Category: Parent Talk
Hannah currently has one of the Vtech tablets that teaches letter writing/line drawing, which she loves, and now she and Mom are seeing the Nabbi ones and one other one that is made by Emitic, I think is the name, that she says she wants, but from what I've seen on that, it sounds really advanced for her seeing as how she's only 4, and the thought of her having something that does that much right now makes me nervous. Can I get some opinions on this?
Learn to say no. Sorry but there's no reason why a 4-year-old needs their own tablet if it's going to be anything more than a toy.
I'd agree with the poster above me. 4 years old?
I might go down to the toy store and see what is available, but an actually one will just get broken.
I disagree. I bought my son a computer of his own when he was 3. Granted it was a $200 used job off ebay but still. It allowed him to do whatever he wanted without screwing up mine. Now, having said that, my son was very academically advanced at that age. He was already learning to read. Yes, he was reading 3 letter words at 3.
So, it really depends on your kiddo, her maturity level, your ability to manage features like virus protection maintanence, etc, and how much you're willing to spend on something that might ultimately get dropped broken and so on. I'd look on ebay, craigslist, etc. OR, scour Amazon for the least expensive, simplest one you can find.
I love momma's like you domestic. Wish I had one even now. Smile.
I still stand on my post. A tablet is smaller than a computer, so will get dropped.
Sure, you can get some for around 50 bucks, but I'd wait and give my child a few books to read first.
I’d like to add this.
I’m guilty of it too, so this isn’t a criticism.
I think we as parents often times buy kids the things we’d actually like to have, and not the things that are actually benefits to them when we are able to afford these types of items.
At 3 and 4, there is absolutely no reason or justification why a child can’t learn well using items that don’t require electric power to work.
Pencils, and books still work, and are durable, and easy to replace.
I think we waste more money buying the things for our kids that give us status than we should.
We should actually buy a child a computer, or something like that, when that child is actually responsible enough to appreciate it, not when they just want it.
We teach them the lesson that you can get whatever you want now, but we fail to teach how these things are gotten.
Everyone's focusing on the expense part of it, but here's a different reason why I'm against tablets and such for the little ones. What happened to traditional learning? What happened to books? Not only are they less expensive and a little less distructible, but they're not an LCD screen. Why are so many parents in such a hurry to get their kids hooked on computers from the very beginning. I get that technology is the future of everything, and I understand that children will get introduced to it anyway, they won't survive without it in their generation as adults. But whatever happened to people teaching their kids how to read out of a book or teaching them scientific things by actually going outside and experiencing the lesson.
Sure show them a few youtube videos now and again in order to explain something in a way you might not be able to do yourself, but when a kid relies on their own individual computer to be entertained and to learn, it can become a crutch more often than not.
So many parents swear that their kids are smarter, more advanced because they used a tablet as a toddler or they watched a fair amount of TV. What most people dont' realize is that children are like sponges. they commit what they see to memory. so more often than not, they're actually memorizing what they see on the laptop/frogtop/etc. rather than learning it. There's a big difference.
My son is almost two years old and kids his age already have IPads, kindle fires, you name it. He has letter stensils which he traces to learn how to write letters. He's already able to recognize and write fourteen of them so far. While his peers carry around their expensive gadgets, he happily goes to his bookshelf and selects a book, sits in my lap and we read together. He's been doing that since he could crawl because he's been read to every night since he was born.
While other toddlers sit and watch dora or spongebob, my son is itching to go outside and build a sand structure, or create a puppet play or draw. that's not to say he never watches TV or youtube. He, on very infrequent occasions, will sit through a curious george or sesame Street episode.
My point is, why inundate a child with all these fancy gadgets when the child is just a toddler when you can foster good learning techniques and inspire creativity the old-fashioned way, without specialized apps that supposedly do it for you.
I had a computer at eight out of necessity. And for us blind folk, technology is integral. but I wish parents would step back a bit and let their kids be kids--with active imaginations and a pentient for learning out of a book.
Just my thoughts.
