Should I delete Roblox for my daughter? Advice

[princessAlo]

Hey everyone, so I bought my daughter who is coming 5 in March and iPad for Christmas. Not sure if it was a good idea because she would play it from the moment she opens her eyes until bedtime if she could, she mostly plays Roblox on it, which I am tempted to possibly delete and I'm not to sure it's appropriate for her age? Seen her shooting someone in it today 🤣 but she is obsessed with it, I think she will go mental if I do delete it. But I am thinking on it because her teacher in p1 said she doesn't listen in class and is falling behind a bit with her phonic sounds. And I notice she copies a lot of the behaviour from Roblox. Does anybody have any advice on this? I can't remember the last time she played with any of her toys, just always wants to play Roblox 🧐

Yes, children are easy targets on Roblox and groomers know many parents are naive about the risks.

Please take some time to educate yourself

learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/online-safety-resources

OP you don't seem to know much about safety controls, time limits etc on tablets. It would really pay off to do some research for whenever you do allow your child to have access. Sites like https://saferinternet.org.uk/ are good for how to guides on this stuff.

She shouldn't have access to a screen other than very limited tv time. My daughters are nearly eleven and don't have their own screens. They have occasional access to a family laptop. You'll find that if you get rid of screens your daughter will gradually learn how to amuse herself and will be creative and use her imagination. The children who have access to screens tend to be much less able to play independently, because they've become used to instant gratification. Most of us will choose a screen over a book or something which requires effort, but we can overcome the temptation. Small children can't-and don't know why the screen is bad for them. Meanwhile the screen is rewiring their brain and stopping them from experiencing the world and properly enjoying their childhood.

lol

I am strict on screens but the OP has had some nasty comments. No one wants to listen to people that speak to them like that.

If you're interested, OP, my dd is 9 in y4 and has only occasional access to an iPad. She does play some games on long car journeys as she doesn't travel well in the car. Anything like Roblox would be a no for all the reasons others have mentioned. I do appreciate that the child's peer group is relevant, if they were all on it, that would be difficult. But that won't be an issue for you at 4.

I won't be getting dd her own device until the absolute latest I can get away with it. It's ok at the moment but imagine things will ramp up next year. When I do, it will be limited and very closely monitored. Even then I still know there will be problems. Look at all the problems adults get into on WhatsApp with group chats. Imagine kids trying to manage this.

If it were me, I'd put away the iPad for a few years. If I kept it, I would delete Roblox, explain it's not safe for her age, and accept she will be upset for a few days. Hard, but necessary. Even Minecraft is way too much for a 4yo imo, even just visually. Keep things simple like c beebies apps. But if you insist, it's better than Roblox. I would add s

I would spend some time learning about on line safety and parental controls. I think someone provided a link for this earlier.

Allowing a 12 year old to make decisions on your daughter's device or time online with her unsupervised is unlikely to end well. A 12 year old is not yet sensible or safe online. So I would speak to her father about that. It's not a criticism of her sister, this would include any 12 year old.

The latest technology for our children has not been a good step forward. I appreciate it's tempting, as doing without is more work for us. I'm sure it's very tempting to her father to let her and 12 year go on screens together or separately. It's a tricky age gap to manage. But it's not good for her.

I will avoid it for as long as possible. smartphone free childhood on Instagram which gives lots of information and community for anyone concerned about the effects of children being on line and on screens.

Personally I'm not middle aged or snobby. I love gaming. I'll play any game from animal crossing to GTA5. I regularly play Minecraft and other games with my kids. Which is why i know it's so vital to know what your child is doing online, especially when she's so little. My dc won't be allowed roblox for a long time yet, and they're 8 and 6. It's a groomers paradise and you have no idea what your child is seeing or doing. I've had years of exposure to toxic male gamers and i don't want my children anywhere near that for as long as humanly possible. They can't play any games where they can freely access the internet, everything is password protected and the only co-op games they play is with people we know. It's nothing to do with you being young and everything to do with letting a tiny child have access to roblox when you don't really have any idea what it actually is. Id say the same to anyone of any age.

Good post @Nessastats