To get my 3yr old a tablet?

[Poptart4]

My 3 yr old sometimes plays toddler games on her sisters tablet. I've been thinking of getting her, her own tablet. A Vtech kids one. But I'm just not sure if this is too young to have a tablet? I would obviously monitor the amount of time she is on it, maybe 1hr per day maybe less definitely no more. I'm just not sure.

YABU - Shes too young
YANBU - Get her one

@SusieBob I don't know, I'm just saddened by four year olds that can't talk, use the toilet, hold a book or pencil and arrive at school like large babies, screeching for their tablet. I think that's a tragedy. Call it alarmist if you like.

I work in tech. I still think it's not for babies and toddlers who should be learning motor skills and speech.

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=iPad%20Kid&amp=true&defid=15822160

Yanbu as long as you monitor screen time. My DD had a kindle fire kids aged 4. She had a limit on it. She could use it for educational stuff too.

Mmm, mine (2 and 4) both get our tablets to play games and watch you tube. They know they only get it at a certain time (bloody early in the morning, or on long car journeys) and don't ask at other times. They get bored with it after a while and demand real toys and books and drawing.

4 yo can read (learned on tablet) and type (on tablet) and is very good with a real pen too. It definitely hasn't turned her into a vegetable.

[quote LuxOlente]@SusieBob I don't know, I'm just saddened by four year olds that can't talk, use the toilet, hold a book or pencil and arrive at school like large babies, screeching for their tablet. I think that's a tragedy. Call it alarmist if you like.

I work in tech. I still think it's not for babies and toddlers who should be learning motor skills and speech.[/quote]
A kid simply having controlled access to a tablet is not going to cause problems like that unless there are deeper issues going on.

Used in moderation a tablet is fine. Play games? More or less the same as playing a board game. Watching videos? Same as watching TV.

As with all things it's about moderation.

By the way you can use a tablet to teach preschoolers to code- scratch jr app

Oh people on this thread are so negative! Sure get one. Then only load up a few apps - the cbeebies one. Buy a proper iPad, and Osmo and as many games as you can from Ebay used , it is awesome and teaches them logic, shape, addition and subtraction, drawing skills, basic coding skills, spelling in real physical space but interacting with the screen.

And then obviously don't deprive your child of stickers and crayons and bike rides and baking and books and playdates. Just make the iPad something you play with sometimes. ( A good way for that to happen is let the battery run down, then it isnt always available. )

I'd much rather my child was playing games online or watching YouTube tutorials on how to draw cartoon characters than watching TV. And even if my kid IS watching films, I'm not that upset. Because my 10 y.o. is a perfectly well adjusted, potty-trained, knife-and-fork using, sociable, literate, witty conversationalist who is quite capable of using a mouse, navigating a file menu, running a Zoom call, building a basic database in Excel and typing a thank-you letter to her relatives. She is not an exceptional child, she is very normal and she knows the back catalogue of iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime better than any 10 y.o. should but it has not harmed her that much, I'm certain of it. And she could tell me what sasparilla is aged 4 and I was pretty impressed, TV learning right there.

Does it make me a bad mum? I don't care.

My just turned three year old has one and it’s fine for us, I find if she has too much time on there she becomes quite emotional and overwhelmed but as she has a kids account I’ve set specific times that she is allowed to play and a bed time and outside these times she cannot unlock it without the parents password.
She plays a few games, mostly colouring, a numberblocks CBeebies game and a game where she takes care of a baby!
She probably uses it 2/3 days a week, although recently went a stretch of a few weeks without asking for it at all - we keep it out of sight so it’s not something that she’s sees and suddenly decides to want.
She also colours normally, plays with her toys, plays outside and is learning to write her own name so I wouldn’t say it’s specifically damaging her at all.
I personally believe in the everything is okay in moderation approach but honestly it depends on what works for you LO and your family!

No way

they don't miss what they never had. Better being used to their own toys and find something to entertain themselves is so much better.

It’s a no from me.

I would not buy a 3 year old a tablet or give it to them in a way - like birthdays or holidays - that it's framed as theirs.