I can see what everyone is saying, here.
on the one hand, it's good for kids to learn what's out there. in fact, at least one of my little brothers started learning things about a computer when he was a three year old in daycare.
on the other hand, though, I feel it's crucial that parents, not tablets, teach their kids the ways of the world, so to speak.
and, honestly, I'd argue that purchasing a tablet for a child is an easy way out for a parent.
I get that it can be overwhelming, at times, to parent, but we're talking about crucial years of a child's life/development, here.
Well said, Chelsea! Here's something else to consider. When I got my first iPad, my 2-year-old nephews flocked to it! In fact, one of Gavin's first very clearly spoken words was "iPad". Now, I wouldn't advocate my sisters dropping $500 on a tablet just so the kids can have a play toy, but it would be a cool family investment to have. I didn't have my own television in my room till I was in high school, but I could use the family's TV's any time there was a show on I wanted to watch. Parents could still be parents, and set limits, and keep an eye on what I did, and I had access to the technology everyone else had access to. My nephews are 4 now, and they still love the iPad. Neither of them own one, but they play with it regularly, as well as their mom's iPhones and other tech gadgets. I have a niece who taught her grandmother how to use a Mac when she was just 5 years old, and she had never tried it before, so kids definitely can grasp the tech, but again, using it, and having it exclusively for their personal use are two entirely different things.
I think kids can have the best of both worlds. Just because my kid has allot of tech gadgets, doesn't mean that we didn't and still don't spend tons of time with pencils, paper, books, blocks, legos, balls, water hoses, water sprinklers, swing sets, trampolines, beebee guns, building projects, fishing, camping, Cub Scouts, baseball, karate, school work, so on and so forth. Parenting and technology are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Can a parent not limit their kid's screen time? Who is in control?
I'm not saying that technology is the answer to everything because it isn't. I would just encourage people to not judge so quickly the child who might happen to be playing with an IPod when you see him because if his parents are doing a good job, that kid is also doing a crap-ton of other stuff. Also, what about the parent who is interested in technology? Could she and her child not be having a bonding moment sitting side-by-side in office chairs working on a school project.
Ok, so this sounds a little defensive and I don't mean it to. I just hate to see people make assumptions about parents who choose to allow their kids to have some of the techy toys. I could go on and on but I think I'd be saying the same stuff different ways. lol
Now, believe me, I have seen those kids yall are talking about. We had one friend whose kid would literally have to have his DS to travel the 5 minutes from his house to ours. He has several friends who can't fall asleep when they spend the night with us because Kidlet doesn't have a TV in his room and we don't allow screens after lights out. There is most definitely something to be said about screen addiction.
I have been out of the toddler business for a good long while now so I have to admit to not knowing much about the tablets out there, how much they cost etc. If you want to have a middle ground, what about a Leap Pad type thing? My son had a Leapster when he was young and he enjoyed it. It cost around $60 new and was designed for little kids. They are not at all accessible to us so it isn't something yall would be able to do together. It's something to look into though.
Call me a curmudgeon, but I also see flaws in allowing a child to use a family IDevice or tablet at such a young age. A tv is stationary, therefore, it's a little different than something portable that can be taken anywhere, dropped, etc. Here's where I draw the line: I have both an IPad and an IPhone, and my son is allowed to watch a video on it once in a while, but I have to set it up and turn it on for him, and the rule is that he's completely hands-off about it. When we start allowing two year olds to handle IDevices that cost upwards of two hundred dollars, not only are we setting them up to be pretty spoiled (no disrespect, but seriously...), but also we're giving them to opportunity to feel entitled to personal property. Phones, whether we like it or not, these days, seem to be the property of individuals rather than shared amongst family members. People have email accounts, passwords, some phones and tablets are used for work purposes...
If you let a toddler use one family-shared IPad, for instance, who's to say they won't feel entitled to your personal IPad as well. It looks like the same device, and if it's there, it's fair game to a two or three year old. Rules aren't always followed, as we all know.
