Tablet

We don’t allow tablet use! Our eldest only got one when she turned 8! If they want to watch something they watch the tv, if we’re out and we need to distract them one of us give them our phone to watch!

@Laura yes good idea. The tablet my little one was using wasn’t even his it was his dads lol so I have just taken it away now because I feel like hes too young to have his own tablet. There is no benefit to it

We have used a tablet from around 1, and honestly I don't see an issue with our daughter. She doesn't use it all the time probablt once a day, watches a range of shows, sometimes just music and always gives it back when we say time is up. I get that some parents don't like them or like their kids watching TV but honestly whatever works for you and yours.

We have one and she only watches movies we’ve downloaded from Netflix for her on it. Nothing like coco melon, but actual old school animation and generally she doesn’t have the sound on. She only has it for very long car journeys and dinners out after we’ve exhausted colouring etc She’s not obsessed and happily turns it off when we ask her too.

My 3 year old has a tablet but we only use it on car trips to visit family or like road trips on coaches, trains etc We got the Amazon fire and set it for kids use only so we manage all the apps he can use but he only really uses Netflix or Disney+ as we download his favourite shows on it

We have a tablet but we only use it on long journeys or holidays so my lo havent used it in over a year so I think my lo forgot that we have it to be honest 🤣

My girl has it whenever she wants, but if she is ignoring us when we talk to her because she's on it, then we'll take it off her. We never take it when we go to the park etc though. She's started watching non age appropriate videos recently that are really bad, so we've got to change the settings on it xx

My boy has his whenever he wants - it’s the only way he ever stops and relaxes for a bit. It doesn’t affect his behaviour and he still plays a lot.

Thank you all for letting me know!! xx

I’m always wondering if I should get one, I’m a bit scared 😂

We are avoiding buying a tablet for as long as possible. Every child is different, but I know if we had one my daughter would ask for it all the time and I’d rather go with ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for as long as possible!

I won’t be getting any of my kids a tablet until they’re atleast 8-9 years old. I feel like at this age there’s just no need, children should enjoy playing and experimenting different things as opposed to stuck to screens. I am a teacher and when I’m teaching children it is quite obvious which children have less screen time. Those that have iPads/tablets find it so difficult to concentrate

We have one for educational gaming apps and cbeebies. We don’t own a tv though. He gets allocated time of about 30mins a day on it and is often bored before that tbh. sometimes he forgets when he is playing with his toys so not obsessed with it. I prefer that then having the “tv on the background “ type of thing

We’ve got an extremely old Amazon fire tablet that my husband got free from work and she only has it on v long car journeys and it’s in my bag as an emergency when we go to restaurants. Otherwise she doesn’t have it. She never asks for it as she knows it’s only to be used in those situations. I think she’d be on it ALL day if I let her have free rein of it.