To get my 3 year old son a tablet?

[horsesheep]

I've come across a nice children's tablet on Argos. I know my ds will absolutely love it. His cousin has a similar tablet and they sometimes go on it together when we visit my brother.

Ds is approaching his 3rd birthday. I feel it is way too young for such a small child to have a tablet and I will obviously be strict with the times he's allowed on it and I won't just give it to him to 'shut him up'.

AIBU in considering buying him a tablet? The minimum age requirement is 3+ but I can't shake this feeling that he's too young and should be playing with toys not stuck behind a tablet. Should I accept times have moved on and buy him one?

Not me. I think articles like this one are worrying:

Skim reading is the new normal

The premise in this article is that screens are reducing our ability to concentrate on difficult texts, and while it's generally about adults I would think it particularly important to start children off on the right track.

If tablets can wreck adults' concentration and ruin their ability to relax, I don't like to think what they could do to a young child, particularly one at the stage where they are being introduced to reading.

BTW: my children just about never used a screen until they were closer to 10. It didn't cause any problems.

I probably wouldn't tbh.

I think it's way too young. I'd let him use my tablet or phone but not enough to warrant buying one.

My dd is nearly 7 and has a leap pad with a few games on it. She got it when she was 5.

I can't be arsed typing a longwinded message about why it's fine, balance and all that, but as someone who has spent years carrying out academic research it's very beneficial as long as you limit screen time.

We have a tablet that DS uses for long (4+hrs) car journeys to watching CBeebies on, but that’s about it, he’s almost 3. We don’t use it at home (it’s an old iPad and a bit slow) it’s only very basic stuff on there and wasn’t bought for him though.

I have a tablet. DS uses it for long trips and occasional fun at home. I was very careful to limit screen time. He started school in September and they basically have free access to tablets all bloody day

I think it's fine if, as you say, you limit the time he's allowed it. Dd had one from being about 3, but we've always had strict time limits. I didn't want her using my ipad/phone hence buying her own. As you say, times have changed, she's now 7 and has homework set on apps each week from school so would need one for that anyway.

I wouldn't.

I think my own computer and phone usage has already ruined my brain and I started much later. [santa]

Our 2yo has one. He watches TV on it (only when we let him), we use it for long car journeys and to keep him entertained/quiet in restaurants occasionally, and it has some educational apps which are really helping with his speech. He doesn't ever use it in the daytime (between 7am and 7pm for example) but if he wakes up early in the morning one day we will put some TV on to get precious extra snooze time!

I'm not concerned. Everything in moderation.

Our 2yo got one for Christmas, to stop the arguments over her siblings tablets.
They've all got kids kindles, and are all limited to an hour a day, at which point it switches off. Its not an every day thing either.
I'm not concerned, they've all got educational stuff on them (as well as total shite!), they give them downtime, and they do plenty of active play, playing with toys, etc as well.

My DS used a tablet at that age, with restrictions so he was only on it for limited periods of time. I think it didn't do him any harm and it certainly helped me a lot when he was 3 and I had a newborn to deal with too.

He got very into maths with some of the games he had on it. Now he's 7 and ahead of his grade age for reading and maths and is very well-behaved. I think the hype over tech and tablets is overdone, personally. As long as you are supervising him and limit the time he has on it and what he uses it for, it's fine.

We let our nearly three year old use my old tablet starting a few months ago and we struggled as he didn't understand limits. Am embarrassed to say he ignores most educational aps and goes straight for YouTube .
Anyway for past month he's been on a ban but we gave him time tokens and a timer for christmas so he can earn time on there and decide himself how to use. It's been hard this xmas period as I've had to stop relatives from letting him use favourite apps.

'I can't shake this feeling that he's too young and should be playing with toys not stuck behind a tablet. '

And you're right. Trust your gut

I can't shake this feeling that he's too young and should be playing with toys not stuck behind a tablet

It is possible for kids to do both.

Ours (4 & 7) have a Kindle each. Some days we dont even see the tablets let alone have to monitor use. In fact I think it has been a week since theyve been turned on. The kids will choose some time kn their tablets after getting in from a day out somewhere. Or if everyones up fed and dressed in the morning but we have 20 mins before we need to leave. They do lots of playing with toys. Lots of outdoor play. Lots of crafts.

TomPinch
You do realise times have moved on, dd in reception uses tablet at school and for homework so it would cause problems if they didn't touch a screen. Even nursery introduces tablets and computers.

I got DS one last year for Christmas when he was 4 and a half. He's actually not that interested in it and usually only plays on it if we are on a long journey. He still prefers his proper toys. He's in his second year of school and there are no signs that the tablet has negatively affected his progress.

Get him one.

Human brains are diverse and plastic, they adapt to different requirements. The article quoted above is full of unscientific conclusion so despite its nods to various studies.

I wouldn’t at that age, no. Sorry but I think it’s quite ridiculous that a PP is having to set time limits for a two year old otherwise presumably he would be on it for hours on end? That’s really not what they should be doing at that age!

I think it's fine too. My almost 3 year old has DH's old ipad. That doesn't mean she's on it for hours at a time but I think watching the odd video, playing games on the Cbeebies app and other educational kids games does her no harm. In fact I think it can be a useful learning tool and there's some research that kids that use tablets have better fine motor skills.

I considered getting one for mine who is 3 and a half but decided he was too young.

Ps the kids do have an old one of ours that they share so he does get "tablet time"
(Awful phrase) but I think he's too young for his own.

My ds got a tablet 2yrs ago for his 2nd bday from grandparents. He uses it maybe once a month if that. All the games are educational. I work in childcare and tablets are becoming more popular as a learning tool even in preschools.
There is a time and a place for them though.
I took my ds to a crib service on Christmas Eve where there were several children and toddlers on their parents phones. In church is not a place to have screen time.

Don't do it.
We only use them for our kids for planes and car journeys greater than 2 hours.
Some parents use them as regular childcare. We are only holiday for xmas. Christmas Day evening dinner etc in the hotel and some of the kids were on tablets... how sad.

Yes do it!!!

Mine are now 7 and 5! Had tablets since 5 and 3! They r great and a real life saver sometimes when down time is needed!! They can be quite educational too - my eldest reads all the time on his. I don't think screens are the evil they r made out to be, if used in moderation!

My two have 'kindle fire for kids'. Brilliant. Packed full of books, games, videos. In the summer we downloaded movies onto them for the plane journey! The older one can play minecraft and roblox and all the same things his friends with x-boxes etc... can play. The little one can watch paw patrol and number blocks and play educational games etc...

If they use them in moderation, I say go for it! My 7 year old is now really Savvy with computers and will easily be able to navigate the tech of the future due to learning it all young. I think in this day and age (although I personally hate tech!) it's essential for kids to learn their way around tech safely from as early as possible.

I used to be a bi anti-screens! .. but when the eldest started school age 4, the teacher was shocked we'd not been exposed to any and actively encouraged me getting the children some form of computer - hence our purchasing the kindle fires. I'm pleased I listened to her advice. School work with parents and kids too, to help teach computer and internet safety from reception and they actively encourage learning good use of tech.