My mother is guardian to an eleven-year-old cousin of mine who has a serious problem with boundaries when it comes to personal technology because those around her have always allowed her access to their IPads, phones, etc. She has an IPad of her own, but she has no qualms about picking up my mother's phone and trying to figure out the password, or else phounding her for the password and playing around on it at a whim.
She's also an active child--does karate and soccer and plays outdoors--but her access to personal technology without clear boundaries from the earliest age has made her into a disrespectful brat in that sense.
I think a kid should have something of their own to use--when he or she is of appropriate age, and as long as the product is age-appropriate. My stance is that a two or three or four year old has no need for a tablet, thus shouldn't be allowed to handle one.
Those age-appropriate leap-gadgets are a better possibility since they are rugged and marketed to that younger audience, but they still connect to the internet and in many senses function like a regular tablet.
To each his own, I suppose.
Domestic, I can see how allowing your kid access to a stationary computer might be acceptable at a young age, but these tablets for little ones are a totally different ball game and they have the ability to instill in them completely different values. When you have a stationary computer, it's much easier to monitor yrou child's use of it as a parent. if you want the kid to be away from it, you simply plan some outside activities. What's a two-year-old have to say about that?
But an IPad is clearly portable. And many of the parents who choose to allow their children access to portable computers seem to have a bit of a weak resolve--especially when it comes to a crying toddler who wants to take the beloved tech toy in the car with them, or out on a family excursion, etc. People use them as babysitters. And as a shut-up tool. Not in all cases, of course, but certainly there are many who do.
Portable technology is easy to get attached to for an adult. Look at some of us, with our IPads and Iphones and laptops and netflix subscriptions and youtube, and, and, and. If adults are adicted to the portable screen bling, how are children supposed to be expected to behave differently. Stationary technology doesn't leave the room. It's left alone. You get up from the chair and you're away from the computer. It's much harder to be away from your portable gadget.
Hmm, well, guess I just got lucky in that my kid has somehow managed to develop a sense of respect for others property, boundries, etc. I think allot of that has to do with how kids are parented though. However, I could totally see some other kids I know doing what you described with your niece. I guess I'm just really lucky and have an extraordinary kid because despite the tech he has had in his life, he isn't a complete brat. I think it's a bit narrowminded to blaim technology for the brattiness of today's kids. I suspect it has far more to do with the self-centeredness of allot of parents and don't even get me started on the TV shows and lack of positive roll models for kids.
My son is almost 10 now so thinking back, when he was a toddler, there really weren't as many portable devices as there are now. Although, the OP mentioned a 4-year-old, not a 2-year-old and if all is on track, there should be quite a difference.
Again though, it just depends on the kiddo.
I often have a hard time judging development of other kids because my son has always been so far ahead of his peers. Please don't take that as bragging but rather a simple explanation as to why I often over estimate the level of maturity and/or development kids should have. I sware I gave birth to an old man in a baby's body. lol
To the OP, sorry for high jacking this thread and turning it into an argument about whether technology is or is not the downfall of children these days. If I'm understanding your post correctly, you're hoping for feedback on the two tablets you mentioned. Honestly, I haven't heard of any of them except for the V-Tech. If they're still in existence, I stand by my recommendation of Leapster products.
I'll preface this by saying I'm not a parent, but I have been a child, and I'm a student of history. Every time there is a new technology which comes out, parents have this exact discussion. You could put in the word television for IPad and have the same argument parents had in the fifties. Put in cell phone and its the nineties. Put in rock music and its the sixties/fifties. It happens over and over again with the advent of new technology.
The key that's always being missed is that the kids have been perfectly fine for decades. sure, there were some losers and some not losers. There will always be losers and not losers. Whether you have a kid that doesn't see any electronic gadget until they graduate high school, or one that is born with an IPhone in its hand. Some will be losers, and some will not. There's nothing you can do about that.
Sure, there are variations on this whole thing.
I was brought up well, and had many advantages, and I hope I’m not a spoiled brat, but..
