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Original poster

Wwyd. Would you buy a kindle fire for a 2 year old?

240 replies

UmbongoUnchained · 20/07/2016 08:16

Just out of interest.

OP posts:
honkinghaddock · 20/07/2016 13:21

Pre verbal 2 year olds without additional needs can usually communicate in ways other than speech. Pointing. facial expression, leading etc. Some children with additional needs cannot do these things. Also typically developing 2 year olds will be speaking within a year or so. Those with asd may never speak.

hazeyjane · 20/07/2016 13:27

Slightly off piste, but with regard to technology and special needs. I am eternally grateful for the iPad we were awarded by the family fund when d s was 2. It not only made things like hospital stays and appointments bearable, but he was able to access it so well that by the time he started school at 4 he was able to use an AAC device to communicate. Without it he would struggle to access the curriculum (he has a severe expressive speech disorder) but with it he is learning phonics, is starting to read, can makes his needs known, tell his teacher he loves her, get told off for saying poo in class and demand a kinder hippo when he gets home. I am very grateful we live in the age we do with regards to technology.

MrsJoeyMaynard · 20/07/2016 13:30

When we had DS2's 2-3 yr check with the HV, we were told that a child whose speech is developing normally will typically have a spoken vocabulary of at least 50 words by the time they're 2 (this includes mispronounced words). So a 2 yr old who doesn't talk at all may just be a late talker, but I don't think it's considered normal for a 2 yr old to not talk at all.

leccybill · 20/07/2016 13:30

No, definitely not. Too young.

Original poster
UmbongoUnchained · 20/07/2016 13:38

Well I've bought an iPad mini and a kindle fire, both with a 28 day return policy so will see which one she gets on with the most.

OP posts:
sh700 · 20/07/2016 14:12

I think the iPad mini is most intuitive to use. The bonus with the fire is the price. I'm more relaxed about the possibility of it being damaged. Hope she enjoys it and make sure to burn all her existing books and toys 😉

Original poster
UmbongoUnchained · 20/07/2016 14:16

I will take great pleasure in burning a hole in the ozone layer by burning all her plastic toys as she doesn't have any wooden ones Wink

OP posts:
Playduh · 20/07/2016 14:19

Without a second thought. We bought one for DS to go on a long haul flight and he uses it every day. There are some fantastic apps out there for preschoolers.

And for those who say 'why not use a real jigsaw / set of crayons / pack of flash cards etc?' Try getting a dozen jigsaws, a set of flash cards, a dozen pens and a ream of computer paper in your handbag along with all the other crap you have to carry every day. Not to mention countless picture books etc.

I don't get why people are so negative about kids with tablets. It's no better or worse than any other toy. Buy a tough case and it's fine. And it's not like you have to have one or the other.

Playduh · 20/07/2016 14:20

And DS has his own because I don't want him dropping my iPad. I can afford to replace a kindle, not an iPad.

WanderingTrolley1 · 20/07/2016 16:28

My DS with ASD has one and absolutely loves it. He's 3.

2nds · 20/07/2016 16:44

Kindle fires are crap we have one. Go for a better tablet like an ipad.

Original poster
UmbongoUnchained · 20/07/2016 16:50

I think we are going to stick with the iPad. So glad it was suggested Thankyou! It's much better than the kindle.

OP posts:
Only1scoop · 20/07/2016 17:56

I think for my 6 yo the fire is perfect.

Yes crap, if you need it for work etc or are a tablet addict

For a child or toddler if you so wish.... absolutely fine.

LuchiMangsho · 20/07/2016 18:15

I am clearly on the wrong side here. We are mostly technology free. No TV except for sport. I never switch the TV on myself except for news and sport. No iPad at all. DH and I both have one but she is not allowed anywhere near it. DD is 4. Plays the violin (is actually slightly obsessed by it and music in general). Reading age (not comprehension obviously) of a 10 year old. Can easily finish maths worksheets required of 7 year olds. We have lots of board games, art and craft, we play outside- I was brought up sans technology and managed entirely well. I don't see why children can't be immersed in a book or music and need constant electronic entertainment. Getting bored is good for them.

