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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if a 5 year old should be allowed her own kindle fire for Kids (with limited and restricted use)

50 replies

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 01/11/2021 22:45

Just that really!

I'm considering buying my daughter one for Christmas. On the one hand I'm pro technology and can see the benefits of educational games like numbots etc. The school even use them! Very handy whilst travelling distances as well....

On the other hand I can see potential for arguments over screen time and the temptation to use it for lazy parenting - mummy wants some peace/a lie in here's your tablet.....

We love books and real life games, but is there also a place for tablets where young children are concerned?

Thanks!

OP posts:
HalfCakeHalfBiscuit · 01/11/2021 23:00

5 years olds really shouldn't be playing with fire at all

daisyroses · 01/11/2021 23:03

Mine has an iPad and she's been fine since getting it. She enjoys it but enjoys other activities in and out of the house just as much so there's never a battle getting her to put it away. If there was, we would limit time.

daisyroses · 01/11/2021 23:04

However, I do use it for lazy parenting sometimes, I love my sleep and if it gives me an extra 30 mins sometimes then that's a bonus in my book!

Bobsyer · 01/11/2021 23:04

It's up to you to police it. Buy her it, and if it needs putting away then put it away. It really isn't any harder than that.

Bouncebacker · 01/11/2021 23:08

It’s like TV - same rules apply - some stuff is great (fun, or educational, or inspiring) other stuff is mind numbing (and a wee bit of that is fine too) - it’s just up to you as to the rules you set around how much and when and where

Ohpulltheotherone · 01/11/2021 23:09

Oh yeah I totally would.
My 3 year old uses our iPad now, not much, at nursery and playing outdoors for 8 hours a day so I’m happy to give half an hour after dinner or on a weekend morning.
Just police the screen time, isn’t it better that she learn from a young age that there are rules and limits.

Imaybeacat · 02/11/2021 01:02

@HalfCakeHalfBiscuit 😂😂

MiddleEasternMummy · 02/11/2021 01:08

I bought one for my 3 year old niece . She loves it , watches things and has colouring apps and the such .
There are lots of educational apps helping with numbers and things .
As long as their usage is monitored and screen time limited , it can be fantastic for a little ones .

Stompythedinosaur · 02/11/2021 01:31

I have no regrets about giving our dc access to tablets quite young. They have never been obsessed with them, used them a bit but spent plenty of time playing out or reading too. They are a lifesaver at times tbh e.g on long journeys.

But mn is a woerd place and someone will doubtless be along to tell you dc shouldn't see a screen until they are 32 or something.

SherryPalmer · 02/11/2021 01:33

the temptation to use it for lazy parenting - mummy wants some peace/a lie in here's your tablet.....

I’m impressed you’ve got to 5 without giving in to the temptation already!

Aria999 · 02/11/2021 01:38

Mine has an iPad

Lazy parenting sometimes is fine if you don't overdo it

mayblossominapril · 02/11/2021 05:01

My four year old has an iPad, he watches a bit in the morning before school and sometimes some in the evenings but he’s not obsessed by it. He plays with lots of other things as well.
Disappointingly he isn’t delighted when I hand him it and say you can have a an extra half hour so I get some peace. He would rather keep pestering me!

Krakenchorus · 02/11/2021 05:47

There's no benefit to HER in having one at that age. It's fun, but not more fun than she's having already with books and real life games and toys. It can be educational, but no more so than real life methods. Long journeys are a great time to daydream and play games and listen to music together; a little boredom inspires creativity if it's not filled with content someone else created.

Tablets are amazing - but the best thing for a child is to wait as long as you are able. I'd aim to hold out until they are in about Y5 and confident readers.

CheshireDing · 02/11/2021 06:34

I can’t believe someone bought one for a 3 year old !

Personally I think 5 is still too young but lots of mns seem to live tablets for their children 🤷‍♀️ Each to their own

I am a 5, 8 and 10 year old, none have tablets. They play with their toys, pets etc. it’s too young but that’s my own opinion

Bagelsandbrie · 02/11/2021 06:41

Mumsnet is very anti tablets. In the real world people give them to children all the time! Like another poster I’m surprised you’ve got to 5 without her having one! Fires are great because they have fantastic parental controls. And what’s wrong with a bit of lazy parenting sometimes?! In the old days our parents would let us watch tv (and before that throw the kids outside for an hour or so!) - we’re all human, if it makes everyone happy for an while there’s no harm done.