I was in the toy section the other day, and I think it is sad imagination for the most part is taken away.
The trucks sound like trucks, the bear talk, jump, sing, and dance. Dolls cry, talk, have eyes that move, and even wet their diapers.
Push a button and you’ve got what you need.
I don’t know, but seems like imagination would be lacking in a child that wasn’t pushed to do some imagining. I wonder how many new parents actually think about this when buying gadgets for the child.
You just get the PlayStation Zb+ and call it a day! It’s the latest and greatest, so, that must be good right?
If the lights went out, what then?
Even as adults, this might be an issue, so we make sure we keep it charged up! Smile.
Yes, she did ask about the devices, but as sometimes, and often times happens, board post get changed.
I say no on it no matter what it is, but if you must, get something you can use as well, so you can help your child with it.
Sure, that will cost more, but would be more of a benefit.
iPad Air perhaps?
Seriously, I don’t know.
Oh please, trucks have sounded like trucks since before I was a child. My favorite toy as a child was a jet plane that, gasp, made jet plane sounds. You know what it didn't do? It didn't actually fire missiles to shoot down the other planes. My imagination did that part. It just made the sounds.
Bears have danced for over a century. Dolls have wet themselves and cried for nearly as long. These aren't new things. Even the electronic gismos aren't new things. There's nothing new here. Nothing that parents haven't been facing for generations, and the children all turn out about as equally fine and equally unfine.
Look at dora the explorer, you think the children don't have to use their imagination? Have you not watched the show? She asks them questions. My little cousin actually thinks the little cartoon monkey can hear her. Its adorable.
When I was a kid we had a big yellow bird and a purple dinosaur that taught us how to share and how to count to four. We had a guy in a sweater that taught us to be nice to each other. All of those were on television, and I turned out fine.
Stop worrying about how your child gets the information, and start worrying about what information they get and how they use it. You can hand your child the book form of twilight, and it will suck much more than the electronic version of To Kill a Mockingbird. The child can just as easily learn to follow along and not actually swim against the stream by watching tv as they can by drawing with a pencil. Let them learn that. Maybe then we'll have less people willing to be spoonfed everything in life.
I have to somewhat agree with Domestic Goddess. I don't know what the deal is with the boundaries and things, the Chick uses that word a lot for work and things though. But yeah I do get keep your flippers off others' stuff.
I'll have to ask the Chick what she thinks about the tablets and things. The daughter had a dumb phone at age 11 but had to ask before texting something her mom tended to put some kinds of restrictions on, but at 4 we got her a computer. I put it together from parts because the Chick liked this company called JumpStart, said their educational materials were good and stuff, and so she started playing with those. Now this was 1998 / 1999 so having one computer that wasn't hooked up to the net wasn't a big deal. The daughter never used ours.
I know she was always into wooden and natural types of toys, and would sometimes put back what I'd got off the shelfs at Christmas time for the daughter if she thought it was too many of the gadgety things. I know she'd agree with you on a lot of the educational types of things, being her background and that.
And now that I think of it, the cell phone at age 11 her mom had other kinds of limits to also.
I disagree it's parenting easy way out or whatever others have said. I know for my part I just thought, they're going to have to live with technology so may as well learn to do it responsibly. But it probably comes to that other infamous chick word "aged appropriate" lol.
I do understand some of what you all say though, as the nieces were given MySpace quite early, in the Chick's opinion too early, and they all had unlimited phone access and things. I don't know if that made them come out spazzes or if they already were, but one at least was like a bird in a mirror with the MySpace, totally oblivious to her surroundings when they stayed with us the weekend.
I'm thinking this is probably a bit of both. Probably something like what the Chick did with some gadgets or the computer sometimes, in quotes, "we'll put it away for awhile", not just for a punishment but sometimes just to do something else.
Lol and with that the daughter has no Facebook (her own choice going against the mainstream as she calls it), only uses the SnapChat and her phone to text with now as an adult and is kinda like her mom into all natural types of things.
