Dd, 5, asking for a phone

[Whatisgoingonhey]

Sort of inspired by another thread on here about Tik Tok & teens.
Just curious to know how much access your child has to the internet/phones etc.
Dd is 5 and has an outdoorsy type of life, we live next to the woods, so take our dog for lots of walks, we can walk to the beach, she goes to the pool, playgrounds etc
She watched some tv-CBeebies (although it feels as though she’s growing out of this?) shows on kids Netflix & Disney plus.
She recently wanted to watch lots of YouTube (Dh watches it) slime or cat videos etc, it’s pretty harmless, but I don’t like the speed of it all and it just doesn’t seem right for a 5 year old, so we have a lock on YouTube now.
She doesn’t have an iPad, although is desperate for headphones (I don’t know what she’d use them with though?)
She occasionally can play kids games on my phone.
This week she cried for a phone! At 5 🤷🏻‍♀️
Her neighbour friend (6) has his mums old iPhone.
She’s definitely not getting one until older, just was shocked that she was so upset to not have a phone.
What technology/tv etc does your child have of a similar age?
Tbh I hate all of it

*Watches

No technology at 5.

Headphones for a cd player and audio books

At age 5 just a kids tablet that’s only for long journeys. Definitely not a phone. Dc could use my phone sometimes but not have their own one!

Tablet for homework apps only

my 5yo had a phone without a SIM card for occasional kids videos and her school homework. She isn’t allowed unlimited YouTube (only occasionally specific videos) or any other social media

DD is 4.5 and has an Amazon Fire tablet. It's just another toy tbh, sometimes she won't pick it up for weeks, then she might pick it up and play half an hour on it. She has free access to it as it's generally just lying around somewhere, but she only uses it sporadically and never for any length of time. It's locked down to only specific apps and content.

She's never asked for or shown interest in my phone other than taking pictures of her pulling funny faces, really! We are quite a tech/gaming household though so we sometimes play some Mario Kart on Switch or Pokémon Snap etc together

Oh her favourite thing is her Yoto player. She puts stories or music on at bedtime every night to go to sleep to.

Absolutely no.
My DD had the loan of an old phone if she left the house from maybe 10 years old.
No tiktok then but I wouldn't allow it without close supervision for a child. DD was allowed screen time when I was around to keep an eye on it and was only allowed certain websites.
Little kids really don't need phones. They don't have the maturity to deal with the behaviour it induces. Unless you're tech savvy yourself and have and understand family settings etc there are risks of exposure to stuff that will upset her..

Try and find out why she wants a phone, it won't be the phone itself and then see if you can replicate it in a different way.

Just no!

My 5yo has a kids tablet with mostly just learning apps on it, although on long journeys or if she is starting to fall asleep in the car I will let her watch cartoons / play crap games. She mostly uses her yoto player and does watch some TV. Wouldn't occur to her that she could have a phone I don't think. Never, ever YouTube I don't even like my teenager on that crap

Mine is 3 and has an MP3 player and headphones which are a godsend. I use them lots as he is blind and is globally delayed, he is unable to so much as hold a toy but loves listening to music, it calms him in stressful situations (like hospitals and he has a LOT of appointments/stays). He also has an iPad as his blindness is due to a CVI and there is evidence to show that the earlier technology is introduced the better the outcome. Technology for small people can have its merits in some circumstances.

I’ve told my DC that the function of a phone is to call or message people and they don’t need one as they don’t go anywhere alone.

Obviously that’s slight hypocrisy as I use mine for much more than that but they can have one when they walk to and from school alone (year 6).

Social media of any kind is proven to have a negative impact on children and teens so I will try to hold them off that for as long as possible.

Should add I’m not some kind of no screens preacher - they had kids tablets when younger and now they play Nintendo, I just want to keep them away from scrolling for as long as possible!

When my young un was a toddler he used my then current iPhone for games.

They don’t need their own phone until about 10 imho. But even then when had own iphone no social media and pretty locked down so could only use certain apps.

Now 16 and no tik-tok,facebook, instagram or whatsapp type garbage - doesn’t need or want it either.

I can only think she wants a phone after seeing her friend have one 🤷🏻‍♀️I asked why and she just said she really wants one
Is it normal to go off CBeebies already at this age?
She begs to watch YouTube on the tv-the funny dog videos etc, but I just hate it. We’ve out a lock on, but it’s all she asks to watch, it’s all started very recently,
I’m holding back from getting her a tablet and def not a phone!

The problem with the tech isn't the tech itself but being given it alone or for too long. If you can monitor it carefully and not let it get out of hand it's a great tool and something they'll have to be able to use at school.
DD had a switch and a kids kindle but it was only for time together the same as using scissors etc. Admittedly this worked until covid when she was 10 and then all bets were off and as a teen is on it often but doesn't use it for social media, she isn't interested in it but spends hours making playlists on Spotify and on Duolingo.

As for the headphones, maybe listening to some music, but I wouldn’t even know where to get cds from these days and haven’t had an MP3 player etc for years and years

My 3 year old has a phone.

It's the inside of a toilet roll with some sticker gems attached as buttons. He has many a conversation with Batman.

Now you're talking

I use Spotify Kids on our MP3 player, no CDs involved.

DD used to love those funny clip programmes at that age and Harry Hills TV clips so you could try that.

We used YouTube as an additional channel, so she never watched it alone but we really liked the FBE react channel and playing along with "Try not to sing/laugh"

Have a look at Yoto players, DD has loved hers since we got it a couple of years ago. She can put her own stories on, put the radio or kid podcasts on, put music on. You can make your own cards for it too. We love ours so much we have one upstairs and one downstairs!

DD loves CD shopping in the charity shops, get a couple a month for the car.
Libraries do books on CD still.