My dc both had iPads from an early age. They’re not on them all the time. We go out everyday, do stuff together, they chat non stop, no difficulties at all coming off them when it’s time to do things. But I know other people would be horrified by my laid back attitude- they don’t have limits except when it’s bedtime. They can just go on them whenever they like for as long as they like and consequently they don’t sit on them all day as it’s not a novelty. They get bored and do other stuff.

buddy79 · 02/11/2021 06:42

We bought DS a tablet when he was 5 in the first lockdown. I like it, he likes the number games and we also used it for reading,(lots of books you can download which was good when libraries were closed) aswell as other games and programmes. He’s not obsessed with it at all, in fact it doesn’t hold his interest for that long, he prefers normal tv in that way! It has been handy for the odd sick day / taking on trips etc though. I think it’s fine at this age as long as you manage it. We don’t have “set” screen time, he’s pretty good at mixing up activities when I just tell him he’s had enough screen time and needs to do something else!

JC12345 · 02/11/2021 07:00

Our boys have Samsung tablets (aged 4 and 6). They are fairly cheap but run the apps they need for school (numbots, seesaw, tapestry, various reading apps). These were great over lockdown as they could access work set and take photos to upload once completed.

We discounted the kindle fire as don't think it has full access to android App Store and we wanted to future proof them a bit more. Make sure you get a decent drop proof case!!

WTF475878237NC · 02/11/2021 07:38

Personally I think it's too young and I'd rather avoid screens for recreational activities.

dameofdilemma · 02/11/2021 09:11

Yes it would be completely unreasonable...because the Fire is a really rubbish tablet, loads of glitches, battery drains fast, very slow performance, all round crap.
Use an ipad instead.

(Misses point entirely).

CoffeeWithCheese · 02/11/2021 09:20

The Fires are good for younger kids - but yep, they're not amazing bits of tech once they get that little bit older (although my stepfather still persists in insisting his ancient one he nabbed when my kids moved on to iPads is amazing).

Actually, it was a lifesaver us having the tech we did when the schools closed - mine have iPads with apple pencils and at one point DD2 was taking hers back and forth to school to use to do her school work as she was getting very frustrated not being able to produce what she was capable of because of her motor skills difficulties. When the schools closed and schools were uploading pdf sheets people had to print out or try to work out solutions to - mine just completed them on their iPads and we sent them back into school.

If you add on things like the iPlayer Kids app and the Cbeebies ones - godsend to have one on hand for longer car journeys as well.

Whatever you go for though - check you know how to do parental controls on it - and that the kids don't know the PIN to un-do them!

Cryalot2 · 02/11/2021 09:29

My adult dd does not have a kindle fire. She has a kindle for reading.An ipad for work
I was of the old school where books were to books were all they needed. The tv was v much monitored and never went on in the mornings .
But each to their own as long as you are happy and want her to have it.

RoseGoldEagle · 02/11/2021 09:37

My 5 year old has one and I’m thinking of getting rid of it. I agree some things are educational (and nothing wrong with a bit of mindless downtime either now and then), but she likes playing games on it and it’s is SO hard to get her off it. I mean- I’m the parent, I set the limits and she does come off it, but what I mean is- whereas with TV I might say ‘ok watch an episode of this and then we’ll do something else’- and she’s generally fine with that, with the kindle, she’ll really whinge and complain about it when I tell her it’s time to turn it off, I think it’s a bit addictive. If I left TV on for a long period (which I did a bit in half term as I wasn’t very well)- she’ll watch it for a while and then get bored and go and play- if I gave her the kindle and just left her with it I think she’d be on it all day. Actually this post has made me remember how much I hate it, am going to get rid of ours. Sorry that may not be what you wanted to hear- am sure it IS fine in moderation, I just find moderating it more trouble than it’s worth!!

RoseGoldEagle · 02/11/2021 09:41

if I gave her the kindle and just left her with it I think she’d be on it all day.

Am quoting my own post here- I realise I’m the parent and it’s my job NOT to leave her with it all day, the same as I wouldn’t leave the TV on all day - I guess it’s just an example to me of how obsessed she can get with it, which I don’t like, and I’d rather avoid it altogether- this could well just be my child though!

ThinkIveFoundYourMarbles · 02/11/2021 09:43

I think it depends on your child! Reading through some of the responses, some people have said their kids have had tablets quite young and it hasn't caused any problems. That's really good but isn't the case with my son. When he was about 4 I downloaded some games onto my phone and Kindle to test the waters before getting him his own tablet. Even with reasonable use he became quite obsessed and it resulted in endless tantrums and begging for screens morning, noon and night. He's 7 now and is much better but there are still problems with wanting it too often. He's also much calmer and better behaved when he hasn't had screens for a week or so. We definitely won't be getting him his own Kindle any time soon. There's more to life!

Babynames2 · 02/11/2021 09:44

We got DD one for Christmas just gone when she was 3, she loved it at first and played the numberblocks and alphablocks games which were quite good. It encouraged her to practice letter formation as she was refusing to do so on pen and paper, even at nursery.

It’s sat in a drawer uncharged now for about 3 months now, the novelty wore off pretty fast. It came in handy for a 4 hour drive we did over the summer though, you can get the Disney+ app on it so that kept her occupied.

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