But she was born in 1994 so, that is probably a bit different than for little kids now.
I say if we as adults don't have our own bounderies and are adicted to technology, we ought to set the example first before setting them on children. Just because a child is given the gajets at a much younger age doesn't mean the parent is better than one who decides the opposite. It also doesn't mean that it's the easy way out or that the parent isn't doing a good job, you're no better parent than the others. I'm saying that some of them can be helpful with learning colors, sounds and shapes and such. Because really, how many times will you actually take your kid out to the zoo and show him/her the bares, tigers, and all the wild animals? And as has been said, it depends on the parenting. It's useful for our purposes, right? If these gajets are used properly and with moderation from both parent and child, I see no harm in it, each parent is different. They can see the same thing in a portable device and in a stationary one. I personally would expose any kid,, to books, pens pencels and drawing and such, at an early age. Start his/her own library and music collection, oh of course! I'm all for that. I somewhat agree with you, bernadetta. But I think that how the child turns out is not to be blamed on technology or the parent. You may invest yourself into giving your sun the best of education, all your morals and values, yet it'll be up to him to take it or throw it all away. You only did your best in your way, as most parents.
The long and short of the whole discussion is, whether you choose to get a kit a tablet or not, ultimately, you're the parent, so parent the kid!
Right, I agree with the last poster. Parent the kid. Dolce, for debate's sake, my argument is that many, and not all but many parents view technology as the easy way out when it comes to teaching their kids.
You say that tablets are useful for teaching kids colors, shapes and such. What about foam blocks which they can actually hold in their hands instead of just seeing pictures of them on the screen? Wouldnt' you argue that the sensory experience is the better teaching tool?
And you say, how many times are you actually going to take your kids to the zoo? Well, my argument is, if you didnt' have the tablet to do it for you, would you think to maybe take the kid out more often? What's the better experience, vegging out in front of the screen or experiencing something for real, right in front of you.
I'm not the perfect parent--Noone is. but there's no doubt that a ton of people use technology as a child's babysitter, especially those who don't think to sit down and read a goodnight story to the kid.
The kids may turn out smart and well enough, but their memories will be more of staring at a computer screen instead of going out and actually doing things.
Again, this isnt' to say that technology itself harms kids, especially those whose parents take care to make their lives rich with sensory experiences. However, it is a gateway. It's way too easy to hand a kid a laptop or a tablet these days and go off into the other room to play on your own gadgets.
Lol my sister had a doll called "baby alive" who use to have its own food to eat, then it would mess its nappy (or diapers for you Americans).
And on the tablets, I doubt my sister would ever give my 1-year old niece a tablet of her own at this age, but last time I saw her at my parents house about a week ago, she was happkly playing on a Play School app using Mum's iPad. Not sure what it was but it was some game and she was rather good at it; it kept her amused for sometime when she was pretty irritable that day as she was tired.
I think personally if they use it under supervision occasionally, there's nothing wrong with that, as in the above situation.
btw, the baby alive doll was bought 20 something years ago.
Yup, 30 and even 40 years ago they had these debates with the latest technologies that were out then. The black and white pocket games like football were supposed to ruin minds also. If it's new, it's unfamiliar. If it's unfamiliar, it must be bad for children.
As to the sensory thing Bernadetta mentioned? The Chick uses that word a lot when working with kids, so there must be something to that.
Whatever new thing comes out, it will be called the end of childhood or said to ruin kids.
Wonder what they thought when the first wagons came out? Don't give that to the kids or they won't know how to carry a load for themselves? lol and it's been a rerun ever since.
That's true, Bernadetta. I never claimed it was the only way, but that it was one way of doing it. So, they can be useful, but there are other less expensive things too. All I'm saying is that the use of technology isn't the ultimate form of teaching your kid, but not the worst either. That's all.
ok, thanx for everyones' oppinions here; have my doubts I'll be getting this thing for her, partly for that reason, and partly because it runs on the android platform, which would have such a learning curve that it would frustrate both of us trying to use it for the first time. I read up on it when Mom sent me the link for it, sense at the time, it was on sale, and the thing, even in parent mode, came with a ton of games, Angry birds being one of them, and the last thing in the world I want is for Hannah to be sitting there playing games on the thing.
