business but after being around my niece who from the age of 4 wouldn't play with 'toys' only an iPad, compared to my other niece who has a brilliant imagination and plays for hours with dolls and ponies. I think it's rubbish.

maybe I'm old fashioned...

I don't know. Agreed that 1 is young but if it's for occasional use, for journeys etc I don't see a problem, especially so the parents can keep their tablets for themselves and don't have to worry about restrictions etc,

But if its just for occassional then why do they need their own? What is the point of spending loads of money on something that just for a child to use 'occassionally'? Why not buy something for young kids that you don't have to restrict because of very real concerns about a detrimental effect on their developing brains.

Computers and tablets are not terrible things. The children who are taught code at home (the provision at school is limited) will have a huge advantage in the job market. It is forecast that in 20 odd years time there will be a huge shortage of computer specialists, as everything will be run by computers.

I'm no computer expert, but I didn't think that watching endless YouTube videos of kinder eggs being opened, or repeatedly tapping a screen over and over again to make an animal jump over a fence or whatever, is being 'taught code' is it?!

Yes yes, educational games blah blah blah, but those kinder egg videos are amongst the most popular videos on the Internet, so we all know what kids are really watching.

I have nothing against occasional tablet use by kids, DS sometimes watches the kinder egg videos on our kindle. I just think its crazy to spend loads on one for the child's own exclusive use - its pointless and a very slippery slope.

YANBU. I agree it's sad and doesn't really augur well for future presents either. It's unimaginative and really a bit of a joyless present for a one year old.

OP Yanbu

Tablets are great yes but it's really sad that young children seem to have free rein on them. My friend bought her 1 year old an ipad mini for her birthday, I know a child of 5 who has destroyed 3 tablets in two years and because of my employer and the fact I get a discount with Apple it was suggested to me for her Christmas I could her another tablet.

I said no because I don't agree with it. Particularly because in this case the child gets unlimited screen time and becomes aggressive when the tablet is taken away. They have no concept of playing with toys, they are addicted to technology. It's very sad.

Some parents trot out "it's educational" but I have to be honest, I have never seen a young child use a tablet for anything besides games and YouTube.

Oh and if you are annoyed at having your iPad constantly pinched.. don't let them!

Try DD has never had her own ipad but she hasn't ever played with ponies and dolls for hours either.
Where did I go wrong?

I think it's mad to get such a young child a tablet. Just thinking of the great quality toys she could get for the same price. I certainly wouldn't want to encourage or increase screen time at that age.

Because I've seen it happen DoJo, my friends kids (1 and 2) both have iPads and they scream and cry when they are taken away. They sit there eating their dinner with their iPads, they go to bed with their iPads. Any suggestions of going out to play or with other toys just gets screams.

But that is just your friend - the OP makes it sound as though playing on an iPad and enjoying 'traditional' toys are universally mutually exclusive, which they are not.

I know a 7 month old getting an iPad for Christmas...

Gosh my DS is two and although he loves our phones (he can play Angry Birds ) I would never dream of getting him a tablet so young.

We did consider buying one for a flight in the summer but never bothered.

As a concession we're getting him a portable DVD player for Xmas, he loves Peppa Pig and I cannot take it anymore. So he can use his DVD player to watch that crap.

Maybe it's just my family but how are they going to keep the iPad in one piece? Mine is hidden during the day as DS (16m) only wants to hit it / hit things with it / throw it.

Never mind the screen time argument, it seems like a lot of money to spend on something that may only last ten minutes.

When my DS was one, he wouldn't have known what to do with something like that, he would have either tried to put it in his mouth or throw it across the room, both quite dangerous with the breakable screen. Are one year olds really able to have the coordination etc to use a screen, most toddlers struggle with a simple jigsaw or getting shapes into a bucket. DS used to like his push along truck with bricks when he was one.