To ask if anyone’s child doesn’t have or use a tablet?

[Peanutbuttercupisyum]

Just wondering - my children (3 of them, all girls, aged between 9 and 5) have never used/played on a tablet at home. I think they do some stuff at school occasionally, and during lockdown I set them up with their live lessons but other than that, no. It’s not that I’m being smug or have an aversion to technology or anything - I mean they love a Netflix series or a film, it’s just I’ve never seen a need? I’m lucky in that they all play together and never seem bored, they’ve never asked to and tbh I suppose I find it a very solitary, kind of absorbing thing to do which may not have a place in our family dynamic? And also people I know whose children use a tablet seem to ask for it a lot which looks quite annoying. I don’t feel like they’re behind in technology use as they certainly seemed to know their way round the system during lockdown live lessons, and their friends don’t talk about it all at school or anything. Just wondered if anyone else was the same? Couldn’t ask in real life as I’d look smug or virtuous I think

Mine (8yo and 6yo) have never had their own tablets for games and we have no intention of getting one for them in the near future. We have a very old iPad with Fort Knox parental controls which they can use for any school work, or constructive stuff they enjoy like making up presentations or family Kahoot quizzes, or they use the desk top computer, but that’s it. They are both very tech-literate as my IT pro husband uses some of their screen time to teach them to code (properly - not just kiddie block coding).

They get about 45 mins of TV each day and we have just (very, very reluctantly) got them a games console because DS1 was getting left out of conversations at school because all his friends ever talk about is gaming. The console is restricted to weekend only - 1hr Saturday, 1.5hr Sunday which they share and I’ll often play with them to keep it a social/family activity.

I got tablets for my 8&9 yo for lockdown last year, but then they went back to school so they stayed in a drawer for months until they got them for Xmas perfectly timed for home schooling (we have no other computers except my work one which is not used by them). They also got a console at xmas primarily because i needed things to keep them occupied during lockdown whilst I am working without them arguing or fighting. If it hadn't been for the pandemic, would i have bought them at this age...maybe not.

My older two have ipads and use them for Minecraft and YouTube. There's parent controls and also screen time limits so they can't use them for longer than we set it. They don't ask for more once they've used their time 🤷‍♀️ 3 year old has DS old kindle and plays phonics games on it. They all also play out in the garden, play with Lego and dolls, read and draw pictures.
I think it's healthy to have a balance. The future is techy, whether we like it or not.

I hate the judgement on technology...it seems very much a MN thing.
Clearly they have their uses when used sparingly. DS got one when he was 18mths, we got it to use for flights/long train travel. He's learnt loads on it and there's loads of age appropriate apps for things like shape, colours, counting etc Yes there are other ways to learn but there's no harm in exploring a variety of ways to learn and play.
DS (3) attends a natural style music nursery (similar to Montessori) enjoys baking, outdoors play, climbing, playing with Lego, puzzles, he's absolutely amazing at independent play and is as bright as a button but also enjoys using his tablet a couple of times a week for 20mins.

It really doesn't have to be technology OR play. It's possible to make the best of both.

Mine don't have a tablet but they watch TV and sometimes play games on a phone. I think it depends how the technology is used and whether appropriate limits are put on it. For example, should children be encouraged to experience boredom or will they power up a tablet at the slightest hint of being at a loose end? I struggle with this regarding my phone - it's even more difficult for children.

My eldest didn’t get one until he was 7
Youngest got one at 3 at start Of lockdown.
Both can go weeks without asking for Them

I wouldn't worry either way. If they aren't particularly interested in one, then no need to get them one. Children pick up technology very quickly so once you feel it is more important for them to have one (perhaps for secondary school) get one then. Equally, though, one thing lockdown has taught us is that screen time itself isn't particularly bad for children, it's more what they are doing with it!

We don't have any tablets here although both DCs got laptops when they started Y7. Smartphones weren't so much of a thing when they were little (they're 16 and 11) but they've picked up how to use whatever tech they need to at school. DC1 was identified as gifted and talented in IT by the school, aged 4, which was amusing given their lack of prior use. That early promise has translated to high level scrolling on Instagram and Snapchat on a par with every other teen...

DC1 is 9. He doesn't have a tablet/laptop of his own (we have a household tablet) but he does currently play on it way too much - Roblox/Minecraft.
Until he was 6 he had a limit of 100 mins per week (10 x 10 min tokens) - that covered playing games and also all TV watching as we didn't own a TV at that time. Then DC2 came along, I had 2x as much to do, and I was on maternity leave so actually we had more time at home for wholesome playing and relaxing AND screens. We got a TV that year too.

And then I went back to work and had 3x as much to do...

I go through phases of cutting it right down if needed. But it is very helpful when I need him out of my hair, tbh. He still does plenty of wholesome stuff too, and he's fine about being refused screen time for any reason.

DC2 is 3. She very occasionally plays games on the cbeebies app. (Like once or twice a month.) She watches too much TV though. She used to watch it once a week before lockdown..! She still plays properly loads though, and is also fine with being told no TV.

I'm intending to permanently reduce screen time for both of them when I feel able, but at the minute I'm just getting by, and I'm comfortable with that. I am on my knees and there are worse things IMO.

