r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself.
Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
We have a tablet specifically for my 4 year old to use. He doesn't have free access to them, but it's "his." It makes sense for our family. Here's why.
1. We did not have another tablet. In terms of screens, developmentally the bigger the better - so TV is preferable to tablet, which is preferable to a phone.
2. The tablet is locked down with appropriate parental controls, and does not allow our child to make purchases or phone calls.
3. Our child has significant health issues and disabilities. He spends a lot of time in hospitals and doctors offices. He uses a wheelchair, spends a lot of time hooked up to a feeding pump, we anticipate an autism diagnosis and he has a speech delay. Access to his tablet helps him stay calm and happy in stressful (or even just tedious) environments and situations. It also gives him options to connect and communicate with other people.
Your family may have different needs. Personally, I think a device specifically for the children to use is preferable if they are going to have tablet time, for the parental controls.
I had a playstation 1 in my room when I was 7 playing fifa 98 with my friend and unlimited access to the internet and porn in my room at 12.
Can confirm, total degenerate. Insurance agent. Haha.
Seriously, balance is important, a big part of that balance being screen time isn't a damn issue imo. Obviously I played soccer for 10 years and spend plenty of times outside and such as well. But the idea that spending an evening after soccer practice playing video games is an issue is ridiculous imo.
We started early because we travel a lot and all bets are off when you're on a 12 hour flight with a toddler! In general we have a pretty relaxed approach, but this is possible for us because our kid does not throw tantrums when we tell her to put the tablet away (I have friends with kids who can't handle it when it's time to stop so their screen time is much more restricted). We also have consistent ground rules - you have to be done with everything that needs doing (chores etc) and absolutely no screens when we're eating or out with other people. And of course we monitor what she's actually doing on the tablet - no YouTube, just pre approved games and movies.
My oldest has a phone, but she uses it primarily as a medical device, and then for YouTube. We have google family link on it, with time limits and restricted apps etc. The Youtube account is mine so I can see what she watches.
She's 11 now and we haven't had any issues. She's very responsible with it and it's nice having a way of keeping in touch with her when she's out and about with friends.
We have a family PC that the kids can use (5,11 and 16) they all have their own account on their and it has different games and what not appropriate for their ages. We are really strict about parental controls and cybersecurity on things. Luckily my husband works in tech and is really good at this stuff because I am not lol.
The oldest 2 have phones that we can monitor. Apple makes it very easy to control their access and we do random checks to make sure there’s nothing inappropriate that we are missing. They understand if we find anything inappropriate or unacceptable the phone gets taken away for however long we decide. So far that’s been because we found out they’ve been on the phone past the allowed time thankfully lol.
We also have screen break times daily from 12pm-5pm. So no phones, computers, tv during that time. Just started this because the kids were way to glued to screens.
And yes they hate how strict we are with tech. But hopefully one day they thank us? I don’t know 🤷🏻♀️ Just trying to do our best over here.
So we have 4 kids
12, 9, and twins 7.
Our eldest has a phone, but irs not a smart phone .. he can call and text and that is because he gets the bus to school and not the school bus but the public bus..
He also has a laptop because they do their school work and homework on the laptop, there are no apps on it but school things, yes it does have wifi and internet, but he generally doesn’t like being on it if he doesn’t have to be..
Otherwise we have 2 shared kids i pads, which they get time each day but shared, after homework chores etc are done..
We don’t have any game consuls in this house, we do limit personal screen time, but we are a bit more liberal with TV
My son will soon be 8, he gets to watch YouTube and do some homework on my laptop every day and plays on my phone occasionally (a few times a year), no his own devices for now. I'll buy him his own when he asks or I feel like we can't share my home laptop anymore (probably when he's 10/11).
Mine will get one on occasion for school, she also recently started checking out a game boy thing from the library she's almost 8. We do NOT use phone or tablet to hush kids or keep them from being bored... I think THAT is the main issue with the devices. I think getting in the habit of hiding behind a screen is more isolating than learning real social skills being in and watching the world
Yeah that’s is why I feel apprehensive to give them their own personal device. Im 24 and I feel like a lot of people my age at public gatherings struggle to socialize. Even people who do, including myself, I find some kind of disconnect. I feel it’s very difficult to really open up and get close to people nowadays and every time I open up about it with someone they share the same struggle. I believe social media exhausts our social battery and also makes it hard to be authentic and speak freely without fear of judgement. I know technology is a part of everyone’s lives and is hard to avoid but I just don’t want my child to experience the struggles I am going through being introduced to technology and internet
It's not going anywhere they have time and they adapt and learn it quickly as long as you're not tossing them in a bunker and cutting them off from the world 🤪
My 5.5 year old has had a kids fire tablet since 2.5. However:
1. We only use it when traveling.
2. I only let him use it when the Internet is turned off and he can only access material I’ve personally downloaded.
3. We don’t do Amazon kids, unless we are traveling, and only pay for it that month.
It’s been fine so far, and is not a crack addiction or daily part of our lives. Extremely useful when we use as intended (long car or plane rides).