Mom's thing was that, first of all, you can set restrictions on it, view what they're doing, etc., and it could help teach her her letters, something I may sometimes have trouble with, but it's also so advanced that, of course it has the games on it, ability to read ebooks, which I don't want her to learn, at least not yet, ok, not at all, because I think it's awful that things are coming to this point, and she has flashcards as well as a trading book that she uses to help her with that, so she's at least starting to learn those.
The numbers are kind of a different story, sense the flashcards I got for her just have the numbers written on them, and nothing to associate them with, so have no idea how that's supposed to help teach them anything.
If you have trouble teaching her letters and numbers, why not pick up some bathtub letters and numbers or fridge magnets. You can study which is which yourself and then teach them to her. It's not hard to learn print letters. I've been blind all my life and that's how I'm doing it with my son. I just got him this very inexpensive letters and numbers bathtub set by Munchkin from amazon. It was about six bucks. The letters and numbers stick to the walls and floor of the tub when wet. Flash cards suck for small children in my oppinion. They don't really give them the three-dementional experience that a kid needs as a toddler.
Now that you've described the tablet in a little more detail, I'm even more against it as a mom, and as a blind parent because even though it has all those parental settings, how can you access them if you have no idea how to navigate android in an accessible manner in the first place. That would be useless for you.
Android is accessible in theory, but not all devices are, and certainly not out of the box.
There are far easier, cheaper and more hands-on ways of teaching your kid letters and numbers.
You can even get plastic stensils that your child can trace, and label each stensil in braille according to which letter it shows. then, not only will your child learn to recognize the letters but she'll write them as well.
Best of luck, and feel free to ask further questions.
I agree here. I would definitely not get something that was this advanced and had an operating system I could not access.
Because bernadetta, a tablet/IPad/whatever is customizeable, plastic letters are not. Once the child has learned their letters, you can delete that program and get one that teaches them animals, then one that teaches them colors, then one that teaches them state capitols and so on and so forth. The tablet is a way to present vast amounts of knowledge to a person in a small package.
Children these days are getting smarter faster than their parents will ever be. We would be doing them a disservice if we held them back in what is comparatively primitive systems simply because we don't want to deal with electronics. The generation of today is going to be an electronic generation, only a fool would deny that.
oh, and before you jump down my throat, I think both is the perfect solution. Blocks teach hand eye coordination and reasoning skills, useful things. IPads can teach reading and writing and a host of other things that you won't have access to in a hard copy. Use all the resources at your disposal.
Right. and allow your toddlers to become tablet zombies, because puzzles, stuffed toys and blox certainly aren't enough to teach a kid about animals, state capitols and such. I'm not saying that older kids won't benefit from the technology. But why shove it down a two, three, four year old's throat when there are numerous, much more meaningful and fun ways of teaching them something.
Just as you can keep buying apps upon apps that can teach your kid things you supposedly can't do yourself, you can buy tools that might help you create a more memorable experience along the way. Again, I'm not saying technology can't be useful for kids when they get older, but sitting a kid down in front of a tablet when he's a toddler because you can't think of a better, more creative way of teaching him or her the basics is just disturbing.
Moderation is key, of course, but you wouldnt' believe how many parents with kids my son's age dont' understand the meaning and importance of moderation when it comes to technology these days. I know--I spend enough time around various groups with children to see the trends that take place. Need to take a nap? let's Pull out your tablet--it's going to display soothing colors and play nice music for you to fall asleep to. Need to eat? Well, by all means, watch a show on your little computer there because it's educational and you need to be entertained as you munch away. Need to potty train? Turn on your tablet, where elmo will teach you the importance of pooping into the potty. In fact, sit down on the potty with your tablet so that you can be entertained while learning--again. Do you see how people can easily make their kids a slave to this sort of thing? I'm not making any of these examples up either.