I would consider getting a child safer one that could be used on occasions, like long trips, or as part of a routine that you feel you can stick to but at that age in the home, we treat electronics as belongings to us parents and more often doing together activity as a family rather than something they use on their own.

And if you're going to do so, don't do it to teach ICT skills. Technology these days is pretty much designed to be easy to use especially when designed for little kids, there isn't really a need for a 3-year-old to be training for technology. Something I've seen time and again and through talking with a lot of teachers is a lot of kids and their parents think because they're "digital natives" and used these devices from a young age that they've good broader ICT skills when really, they're just good at certain software and websites, can google just fine, but struggle beyond that. Kids who do have good ICT skills don't have them because they had a tablet or certain apps at 3, it takes more than that.

I think it's fine. My 3 year old has a tablet, and honestly she's hardly even bothered about using it, she perhaps will ask for it once or twice a week and play games or watch something for 15/20 mins before she wants to do something else. I obviously intended to limit her time on it and will do if needed, but I think at that age they would rather be playing with toys, drawing, playing outside etc and choose to do that the majority of the time anyway so I don't have a problem with her using a tablet as a small part of a varied schedule - of course it's terrible when kids are left ONLY with a tablet but I think it's clear by the fact that you're even asking this question that you're not going to be doing that

No.

As in, YABU. Sorry.

@Inim

No I wouldn’t, my 4 year old throws absolute fits over the stupid thing I wish I never gave him one at all. I had good intentions of being super strict with a screen time etc but it’s just so easy when you need to get stuff done to let it lapse.

This is my fear.

No way, never.

So many interesting and imaginative things you could be doing with a child of this age.

No way - too young.

Yes but without free access to it. I'd get it an say it's yours and you will share it with her and put it away afterwards.

I wouldn't. I have nothing against kids watching TV, but I like mine to have non portable screens that are in the family area. I could definitely see myself as one of those parents who would start with amazing intentions and then lapse. So I just avoid the problem. Not one person has said that the screen does something that you can't get elsewhere and the most positive thing I can see is somebody who has a "very normal" child, whatever that means, but it's hardly a ringing endorsement.

DD is 2.5 and has my old iPad. She doesn't use it much, but she enjoys the Peppa Pig app. She does plenty of drawing, jigsaws, playing with her pretend shop and kitchen, outside play, so I don't have a problem with her spending 20 mins on it every few days. I'd rather the tablet than TV personally as I think interactive > passive watching most of the time, and I don't really have a problem with some screen time. Everything has its place.

@LuxOlente

VTech had a massive data leak a year or so ago and their products are trash now.

And now, if you care about parenting well she should be playing toys and crayons and things, not being plonked on a tablet. They get quickly addicted and stop playing with the things they need to; schools reporting children who can't talk, use cutlery, draw, write, have no interest in reading or other people because they've spent months or years stuck on a tablet. It's a tragedy, not an aspiration.

I find this comment extremely condescending and judgemental. At no point did I say my dd would he plonked on it 24/7. She has plenty of toys, books and crayons as well as plenty of days out, playground time, parks etc.

I thought this article was interesting.

If you’re going to put your preschooler in front of a screen, choose a TV.

DS has had one since he was 2. Which is very Young but I felt it was really beneficial when out in restaurants, waiting rooms etc as our phones were at high risk of getting damaged.

He doesn't bother with it much (now 3) will play a game or two, which I have to say are fantastic for things like sorting shapes, naming shapes, colours, counting and sums.

I don't think kids so young have the attention span for a lot of screen time (mine doesn't) so about 15mins twice a day at most is what he plays with it.

Each to their own but as these become more and more widely used in schools I'm glad he'll be proficient in using it.

Not a chance.

My eldest got one of my old tabs for her third birthday. It's on kids mode and has educational apps on there, a couple of games and Netflix.

The trick is not just to plonk them in front of it all the time. My daughter doesn't use hers everyday, and when she does use it, it's an hour at a time. On kids mode you can set a timer on it so it locks the tab after an hour and you can't unlock it without the code