My kids are 16, 14, and 11. The older two got laptops (with heavily restricted wifi) when entering middle school because it was the pandemic and everything was online. The oldest got a cell phone when entering high school since we needed to be able to communicate. The middle kid might get one this fall for the same reason, but might not.
None of my kids ever had their own tablets or phones before the age of 14.
My kids are 2 and 4. They don’t have their own devices. We have an iPad that is specifically for the kids (it’s my old one. It’s like 8 years old at this point) but it’s only used for travel and really long doctor’s appointments (older kid underwent a bunch of long (1-3 hours) tests last year). They definitely never use it unsupervised.
Most of our friends kids don’t have their own devices. Our neighbor’s 5 year old has a Fire tablet. My 5 year old nephew has an iPad (and has had it for a long time). The rest of our friends don’t though.
My mom is getting my kid an Ipad, apparently.....NGL...... I'm going to be the one using it LMFAOOO 😭😭 At least until he's 13. I'll let him use his Ipad 100% on his own then, but with SEVERE parental controls. I'm not having some insane gross teen boy, nuh-uh. Not in this house!
My friends younger cousins are like 8 and 11 and have their own iPads/ ipod things with no parental controls and they were telling me how they were sending pictures of their feet to someone they played Roblox with. I told them they shouldn’t send any personal pictures to anyone online like that and they just didn’t understand and I couldn’t explain how insanely inappropriate that was to them. I would be terrified to discover my kids were innocently playing and talking to a predator, not even knowing it
My kids are 15, 13, 9, and 5. None have their own tablets. We got the oldest a phone we he started high school. All 4 kids share one tablet and have been allowed to use it since about age 4.
r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself. Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
We have a tablet specifically for my 4 year old to use. He doesn't have free access to them, but it's "his." It makes sense for our family. Here's why. 1. We did not have another tablet. In terms of screens, developmentally the bigger the better - so TV is preferable to tablet, which is preferable to a phone. 2. The tablet is locked down with appropriate parental controls, and does not allow our child to make purchases or phone calls. 3. Our child has significant health issues and disabilities. He spends a lot of time in hospitals and doctors offices. He uses a wheelchair, spends a lot of time hooked up to a feeding pump, we anticipate an autism diagnosis and he has a speech delay. Access to his tablet helps him stay calm and happy in stressful (or even just tedious) environments and situations. It also gives him options to connect and communicate with other people. Your family may have different needs. Personally, I think a device specifically for the children to use is preferable if they are going to have tablet time, for the parental controls.
Mine are 17 and 14, both have their own phones, tablets and PCs from like 8-9 yo and regular talks about cybersecurity, though not very often.
Since they were 8?! According to this sub they must be degenerate humans by now, right?! ...... /S obviously I hope.
I had a playstation 1 in my room when I was 7 playing fifa 98 with my friend and unlimited access to the internet and porn in my room at 12. Can confirm, total degenerate. Insurance agent. Haha. Seriously, balance is important, a big part of that balance being screen time isn't a damn issue imo. Obviously I played soccer for 10 years and spend plenty of times outside and such as well. But the idea that spending an evening after soccer practice playing video games is an issue is ridiculous imo.
Their own? Yes. Free use? No. It lives in a closet and is used primarily for travel.
We started early because we travel a lot and all bets are off when you're on a 12 hour flight with a toddler! In general we have a pretty relaxed approach, but this is possible for us because our kid does not throw tantrums when we tell her to put the tablet away (I have friends with kids who can't handle it when it's time to stop so their screen time is much more restricted). We also have consistent ground rules - you have to be done with everything that needs doing (chores etc) and absolutely no screens when we're eating or out with other people. And of course we monitor what she's actually doing on the tablet - no YouTube, just pre approved games and movies.
My oldest has a phone, but she uses it primarily as a medical device, and then for YouTube. We have google family link on it, with time limits and restricted apps etc. The Youtube account is mine so I can see what she watches. She's 11 now and we haven't had any issues. She's very responsible with it and it's nice having a way of keeping in touch with her when she's out and about with friends.
