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?

It really is impressive how poor the parental controls are when it's marketed as a child's tablet. It's so unintuitive with the profile switching, content control, the fact you can't use some stuff that has a subscription unless you switch to the adult profile and install it and sign up there, the fact it's just so fecking slow.

I did manage to get the maths app DD1's school use on there but I think that's because they pay for the subscription there and I just had to use the login details they gave out.

There is a show on ITV - about the use of phones and how the 'instant gratification' adjusts the brain to be like an 'addicts' . think a gamblers headspace - constant 'more more more' .

I know its not what you have asked - but - 6 is quite young for that kind of thing

@Stealthmodemama The OP isn’t asking your advice or opinion on the use of tablets. They were simply asking for a solution to their problem. Why bother commenting if you have nothing useful to add? How the OP chooses to parent her children is none of your business.

@lynzmb we found the Amazon Fire Max ‘clunky’ to work too. Can you not say that Santa needs to needs do a little repair then replace the tablet for something more suitable?

We got rid of our daughter's Amazon fire when she wanted kids YouTube, proved impossible to get on it. She's got a Lenovo pad with family link and it's great. She's got all the apps Disney plus etc and kids YouTube and the family link app is great

I find the Fire to be better than the cheap android we have. The kids use it more. You can add youtube videos, but not through the YouTube app. Instead you have to add each video individually. However, the range of games on kindle kids is good, with zero adverts or in-app purchases on the kids profiles. So, I think better for games, worse for video. It's very tied down. I found setting up parental controls on a standard android much harder.

Don’t worry about Father Christmas-
Lots of kids know it’s a myth ( like Easter Bunny and tooth Fairy), but play along.

Just say it’s broken and the Elves need to bring a better, more intuitive IPad!

I can’t believe people give children as young as five a tablet

A 6 year old with their own tablet ! Ridiculous present at that age

Also ( I’m not tech savvy hence using Apple products as the tech support is superb) get an adblocker

If needed, pay for one.

Ads are ghastly and worth paying for them to be eradicated where possible.

Heck I didn’t realise OP’s child was that young!
I did think talks of Father Christmas a bit bizarre as assumed a much older child.

No way would I buy anything like that for a child so very young😳

Books , books and more books at that age- not tech.

You aren’t in a minority.

There is definitely a movement where we are for young children not to have these devices-

They are detrimental to the developing brain.

Heck, even phones 📱 are addictive-

“Mummy’s Binky” I saw them referred to recently.

True!
😨

I didn't even realise you'd quoted me, didn't get the usual notification

She has a tablet because I've given her one. There's plenty of mothers like me out there, happily raising our children and giving them access to technology 😊

She has lots of apps on it, educational ones and ones to watch bluey

It has YouTube on it, yes. It's a kids version, but wasn't sure off the top of my head. I do know what she's watching and can control it via a handy amazon parents app

If you don't want your kids to have a tablet, don't give them one

But mine is happy to play with it during long wintery school holidays like the one we're in now. And I'm happy with the short intervals of peace it gives me. 👍

I got my daughter a kindle fire a few years ago. When they were selling them off for £30. DD didn't like it. I ended up using it for books. I have some kid's books downloaded on it for when we go away. It's okay for reading on but must be a bit of a disappointment if it's to replace an iPad.

It’s really not confusing. Just make it vanish with some Lego. Try a kiddizoom with a a 6 year old who wishes Roma was her brother and she calls herself Diana it’s not come from my house 😬

DM gave one to DS as a gift years ago. She had a lot of small kids games and apps on her Google account from when DN was small and wanted to let DS use them. It was a faff to install Google Play on Fire OS and not everything worked anyway.

When he got a few years older we upgraded to an Android tablet, things became much easier and the Google parental controls we gained by DS having his own account meant we could track and control pretty much everything he did on there.

@HermoinePotter posting on an open forum will illicit responses you may not expect. They may help you make decisions about the way forward.. may make you stop and think. . if one person reads my post - investigates a little and thinks twice about introducing a potentially damaging thing - is a good thing.

The programme was a real eye opener - it's worth a watch if you have young kids.

Just as a heads up the 'kids you tube' is not as safe as you might think - often things 'sneak through'. some horrid pony porn was around a few years ago.

What

My daughter has a kids fire tablet, the only issue I’ve had was in permanently deleting apps, once I figured that out it’s easy enough for what’s needed (school apps). I also let her watch Disney/Netflix on it. I have an app on my phone to control/limit access and content.

We had one a few years ago and it was terrible! Really clunky and temperamental....I'd get an iPad..

Why is it ridiculous?

I'm with the others, very sad to hear about 5 & 6 year old kids being given tablets and access to you tube. The fact it's kids YouTube means nothing, you know people specifically hide inappropriate content in kids content?

Definitely worth watching Swiped with Matt and Emma Willis on channel 4.

Please do some research on what this is doing to your daughter’s brain. She’s going to pay a heavy price for your “short intervals of peace”.

I can’t believe how many people don’t like the Amazon tablets! I agree they are not as user friendly as an Apple device initially but when you get used to them they are great (especially considering how inexpensive they are compared to an iPad!!)), the ones I bought were £60 ish! My kids have all had them and found them easy to use. We have also had Samsungs in the past and I personally didn’t rate these at all.