Tablets/IT for the under 4s?

Forgot to say - DD is very strict about not letting them use them all day long! Their time is rationed and in half hour chunks.

I think they should have them. In fact I have to give up my phone, my tablet and my computer when the GCs visit.

DS now 19 worked out how to switch on his Granpa's computer and found the CBBC website all by himself at the age of three. Grandma was horrified, Granpa saw it as a good excuse to buy himself a new computer and give over the other one to DS and DD when they visited. Grandma bought herself a laptop, a tablet and a mini-laptop and they were seized too as soon as they were noticed.

Now we are experiencing the same with ours, we know that they will go outside and play when the sun shines, they will go on the computers when they need a bit of quiet. We also know that they are very careful with them, even the three year old. Whose favourite game is a bit like online paper doll dressing - she found it all by herself!

However, DBH is seriously considering buying them their own tablets, purely because although DGS can read well and is very good at helping DGD to find sites she wants, there is always the worry that they will come across something they shouldn't and we don't have controls on ours. Their parents only have phones that they are allowed to use, and it won't be long before DGS will need to use the internet for homework research and a larger screen would be better. We really think they need their own safe tablets if they are to stay abreast with what other children are doing.

I'm not a Luddite! - I use computers all the time and recognise that our GC will use them as a large part of their daily lives. But we are old enough to discriminate - we know when we have done enough, and we know what other good things there are out there to do. When you are so little you do not know what you are missing because you have not yet has enough experiences. It is easy to get hooked on the tablet games.

My GC's assorted devices cause nothing but aggro - although not all my DDs allow their children to have them.

The problems are -

They get so hooked on them that it causes family arguments when they are asked to put them down.

A lot of the programmes are too frenetic for small developing brains and wind them up and make them stressed.

Provided parents ration IT time as they do (or should!) TV time, where is the harm in children keeping abreast of the world in which they live, and which we should make every effort to understand?

J52 is right, older people should try not to be Luddites.

I remember my grandmother sitting tutting as loudly as she could all the way through "Top of the Pops" and similar shows. It did not endear me to her, but rather accentuated the age gap.

My dgd has used an ipad since about 20 months, she has her mums old one and it only has kids stuff on it, shes now more then 2 and can use it confidently, choosing games like pepa pig and various painting games.
Shes not on it all day and goes out regularly, she rides a scooter, like playgrounds and paints/scribbles etc, she can now recognise words which is a step towards reading of the future.
Both parents are keen readers ,they all have lots of books therefore I cant see the harm in it as she is not allowed to have it any length of time and its helping with her reading skills. Besides in this weather she cant go out much so why not.

Agreed J52- but grandkids had access to parents' tablets and laptops- and were very confident and even proficient, at using them, so no problem there. I really don't see why kids thatyoung have to have their own. Parents have of course put controls on them- so they have a maximum time per day to use them- and then it cuts out- unless parents allow extra time on specific days for homeworkd research, etc- so that's good.

I do worry about the pressure on other parents who just do not have the means to let their own kids have tablets too- and the possible 'keeping up with the Joneses, etc.

I remember bringing this matter up previously and didn't get much support for my views that pre-school age was too young for tablets etc.

ooh, now I see that the heading is tablets for the under 4s.

I think under 4 is probably too young.

I am on the fence on this one which is unusual for me!

They are being used in schools early as J52 says.

But on the other hand, once they are on them, how hard is it to get them off them?
And could it damage their young eyesight at all [that is probably a rubbish thought].

So, as I say, on the fence.

Tablets are used in primary schools. OFSTED expect pupils from an early age to be proficient in age appropriate IT. Teachers would be judged lacking if they were not involving their pupils in IT usage.

We must be careful not to become 'Ludites ? X

Well, sometimes we grandmums have to keep stum and lips sealed. Both ours got tablets this Christmas, aged 4.5 and 8.5. They knew that if grandson got one, and not grand-daughter, it would cause huge arguments.

They do do lots of other activities, walks, outdoor sports, etc, and hardly any tv, but even so.

Chatting to our neighbours last week they talked casually of how useful their children's (aged 4, 6, 8) ipads were on long car journeys (London to Edinburgh).

I must say I did a double take and said nothing. Our DGC (4 & 7) most emphatically do not have ipads and DS & DDiL keep very firm control of their, limited, access to the home computer. They frequently use their school's website for games and learning material and the elder one is now beginning to search for things she is interested in, under supervision and with all parental controls switched on.

My husband and I disagreed on this point at Christmas. He wanted us to get our just turned 4 year old grand daughter a tablet and I was very much against it. Fortunately, our son and his partner didn't think it was a good idea but not for any deep reason, simply because they thought that our grand daughter and 2 year old brother would fight over it constantly.

An article in the Observer this week put forward the view that the internet is negatively affecting the way we think. Although many people subsequently expressed their disagreement, I suspect there's some truth in what he says. And if Steve Jobs felt that there were dangers in allowing children free rein, he surely knew what he was talking about.

Anyway, I think 3 years old is far too young.

I am thankful that they live in an area of outstanding natural beauty and experience that every day. Walks, worms and all! It is childhood as I remember it.
If an old gal like me can master IT, then they, too! And more so.

I did just call it tablets first, then changed it!!

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, was a "low-tech parent". I think he got it right:

www.inquisitr.com/1468612/steve-jobs-didnt-let-his-kids-use-iphones-or-ipads-heres-why/

I think 3 is far too young , out digging dirt tasting worms and causing us heart attacks is what they should be doing , not stuck indoors with a Tablet .

ps , I thought they were getting pills instead of liquid Calpol from your heading !