Talk about a built-in babysitter.
I see what you're saying, Bernadetta, and you're right: some parents use tablets as babysitters. However, just because many parents misuse them doesn't make them a less favourable tool to use. As you said moderation is key, as with anything else. If parents are not responsible enough to use tablets wisely, they probably aren't responsible enough to use other things wisely either. How the tool is generally misused does not take away from the merits of the tool itself. So assuming the original poster is a responsible parent, a tablet can be a really good thing if supplemented with other learning tools.
Exactly. why would you say, I'm not going to use a tablet for my child because lucy down the street sucks as a mother. That's like me saying, "I'm not going to wear black today because Jeff in Foxgrove Montana looks horrible in black". Use what is best for your child, and use all the resources you have.
For example, while I will be the first to say that books are the best thing in the world, I would fully support someone downloading dozens of books on a tablet to read to their child. That way they can save space in what might be a small home, or a small room in which the child lives, they have access to practically every child's book ever written within a few seconds, they can take the entire library of books with the child over to grandma's house or on vacation, and they still have all the advantages of hard copy books. The same is true for puzzles and games and videos and all sorts of other tools. That's what electronics of today allow us to do.
I also agree with what Cody is saying about electronics and kids who know how to use them. I think we're going to see more and more a real divide between kids who are proficient and responsible with electronics and those who aren't. The former will be employment-ready, the latter not so much. This is why I was in favor of the Daughter playing with the Umpstart electronic games on the computer even at age 4.
And as I said, she had her first cell phone at age 11. And in a world filled with electronics, she is, to use her own word, quite retro in her choices and prefers a lot of natural things.
The big difference between a tablet or a computer and a TV, is the former are interactive, while the latter are just feeding entertainment. Meaning, to use a TV for educational programs they just sit and watch. To use a tablet or a computer, they have to be involved. They have to be doing something.
I agree the device is useful, but the poster has pointed out it be difficult for her to operate? Why do that to herself?
I was surprised to learn that kids in Junior high used caculators to do the math. I asked one to figure out a simple problem, and they reached for the device, but it wasn't available. Well, all they could say, is they weren't sure.
I don't know the fix, but at 4 I'd not start it yet.
Ok, if this device is not useful, don't get it. That's not a difficult idea to wrap one's mind around. Its the same reason I don't own a corvette. I can't use it. Did you really need me to confirm that?
A point about the calculators: so many of the classmates I had in junior high/high school used calculators for even simple multiplication, not bothering to memorize the simpler answers. It took them far longer to do the more complex work, because they had to stop and put all these easy little problems into the calculator. It slowed them down a lot, and it was sad to see. But again, responsible use is what counts here. They weren't about to take calculators away because some students chose to screw themselves over by being extra slow.
And, obviously if you find the tablet too difficult to operate yourself, don't get that one for your kids. Find one you can operate. That's jusdt common sense.
Cody, a corvette has lots of uses for a guy. Have it parked outside a club. Lean on it, and wait. Smile.
Thank you, Meglet and cody!, right on. I'd also like to point out, without sounding stubbern is that electronics don't have people lacking in creativitty. That's just being plain narrow-minded. Again, the use in moderation is key here. Yes three dementional objects help co-ordination, and letter stensles help writing and what not, I'm not saying no to any of that. What I'm saying is that they aren't any better or worse, or more or less creative than the kids who use technology at such a young age. But if bounderies are not set at home, and paren't's are using iPads as baby-sitters and have not monitered their children properly, if at all, , sorry to say, but it's their fault, not technology's. Noone here is saying give him the iDevice and what the kid does with it doesn't matter. Do your best as a parent, that's all you can do.
There's a device that unites the book and computer, called the LeapPad. You can get it on EBay, and it has a pen, with which you can touch words on the book page to hear them spoken, play games on it ETC. It's not flashcards, but does teach phonics and reading comprehension as well as math. Just a thought as a tablet alternative.