Tablets for kids (8 & 11) yay or nay?

[ThatDamnedBitch]

Considering getting my dds tablets for Christmas (something from the cheap end of the scale). DD1 (11) so she can listen to audiobooks and watch youtube and dd2 (8) so she can google cute puppies and such (as she is always doing with my phone).

I'm not sure about parental controls on tablets, are they any good? I have a Kindle fire but I don't let my dds use it so don't have any parental controls on it. Also are parental controls enough? Like if dd2 is googling something is there any danger of it throwing up some random sexy photos if the parental controls are on?

And, is constant supervision still needed? This is something I'm a bit worried about. As I know dd1 will want to take her's upstairs and listen to books in bed, so dd2 will want the same. Is that safe if parental controls are on?

Do your kids have tablets? Any recommendations? Or, is it a total no?

I'm a vote for yay! I can't say for sure as we all have iPads but I think the hudl and kurio tablets have better parental controls.

Mine have iPads. They are 10 and 7 (now - dd1 has had her ipad since she was 6).

I have set some restrictions (age/content related) but the info is only relevant for iPads. You need to decide which tablet you are getting, and research specifically what controls can be set.

My dc are allowed fairly unrestricted access (usual disclaimer about homework done etc) but they don't take them upstairs. They stay downstairs overnight, and this will stay that way for a long time.

They don't have any social media stuff on there, just games/educational apps, and they use iplayer. Theoretically they could watch something they shouldn't on I player, but they don't (and yes, I am sure about that - they both have ASD. Dd1 has no interest in watching something other than what she wants, dd2 will follow a rule until her last breath).

My daughters have hudls, one got hers for Christmas last year and other for her birthday this year. We've been pleased with the parental controls and the security on them. They mainly use them for the iplayer, Netflix (which we have restrictions set for) and playing Minecraft.

DD has had an iPad mini since being about 9-10y I think; she had an iPod Touch before that, though had access to our iPad too.

There are some parental controls but more important than that is teaching good internet/online safety, and monitoring regularly.

I have never insisted on 1:1 supervision, but I have checked on and off whenever its been used - and checked histories if I felt the need.

mine have samsung galaxy tab2 tablets (got them 2 xmas's ago) that they got when they were 6 and 9. DD uses hers for games and ds watches pokemon videos on his.

My ds's 10 and 7 received kindle fires last Xmas. They're great you can easily set parental controls and they listen to music, play games, watch films and read books.

Thanks. I wish I could afford ipads, sadly not.

I've just looked at reviews for the hudl 2 and the child safety features are supposed to spot on. I think I'll look into hudls further.

if you have tesco clubcard vouchers you can boost them to twice their value and they can be used to buy the hudl2