I have done 5-6 10 hour+ plane journeys with her annually and 4 hour+ train and plane journeys almost monthly. All entirely sans technology. We read, colour, draw. She sits and day dreams/ Gets bored/ chats/ back to reading and colouring. What she does have is a portable CD player to listen to audiobooks and music CDs. It is hard sometimes because it would be easier to hand her an iPad and let her watch Peppa Pig but we don't and that's fine with us. And actually we manage. We are in France (Paris and Lyon) this week and we have been out all day at museums and parks and doing sightseeing trails and taking pictures for her holiday book and not once has there been any need for technology. I needed a nap today (early pregnancy and I have a history of recurrent MC) and DD was happy to read, do play dough, sing nonsense songs, make towers and do whatever while I slept. It's pretty much what I did as a child as well...

Original poster
UmbongoUnchained · 20/07/2016 18:19

Whilst that's great for you and I'm glad your daughter is happy, that's not the sort of life I want for my child. She has the iPad now. She loves it. So I'll probably leave the thread now and let others debate.

OP posts:
wheresthel1ght · 20/07/2016 18:20

My parents have bought dd a tablet for her upcoming 3rd birthday. She watches YouTube cartoons, listens to stories at bedtime, plays colouring games etc on our phones and my kindle. She also adores books, will play uninterrupted for hours with her kitchen/dolls/doll house/train set.

In a world where html programming is now being introduced in Reception and year 1 classes it would be foolish to hide kids from technology.

Cubtrouble · 20/07/2016 18:20

Your child hates books? That's weird. And No, buying a kindle for a two year old is ridiculous at best.

LuchiMangsho · 20/07/2016 18:21

You don't want what sort of life for your daughter?

Cubtrouble · 20/07/2016 18:26

Luchimangsho- I think she means she doesn't want her kid to have a chance to do anything that doesn't involve technology.
Which will be fun when the kid eventually goes to school as has to do other things- like learn not to hate books.

orangebird69 · 20/07/2016 18:26

Luchi, you seem to think that having access to technology and arts/crafts/reading etc etc are mutually exclusive. Why?

wheresthel1ght · 20/07/2016 18:27

To all those condemning them to infant aged children - our local primary school no longer has "paper" books as the school cannot afford to replace/buy new. All children are expected to read from a tablet when reading with the teacher and are expected to download whatever app they use in order to continue to read said book at home.

Technology is where life is moving, if you isolate yourself and your children from that then you are going to have a very long hard struggle

LuchiMangsho · 20/07/2016 18:34

I will tell you something interesting. Last summer DH and I went for work to a place for 6 weeks which is quite underdeveloped. No real Internet. TV in a language DD doesn't speak. We had no childcare so the grandparents came for 3 week stints each. We were a bit worried about what DD was going to do. Packed books and toys as much as we could. I did think maybe this was the time to let her have the IPad so she wasn't bored. It gets VERY hot in this country in the afternoon and you have to stay indoors and I worried that DD might drive my parents a bit crazy.

Anyway turns out I needn't have worried. The grandparents did their bit, we went swimming as a family and DD just pottered, she made friends with local children (none of whom had seen an iPad) and even learned a smattering of their language.

Guess who went mad sans technology? My in laws and my parents. They missed their TV serials and they said with some regret that they realised that they had totally lost the habit of reading in the evenings rather than sitting in front of the TV. DD on the other hand was fine. If she was bored, she invented her own games and entertained herself. It was a real eye opener, albeit unintentionally to how much we (and even we do that despite being sans technology) over stimulate our kids.

5minutestobed · 20/07/2016 18:35

Everything in moderation! DS age 3 has inherited our old tablet but it is a £35 second hand android thing. It has been a godsend during pregnancy and with newborn DS2. It's the only time DS sits still all day!
He has learnt a lot from various different aps and even YouTube kids! He still plays with his toys, runs about outside, reads books, paints, plays with other children, it's just a small part of his day. I don't understand why people are so anti technology?

LuchiMangsho · 20/07/2016 18:37

Who says she doesn't have access to technology? If and when she needs to, she will. She doesn't 'NEED' it now. Let's admit it. Now it's just for convenience. She is learning basic computer coding from my brother. Clearly she uses the computer for that. I didn't have an email address till I was 20. Doesn't stop me from being entirely comfortable with technology today.

I am not judging you guys as much as you are judging me btw. I am just saying that it is entirely possible for a TWO year old to be technology free. If they have technology then it's because it makes our life easier (and that's fine). Let's not pretend that this generation will be more educationally advanced than us because they had iPads at 2.

Huldra · 20/07/2016 18:40

Or rather than a portable cd player and all those CD's, you could get a small cheap media player / phone / tablet. Dunno it's just that I find it much more convenient to put all my Audio books and music on a micro SD card in my phone.