I'm amazed by some of the answers, when we were allowed out I was always seeing children in restaurants and on planes watching tablets. I assumed they all have them these days.

My son is only 4 so has barely ever used my tablet (once or twice on a long car journey). My sisters children are 11, 9 & 6, none have tablets or phones and the older two are only allowed to borrow their mums one on odd occasions. The eldest child got a Nintendo switch for Christmas aged 10.

I think you will only get replies from people who don't use them.

I think most do. Mine are 8 and 10 and have had them for years. Tablets Amazon Fire iPads laptops and iPhones.

@Averyyounggrandmaofsix

I'm amazed by some of the answers, when we were allowed out I was always seeing children in restaurants and on planes watching tablets. I assumed they all have them these days.

I'm also amazed by the number of children reported as having a 'take it or leave it' attitude, who don't use it for weeks at a time.

My child doesn't argue when I tell him no/get off the tablet now, and enjoys a wide range of indoor and outdoor leisure activities, but if he had free choice he would do it pretty much all day every day.

My 6 year old has a tablet but she's very rarely on it, at the moment hospital waiting rooms don't have toys so when we have an appointment I take it and she watches TV or plays Cbeebies games on it but otherwise she rarely has it or ask for it.

We do have a TV which is on most of the time so not completely screen free and I do let her have the tablet for an hour or so on my Sunday while dinner cooks (EOW she doesn't use it as her dad doesn't like her having it). But compared to her friends she's hardly on it.

My children don't own a tablet. They're 4 & 5. They know how to use my ipad which I used for homeschooling but id rather they didn't use a tablet yet!

They are addicted to YouTube on the TV though. 🤣🤣

We got one so DCs could watch movies during a 12hr drive to Spain 2-3yrs ago. Not bothered with it since. I use it for work. They’re teens now and would rather be outside playing football.

Averyyounggrandmaofsix
There aren't many replies on this thread!

My children are all under 7 and don't have a tablet. We aren't planning on getting one either. The whining for TV time is more than enough, I don't want to add another thing that needs limiting/controlling etc.

Ours had them last Christmas at nearly 7&9 I was 50/50 about getting them but dp said he thought it was a good idea.

They've used them so much over the last 12 months. We wouldn't have managed home schooling without them, also allowed them to chill out a bit away from each other rather than bickering over what's on the tv.

We limit their time, to ensure they still enjoy doing other things so it's not a problem having them in the house.

My three 9,8 and 5 have a tablet each. Absolute god send with the last year. Might be on them a little to much but right now I don't care if it's something they like doing.

Dc are 10 and 13. Neither of them have their own tablet. DC1 has his own laptop and will sometimes watch iPlayer or YouTube on that if I'm working in the room with the 2nd TV and he doesn't want to watch whatever DC2 is watching. He also has a phone. Both DP and I have iPads and DC use them for short periods eg to play maths games.
We are stricter than most and restrict screen time to before 10am and after 4pm on weekends and holidays and after school only on weekdays.
Kids are mostly happy to read, play with toys, potter around the garden or go out for walks or bike rides the rest of the time. On long car journeys we have DVD players.

DC 8-14, only one tablet between them just for homework (they attach the keyboard) and 30-min chats with friends over lockdown (roughly, we don't stand there with a hammer over the wifi, they just get bored around then), but that's it. No phones either. Slight outliers with their friendship groups but as others have said they have each other to play with, do a lot of making, cooking, building, gardening, writing, and playing. Think plenty of tech CEOs already know that giving kids screens leads to problems in their future, around self-sufficiency, emotional issues, screen addiction, etc. They're designed to be addictive and most children (and adults) pay more with mental health and general wellbeing than they gain from the games and apps.

Wish someone would take my bloody screens away.

My ds is12 and has never been interested in tablets. He got one when he was much younger but hardly used it. He was not into games consoles either until we bought one during lock down. I think my ds prefered to be moving about when he was at primary school. Now he is a bit more laid back he is enjoying the games console.

My DS is 2.5 and got a tablet for Christmas (one of the Amazon Fire ones for young kids). He also watches some TV, mostly in the morning while I sort breakfast. Above all else though he enjoys using my phone. I think he prefers the smaller screen and the fact he can hold it comfortably in his hands. He watches age appropriate TV shows on Netflix or Disney+ or he plays educational games. As well as this he absolutely loves to be outside (helping with the gardening, playing with sand or water, going on big long walks etc), he’s also super into puzzles and is really good at them even the ones for higher age groups. He plays independently very well and has a great imagination. He’s also very good with his words, numbers, shapes and colours.

Personally I love technology and both myself and DP use it quite a bit, so for us it is natural that our son would too. Everything in moderation! We ensure each day is balanced and he has a good mix of creative/imaginative play, learning, reading, getting outdoors etc so honestly don’t see the harm in some screen time.

We have a (very underpowered) family tablet which DD (8) only occasionally uses because she prefers her laptop. And I'm fully aware of how privileged that makes her - the laptop is an old one of DH's (older than DD!) and he set it up for her during the first lockdown. She's doing her homework on it now. I'm intrigued by those with school age DC who don't have access to tech - how did you home school?

DD has had once since two as we used to have a lot of long car journeys, she has it for playing games on mainly, but can take it or leave it now.