To think we've made a mistake with DS big present?

[lynzmb]

We got DS6 an Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet for Christmas to replace an ancient iPad. I'm pretty tech savvy but I have really struggled to get certain apps on the kids profile - YouTube Kids seems extremely difficult to add, research talks about side loading etc which just seems like an almighty faff. I'm worried we keep running into problems like this, DS will lose interest and it was v expensive.

I'm wondering if we return it and look at another android tablet instead. Seen a few people suggesting Samsung with Family Link app for parental controls.

I'm feeling stupid already for not realising the limitations around Amazon tablets so please be kind! Or is there a simple solution I'm missing?

In my sons primary it was every lesson every day, each child had a tablet and wrote on that, all tablets were linked to a big whiteboard at the front
The main consequence of this appears to be his handwriting is more than a bit lacking

I wouldn’t say that was a typical situation (luckily). Budget for starters wouldn’t cover an i pad for every pupil!

I am actually glad about that, as I wasn't overly impressed at the time. It was a tiny rural village school, I think they got some sort of grant for the equipment and was likely cheaper that having teaching assistants!

Ok, so it's an age thing that's shocking rather than kids being gifted these things? I don't think 4 is that young to be gifted a switch. I agree 2 is young for a tablet though but I don't see how it's necessarily shocking these days. It might not be ideal for some but it's very common.

Four is very young and I’m shocked by a tablet at two; even if it’s usual for some it’s still shocking and should be.

Some of the justifications in this thread are insane! “My child will get a tablet one day so why not start at two?” OK, give them a vape and a bottle of Wkd too! “My three year old has a tablet and loves it.” Of course they do! My two year old would love a pile of ice cream for breakfast and to watch postman pat for six hours; a child loving something bad for them isn’t a great reason to give it to them.

The lack of shock from some on this thread is what shocks me, but equally reassuring to see a healthy number of posters doing the equivalent of this: 🥴

Genuine question for all the posters that are anti-tablets.... how do your children do their school homework?? It's all set online.

We only had to get tablets as family PCs don't really exist anymore, families our age don't have them and using work laptops would breach work policies.

We were getting in trouble at school for our 6 and 7 year olds not doing their weekly English and maths homework - we asked several times but as the schools use apps for it there is no paper version, no other way for them to access it other than online

We don’t have any online homework set. We have a termly homework menu (primary school), stuck into an exercise book. So no issues there.

We're not anti-tablets but all of ds3's homework (Y3) is in paper form. He does access some school maths/reading apps too but that's never homework, he just likes them.

All our year two homework, other than reading, is done online via apps. And our school does less homework at this age than other schools in the area (it was one of the green flags for selecting it). Having looked at all the schools in our area, all had compulsory homework from year one.

"I'll have a word with the elves and see what can be done"

I mentioned above, our primary has brought in a lot of Lexia and TTR work in the past year or 2. We started with it initially, but I hated it so we just stopped doing it. We do all the paper homework.

This year's teacher is much stricter about homework so I explained why we didn't want to do it, he was thankfully understanding and the school now offer paper alternatives. Since many schools don't use Lexia, it's clearly not necessary. Likewise, if the child knows their times tables, an app isn't needed.

But even if my child WAS using these apps for homework, I would never give them their own tablet. You just give a family device and put it away afterwards.

Set it up on an adult account, problem solved. Just don't add any card details etc in

Legally they don't have to and from September the rules are changing that if the children don't have devices at home then the schools need to keep them in at break time to do the work on in school devices.

Wait, what? So schools are moving fully digital and punishing those unable to afford devices at home? The system in this country is just dreadful.

the only thing I can find is this 'the Department for Education (DfE) is introducing new rules for mobile phones in schools starting in September 2025, which will require schools to keep phones in at break time if students don't have them at home' - which is about mobile phones not devices for homework. @CosyLemur is this what you meant? otherwise can you provide a link to back up your claims that those without access to a device for homework will be punished

Legally they don't have to and from September the rules are changing that if the children don't have devices at home then the schools need to keep them in at break time to do the work on in school devices.

Absolute bullshit.