To buy my 2 1/2 year old twins a tablet for holidays?

[Thedoctorswife1]

We have resisted tablets until now - no judgement at all to those who use them - they have some but not a huge amount of screen time in the form of TV.
We have two flights coming up in the next few months and I am considering getting them a kindle fire and headphones - they are on sale at the moment on Amazon. AIBU to do so? I’d want to use just on the plane and when out and about in restaurants as they can get very restless when sat down for extended periods of time. Asking them to share is not an option due to the seating on the plane.

I wouldn't. I got my dd and ds one each for Christmas and they're 4 and 6 and really regretting it. I've limited it to weekends but they would use them all the time if they could.

Goodness yes. but one each, with headphones (get kids ones that limit volume) and have parameters.

We got a fire kindle when the eldest was maybe 2.5-3 for holidays.

At restaurants it only came out AFTER they had finished eating at least main. But we typically found that if we had starters the kids food came with it, if dessert came with our mains they got the kindle afterwards. Or if they had no food during our main they got it for a bit then and then it went away again before they got dessert. Never kindle whilst eating.

Did I like my young children having them? Not particularly. But we concluded that despite all the stickers/reading books etc 20 minutes of them being apply with age appropriate tech whilst we got to relax was fine.

Honestly just do it. Screens are not the devil, not being balanced is.
Kids do well to learn using technology anyways.
Just make sure you have age appropriate, entertaining games on them and everything else is locked down.

It’s not the technology’s fault it’s engaging and interesting. It’s about how they use it which you can teach them.

The OP did. You are usually in a restaurant at mealtimes.

You do you

Not from a good idea/bad idea point of view, but how long is the trip? Presumably not long haul, or else you would just use the in flight stuff. I don't know if it is worth it for a short flight, it's another thing to charge, another thing to get out and mess about with going through security, then they run out of battery, you're also probably carrying headphones, I'm not sure it's worth it for the fuss and bother. With that age you'll be carrying all their stuff, it just sounds like a headache.

I would suggest not buying them a tablet, but buying one (or two) that belong to you. Very different. You have control of it and they don't feel they have any automatic right to use it because it isn't theirs. You just get it out and unlock it when you want to share your toy.

I didn’t want to spend a 10 hour flight engaging constantly with two toddlers. It’s not fair on other passengers if your DC’s whinge - and we traveled in business class so potentially less tolerance.

Their brains won’t collapse if they use an IPad for flights. Sometimes the airline offerings are limited for toddlers so definitely need your own and hope they fall to sleep at some point

Fine for flights, not for food, that's too much like what you would want to avoid at home. Let them have one each.

I'm always wary of those who preach abstinence on anything that that we will reasonably expect children to interact with everyday when they are older, sugar, screens, plastic shinny things, control of money (not hard drugs that's different). I worry that all it does is wait until later to start an addiction rather than showing a child they can balance their desires. My son needs to know that he can have some time with a screen then some time without and it'll be find before I can't control that screen time completely. Using a long flight as a delimiter for this is perfect.

Yes do it. And ignore anyone who hasn't lived through the unique pleasure of 2 year old twins.

100000000000% buy one. My 3 year old has one and I'm not ashamed to say.

He uses it in the car and in the air and maybe a bit in the daytime. He was speaking full sentences by 2 years and could do a 42 piece jigsaw and has learnt a lot from educational stuff.

Absolutely no harm in tablets as long as used wisely.

Your children will love them

We got amazon fire kids for ours at that age. Not all screen time is bad. They are full of art and educational apps too.

It's up to you, what you feel comfortable with and what will ensure a good journey. I never thought I'd allow screens on car journeys but with 3 in the car on my own several times a year to see family far away I decided it was safer and fairer if they were occupied, it was portable dvd players then though. We only used them for long journeys to and from. Not on the break, not for short journeys. But I can see ipads have so many uses it could creep in as a go to but its up to you what you think is right. Other family members didn't restrict screens and their children are all successful and functioning adults. I don't like to see children on screens for meals out but also know its a snap shot and with twins I can see you might want to just have a quiet meal on holiday occasionally. So basically do what you are comfortable with.

Reason for deciding on allowing screen in car was also I realised as a child we drove a long journey maybe once a year to the next county for a holiday and I expected my children to do a long journey maybe every other month , for hours .

My DD has never asked for a tablet. I think it should be up to parents to make their own judgement call surely?