What age would you let your child have an electronic device?

[VictoriaaaJohnsonnn]

So, my 3 year old is obsessed with my phone and buttons. I have seen toddler iPad-like devices and I wouldn't mind him having one, but I'm so undecided about it! What are your views?

A basic (no data) phone at 11. A data phone from 16. No personal TV or tablet at all, and certainly no electronics in the bedroom. Use of family computer in a public room (kitchen or lounge) where everything can be monitored. Those are our rules. We've been ridiculed by friends and indeed by people on here but tough. The daughter of one aforementioned friend was doing pouty Instagram selfies showing off her six pack at age 11. No thanks.

The Reception kids at age 4 use iPads at school, and are very good with them. They start 'programming' lessons in Year 3.

DD had my old sim free iPhone 3 at 6 to use with apps etc and we got our first iPad when she was 7. She's been using the PC to play games and use PowerPoint since before she she started school. She'll get a phone (probably my old one when I upgrade) when she starts secondary and has to travel alone. At that point we'll probably get her her own laptop too for homework etc.

The age has got younger with each DC.

My youngest (dyslexic) had a little netbook with a keyboard from age about 9, and once she had a good enough to typing speed she used it for school work. There was internet access, but she only used it downstairs.

Basic phone at 11. iPod Touch soon.

She does borrow my iPad a fair amount, so it's not that I'm against screens in themselves. But I don't want her losing/breaking stuff. Bad for morale, and probably too expensive for us to keep replacing.

My 3 year old is getting a kindle fire for Christmas, mainly to stop her using mine

I think it's much better for it to be 'mummy's iPad' and you let them use it. Much easier to restrict use that way than remove something that belongs to them. DS and DD have both been more than capable on the iPad for a long time. DS from age 2 and DD from 20m because DS taught her sharpish!

I have no problem with them using screens for a very early age, but with strict guidance and time limits.

I wouldn't waste your money on devices like the innotab or leap pad they are rubbish. You can get a cheap enough Tablet for similar price obviously limit the time you let dc use it. I got my ds an ipad mini when he was 3 for xmas only because I got a good deal he's nearly 6 and still uses it just as much it's been a great buy. They use ipads in school for learning these days

My 4 year old is allowed to use my iPad to watch Paw Patrol and has my old iPhone for educational games and drawing.

Both devices are locked and he doesn't know the passwords.

Thank you! Yes, the iPad mini looks like a good choice

The new Leapfrog Epic is a proper Android based tablet, not rubbish and perfect for the audience they are aimed at. I am getting my 3.5 and 7 yo one each for Christmas, mainly so they have their own devices and don't use our expensive ipad/iphone when travelling.

You probably do get more for your money with a 'proper' grown-up tablet, but I want the parental controls, safe web-browsing and (some) educational type games that you get with Leapfrog (you can also get cheaper Apps from the Amazon Store).

I don't want to get my 3 (or 7yo) an ipad now as where do we go from there, imo they are too sophisticated and expensive for kids. I reckon my 7 yo will be ready for a more grown-up tablet in 2/3 years, and by then technology will have moved on (or at that point she can have our old iPad).

My 3 yo has an iPad as does my 7yo. Both iPads are hand me downs and they're only charged once in a blue moon. Today I charged them for the first time since the summer hols and their faces were a picture . They are strictly regulated and browsing is disabled so they can only watch video/listen to music/play games.

DS started using our original iPad at about 17/18 mths. We were going on holiday and were thinking abt travel delays etc so downloaded some v simple apps like the into the night garden one and basic jigsaw ones. Bloody hell did it pay for itself then!

He has always had fairly free access to the iPad, which i think might not be the done thing, though we only have 1 and it's not 'his'. He goes through phases with it - often depending on when I've put a new app on it, or that time he discovered Netflix and started to attempt his first binge-watching fest with my little pony... On such times I do limit access, however overall he is fairly reasonable and doesn't need much policing.
Obviously I have the parental controls set so he can't access anything on the Internet apart from selected sites and only kids Netflix plus apps we've prescreened.
He's just turned 6 and is an excellent reader and doing absolutely fine in a other aspects of learning and development so I'm pretty chilled abt access to electronics for him.

Last year a friend of mine saved up all her tesco club card points through the year then doubled them up with the promotion was on and managed to get a hudl tablet almost for nothing. A bit late for this xmas I know but a good idea for next year if you regularly shop in tesco.