To get 3 year old own tablet?

[Twilightinnovember]

We have a long car journey next week and wondering about whether to take advantage or Black Friday deals? Just don’t want him asking for it all the time. Do your kids have their own tablets?

There is nothing wrong with a 3 year old using a tablet from time to time. Not sure if I’d buy one especially for a single long journey but if you see yourself letting them use it from time to time anyway then you may as well get one in the sale!

I always avoided calling our iPad DD’s iPad and referred to it as a family device (she’s an only child anyway) I just wanted to maintain more control of it.

I'm unpopular here.
Yes do it.
Use screen as best suits your family.
Make sure you have good parent controls
Keep the tablet with you give it outcwhen needed.

I got my 4 and 3 year old one each for a 2 hour plane journey! They like them but they are not on them all the time and we set limits.
all good 😆

It's not theirs but it's very useful. I've become a lot more relaxed about screen time as she's got older. You can download lots of Cbeebies stuff from iplayer, there's some Cbeebies educational games you can download, plus drawing apps. I wouldn't be without a tablet for my 3 year old now.

No I wouldn't, I think it's a bit sad seeing little kids with their own ipads

Their own, no. A family device, yes. We have a family tablet that we download various bits of cbeebies for long car journeys which is useful, but I wouldn't want them having their own!

A 3 year old with its own tablet !!! Jeez just talk to the child fgs.

DC don’t need to be entertained for every second they are awake. Maybe the child could chill/look out of window etc.

It’s a five hour journey so that’s a lot of looking out of the window! He might be OK in the car, just conscious it is a long time.

My 3 year old has an Amazon Fire kids tablet. He'll watch TV shows and plays a few of the games but generally he's not that bothered. We've never used it on long car journeys as we prefer to listen to music together in the car.

My kids have a tablet each (3 and 6). They don't use it in the car though - they have never been given it as an option and so they just don't ask. We listen to music instead. If you do get one, make sure you have a safe way of using it in the car. I think you can get holders to secure the tablets to the seat. Otherwise it's dangerous in an accident - basically becomes a flying missile.

Oh, for the days when kids just used to get on with it when it came to car journeys etc…..

We got DS a kid's kindle fire when he was 3. It's still going strong 3 years later, so was a good buy. You can control what is on there and how much screen time you allow.

Just because your kid has their own screen doesn't mean you will never talk to them, or they will never look out the window again - some of these replies are a bit over the top.

I think DS is such a good reader now as we encouraged him to play educational word games from a young age on his tablet. It's not like you would be letting your kid loose on roblox or unsupervised youtube watching just because they had their own screen.

He may yet, we haven’t bought it yet which is why I was asking on here. I’m surprised at all the hate, it’s fine to say you don’t think it’s a good idea and why but some children do have tablets and use them regularly.

Thanks @AutumnNamechange i have to admit I’d only thought of it as a way to while away a long journey but if there are educational benefits that’s good.

He has had long journeys before but five hours is a long time and then we have to drive back again a few days later! He may nod off for some of it but not all, and he may well get bored and restless.

No. Seriously, if I could change one thing, it would be that young children don't have access to devices. I firmly believe they are reducing children's attention spans and curiosity.

So what if he gets bored?

I know there is a school of thought on here sometimes that it is good for children to be bored. I’m not totally sure I agree, but in a car it seems particularly unfair because well, how can you entertain yourself? So the ‘so what’ my answer is - it’s not very pleasant for him and as his mother I do want his days to mostly be as enjoyable as possible.

Waiting in a queue, short car journeys, waiting for a train, all bits of boredom that are good for dealing with life, five hours in a car? Maybe a bit extreme.

It is almost half a day, it’s not just a couple of hours.

We have a family tablet that DS6 is allowed to use in 20 min bursts. But it’s not something I would buy for travel.
We are often on the motorway and listen to music, audiobooks (currently listening to George’s Marvellous Medicine), take spiral bound pads, pens and stickers. Other than that they can be bored.

Six is a lot older though. My three year old wouldn’t really be able to do many of those things. He has one of those doodle pads he likes and five hours of nursery rhymes or tractor ted songs is probably going to have us all screaming!

My three year old can manage it just fine 🤷‍♀️ they’re all different.
mMy 3 year old would happily listen to nursery rhymes while spotting animal, counting trees, guessing colours for 5 hours. As long as she got a wee and snack break.

My three year old wouldn’t be able to grasp a pen for any real length of time. He would just keep dropping it and getting angry.

We probably will stop at least once but the journey is still five hours iyswim.

I know it might sound judgmental to many, but I agree completely.

Try audio stories? Julia Donaldson are good, especially the audio version of 'The Troll'.
Shared attention between parent and child is reaaaalllly important developmentally. If you are reading, listening to a story or even watching a programme together you're able to talk about it. That's how children learn.

I do t think it sounds judgemental. It’s not judging to have an opinion and to express it in the way you have.

I guess I’m not totally sure he’d engage with an audiobook without the pictures to accompany the story, but I may be pleasantly surprised.

Yes mine have them. They have each had an ipad from a year old. Only for flights and long car journeys of 2 hours +. Keeps everyone happy because it’s a really long time to sit and like hell am I staying up all night to do the drive whilst they’re asleep like my parents used to do, or listening to the wheels on the bus on repeat to try to entertain them.

My 2YO is not allowed it at any other time and it lives in the back of a cupboard because habitually I don’t think they’re good for little ones. But that doesn’t apply to such occasional and specific use, and he never ever asks for it- it’s accepted that it’s for travel.

My 6YO has just started to be allowed an hour before bed at the weekend in return for homework all done and good behaviour. But that’s really more a peer pressure thing; she wants it because it friends do, not because she had it on the plane, and at 6 I feel she’s mature enough for it.

Your decision OP but I think it sounds fine and sensible.

Don't do it. Just got rid of ours. See if a friend has an old phone or something you can borrow and download stuff on Netflix or Disney. Then give it back when you get home.