Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What age did your kids get devices?

49 replies

Jelly837363 · 17/01/2021 21:00

Just as the title said really, what age did you let your kids have a tablet or a device like that?

My DD is still quite little but very interested in my phone and iPad so just wondering what the standard age for getting one was.

OP posts:
DipSwimSwoosh · 17/01/2021 21:01

Tried to get one for DS for lockdown age 6. I am a technophobe and couldn't work it so sent it back.

Terminallysleepdeprived · 17/01/2021 21:05

Dd had a vetch tablet from about 2 as I was terrified of her breaking her dad's ipad and we got her a cheap proper tablet about the same time. She is now 7 and has a phone (my old one) so she can contact me when at her dad's. He can be a dick and I don't trust him so she knows if she is worried she can call or text me.

Findahouse21 · 17/01/2021 21:08

My mum allowed dd to play on her old kindle from age 4. I bloody hate it as it becomes a real fixation for her. We're considering a switch for her 7th birthday but don't want the constant pestering either so need her to be mature enough to deal with limits

Lazypuppy · 17/01/2021 21:09

My dd is 3yo and has used my kindle for games and to watch programs for the last 6 months. Means she watches her shows on there and i can finally watch my programmes on the actual tv for once!

StacySoloman · 17/01/2021 21:11

My 3 year old has an old amazon fire that used to be her 10 year old brothers, she doesn't use it very often but likes a few apps and watches Netflix on it.

Oysterbabe · 17/01/2021 21:11

Both of mine had their own ipad from about age 2. Short spells on educational games have been fantastic for them. Oldest is 5 now and doing all her homeschooling on hers.

DennyKingsland · 17/01/2021 21:13

DD and DS are 11 and 13 and just use an old phone of mine for listening to music and taking photos for school work (to send to teachers), but don't have their own. Keep checking occasionally if they want their own but neither seem that fussed. They use a family laptop for email/chat/zoom with friends, but they're not hugely into it.

BettyOBarley · 17/01/2021 21:15

We got DD (7) and DS (4) a kindle fire each for Christmas which was their first device each. I probably wouldn't have got DS one yet but I knew he'd be upset if he didn't get one from santa. Have to say though he's not that bothered for it, whereas DD would be on it all day if we let her!

Waxonwaxoff0 · 17/01/2021 21:15

DS had a tablet at age 4 and a Nintendo switch at 6 and a half. He also uses my old phone for Roblox and YouTube (no sim in it). He's 7 and a half. He won't get his own phone until he starts Year 6.

trilbydoll · 17/01/2021 21:16

We got 5yo and 7yo dds kindle fires for Xmas. They've got daily time limits on them which has worked quite well, they can't argue with a blue screen saying 'all done for today' Grin tbh we wouldn't have got them if it wasn't for COVID but we felt a bit sorry for them in the last year so it was a bit of a treat for Xmas.

FairyontopofthetreeBatman · 17/01/2021 21:19

Aged 4 and got a kids kindle during the first lockdown. He gets one hour a day max and doesn’t have it every day. It’s actually great to be able to give him a little space sometimes and know that he will just be engrossed for an hour, especially when we are all stuck in the house.

RIPworkingmums · 17/01/2021 21:25

Child 1 was given my old gen1 iPad for Christmas when she was 6. Only educational apps on there, no YouTube on it as I bloody hate how they become so fixated on crap videos. Child 2 was given an iPad at age 4 because her older sister had one and it seemed fair for her to have the same. Child 3 has his own at age 2 because my parenting standards have dropped massively due to 3 young children and lockdown Grin. They are allowed kids YouTube now but only 30 mins or so a day while I sort breakfast, then they can use them whenever for reading eggs/teach monster type games and they do have a few colouring and CBeebies apps on there but they’re not really interested. In my experience the kids only really want them for YouTube or watching cartoons.

Pebbleinthesand · 17/01/2021 21:26

My in laws bought our 3 and a half year old a kids kindle fire for Christmas. I was a bit unsure at first, especially since they hadn't asked us, they'd just told us it was on its way in the post but my daughter loves it.

I've set up the parental controls so I know that she can't go on age appropriate apps and I've set the app and video time lower so that once she's had her time on that she knows she can look at books or listen to books that are on there.

She's a bright little button anyway and eager to learn but her counting, number recognition and letter and sound understand has really come on since using it.

I'm definitely converted.

Ifeelmuchlessfat · 17/01/2021 21:28

Clearly I’m a dinosaur. My two had tablets when they were y6 and y4, but they were so basic they didn’t use them much. Smartphones from secondary.

AndcalloffChristmas · 17/01/2021 21:31

My Ds got a kids fire aged 4 (almost 5) but I think that was a bit young really.

Dd used to use a family tablet when she was that age and probably got a tablet of her own at about 7 (she is a few years older so tech expectations changed a bit!)

Amazling · 17/01/2021 21:32

First device aged 3
He is now 4 with 3 devices of his own. Soon to add an Xbox and TV to that list.

AndcalloffChristmas · 17/01/2021 21:32

Smart phone was from 11th birthday for Dd because she was then walking the occasional short distance without an adult.

mrstnov13 · 17/01/2021 21:32

My two are 7 and 4 and have no devices. They haven't asked and I've not considered it.

MissBaskinIfYoureNasty · 17/01/2021 21:35

DC1 didn't get any devices until he was 5. Think DC2 was 4...and now DC3 is three and has DC1 old kindle fire because my parents got him an Ipad for his birthday.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 17/01/2021 21:43

Fire tablets at 4&3 years old. We were doing regular 5 hour flights. Thats still what they have at 9&7.... Currently for home school

maddiemookins16mum · 17/01/2021 21:47

Tablet at 9, Smart phone after leaving year 6.

schmockdown · 17/01/2021 21:51

Kindles from 4 when we were doing long car journeys on holiday. Laptops at 7 and aipd touches at 9. They've shown no interest in games consoles yet.

elQuintoConyo · 17/01/2021 21:53

9yo borrows my kindle for playing Roblox and Among Us. He got a PS4 last Xmas. That's it. He's had access to the Kindle for around a year.

Homeschooling was done on my laptop.

ivfbeenbusy · 17/01/2021 21:53

Kindle age 4 - I was reluctant but I guess you can't shield them from it - not when less than 9 months later she's expected to be on Microsoft teams and doing on line work as a reception age child home learning during lockdown. School also uses a website for reading books 🤷‍♀️

Echobelly · 17/01/2021 21:54

DD had a Huddle when she was about 7 although I think it was broken (USB port borked - apparently it was an issue with them) after about 18 months.

She got a smartphone when 11 - we were going to wait until 13 or so (school has a total smartphone ban) but then lockdown happened so we bought her one in March as we didn't want her to lose touch with schoolmates when she was only two terms into secondary school.