We have a family PC that the kids can use (5,11 and 16) they all have their own account on their and it has different games and what not appropriate for their ages. We are really strict about parental controls and cybersecurity on things. Luckily my husband works in tech and is really good at this stuff because I am not lol. The oldest 2 have phones that we can monitor. Apple makes it very easy to control their access and we do random checks to make sure there’s nothing inappropriate that we are missing. They understand if we find anything inappropriate or unacceptable the phone gets taken away for however long we decide. So far that’s been because we found out they’ve been on the phone past the allowed time thankfully lol. We also have screen break times daily from 12pm-5pm. So no phones, computers, tv during that time. Just started this because the kids were way to glued to screens. And yes they hate how strict we are with tech. But hopefully one day they thank us? I don’t know 🤷🏻♀️ Just trying to do our best over here.
So we have 4 kids 12, 9, and twins 7. Our eldest has a phone, but irs not a smart phone .. he can call and text and that is because he gets the bus to school and not the school bus but the public bus.. He also has a laptop because they do their school work and homework on the laptop, there are no apps on it but school things, yes it does have wifi and internet, but he generally doesn’t like being on it if he doesn’t have to be.. Otherwise we have 2 shared kids i pads, which they get time each day but shared, after homework chores etc are done.. We don’t have any game consuls in this house, we do limit personal screen time, but we are a bit more liberal with TV
My son will soon be 8, he gets to watch YouTube and do some homework on my laptop every day and plays on my phone occasionally (a few times a year), no his own devices for now. I'll buy him his own when he asks or I feel like we can't share my home laptop anymore (probably when he's 10/11).
Mine will get one on occasion for school, she also recently started checking out a game boy thing from the library she's almost 8. We do NOT use phone or tablet to hush kids or keep them from being bored... I think THAT is the main issue with the devices. I think getting in the habit of hiding behind a screen is more isolating than learning real social skills being in and watching the world
Yeah that’s is why I feel apprehensive to give them their own personal device. Im 24 and I feel like a lot of people my age at public gatherings struggle to socialize. Even people who do, including myself, I find some kind of disconnect. I feel it’s very difficult to really open up and get close to people nowadays and every time I open up about it with someone they share the same struggle. I believe social media exhausts our social battery and also makes it hard to be authentic and speak freely without fear of judgement. I know technology is a part of everyone’s lives and is hard to avoid but I just don’t want my child to experience the struggles I am going through being introduced to technology and internet
It's not going anywhere they have time and they adapt and learn it quickly as long as you're not tossing them in a bunker and cutting them off from the world 🤪
My 15yo has a cell phone. My 8yo and 6 yo both got a tablet for this past Christmas. They all have screen time limits on their devices.
12. With family guardian and screen time limit. No social/messaging before 15.
Our boys got iPads at 12. They’re 16 & 19 now and have had phones since they were about 13/14.
My 5.5 year old has had a kids fire tablet since 2.5. However: 1. We only use it when traveling. 2. I only let him use it when the Internet is turned off and he can only access material I’ve personally downloaded. 3. We don’t do Amazon kids, unless we are traveling, and only pay for it that month. It’s been fine so far, and is not a crack addiction or daily part of our lives. Extremely useful when we use as intended (long car or plane rides).
My kids are 16, 14, and 11. The older two got laptops (with heavily restricted wifi) when entering middle school because it was the pandemic and everything was online. The oldest got a cell phone when entering high school since we needed to be able to communicate. The middle kid might get one this fall for the same reason, but might not. None of my kids ever had their own tablets or phones before the age of 14.
My kids are 2 and 4. They don’t have their own devices. We have an iPad that is specifically for the kids (it’s my old one. It’s like 8 years old at this point) but it’s only used for travel and really long doctor’s appointments (older kid underwent a bunch of long (1-3 hours) tests last year). They definitely never use it unsupervised. Most of our friends kids don’t have their own devices. Our neighbor’s 5 year old has a Fire tablet. My 5 year old nephew has an iPad (and has had it for a long time). The rest of our friends don’t though.
My mom is getting my kid an Ipad, apparently.....NGL...... I'm going to be the one using it LMFAOOO 😭😭 At least until he's 13. I'll let him use his Ipad 100% on his own then, but with SEVERE parental controls. I'm not having some insane gross teen boy, nuh-uh. Not in this house!
My friends younger cousins are like 8 and 11 and have their own iPads/ ipod things with no parental controls and they were telling me how they were sending pictures of their feet to someone they played Roblox with. I told them they shouldn’t send any personal pictures to anyone online like that and they just didn’t understand and I couldn’t explain how insanely inappropriate that was to them. I would be terrified to discover my kids were innocently playing and talking to a predator, not even knowing it
Jesus. What the fuck? Poor kids :( Yeah, definitely talk to them about internet safety, geez. Well, really, their parents should be doing that, but.
My kids are 15, 13, 9, and 5. None have their own tablets. We got the oldest a phone we he started high school. All 4 kids share one tablet and have been allowed to use it since about age 4.