Tablet for 3 year old boy

[EVENKEEL]

1 minute ago, StevieAus said:

Whilst I am sure that it is very important for a three year old to know about the black holes in the universe and the human body, I wonder does he, or is he allowed to tear himself away from the tablet, to play with toys, look at books, draw pictures, ride a bicycle and more importantly play games with other children?

Perhaps following such pursuits might be considered old fashioned in some households but not in my home.

My five year daughter is also very smart and has formal education, but I also want her to enjoy life as a child which as we know passes very quickly.

I certainly don’t want her spending the bulk of her life glued in front of a tablet, which according to a couple of specialist pediatricians I have spoken to  isn’t particularly great for the eyesight.

Alot of kids are locked up without playing with kids. We don't live in a quiet village and my kid has never played with the kids going to village school so going to school was a big part of socializing and playing. We try one day a week to take her to friends house to play outside. 

 

Always trying to get her away from laptop, ipad and celphone at the same time.

[chilli42]

On 10/28/2021 at 7:55 AM, DrPhibes said:

Actually, in the guys defense.  I have a 3 yr old that has his own tablet.  He is a self starter and mostly watches video's that teach him something.  At 3 he knows all his ABC's, he can count to 100 by 1's, to 50 by 5's, 100 by 2's, is doing addition and subtraction, understands 10's, 100's, 1000s places, and numerous other things.  I have caught him watching a 45 min video on black holes, the human body, and other factual things with no pushing.  Already reading 3 letter words and understands how many syllables words have.  Kind of crazy, but true.  Maybe he is just an early starter, but the tablet gives him instant access to learning.  He is still a rough and tumble little boy full of energy but when he sits to watch something, he's all in.  So maybe cut the guy some slack.  My son has a Lenovo Tab 10' hand me down with a case (he is still 3) since he was 2.  We use mostly Youtube Kids and some Scratch Garden as well as Number Blocks, Alpha Blocks, and other learning videos on you tube.  Monitoring the content he takes in is important.

I think you have been quite lucky then.    It does not always go that way … especially when they hit early teens and want to spend all their time in the bedroom.

[Grusa]

When two of my nephews went to school, they steadfastly refused to learn to write or spell. They were bright, intelligent kids, "We have keyboards, why do I need to write", they said. "We have spellcheck, so what does spelling matter".

Their father is a bottom end software developer and 'consultant', so had all the latest kit..

 

Roll on twenty years, they are drones in the dregs of society. No one will employ them for anything other than menial labour.

Edited October 30, 2021 by Grusa

[Giving it a Go]

The common thread in all the replies to this is parental control. Finding the balance between a three year old using a tablet to learn and also allowing a three year old to be a three year old!!! 

[scorecard]

On 10/29/2021 at 12:48 AM, fangless said:

Buy him a kids book to read/be read from.

Go to online shopping site open wish.com, search children's books. They have a special offer right now 64 books for AUD34 plus delivery. (About 1,100Baht all up.)

 

These books are written specifically for kids around 3 to 6 years old just starting to read, with small sentences (about 4 to 6 words per sentence) using basic but correct words, correct punctuation, little bit bigger basic (not stylized) fonts. Plus nice fun drawings for each sentence attractive for little kids. 

 

Excellent materials, not expensive, about 10 days for delivery to Australia, delivery location seems to be flexible.

 

Tablets have their place but don't teach reading and verbalization skills.

Edited October 30, 2021 by scorecard

[DrPhibes]

1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

Whilst I am sure that it is very important for a three year old to know about the black holes in the universe and the human body, I wonder does he, or is he allowed to tear himself away from the tablet, to play with toys, look at books, draw pictures, ride a bicycle and more importantly play games with other children?

Perhaps following such pursuits might be considered old fashioned in some households but not in my home.

My five year daughter is also very smart and has formal education, but I also want her to enjoy life as a child which as we know passes very quickly.

I certainly don’t want her spending the bulk of her life glued in front of a tablet, which according to a couple of specialist pediatricians I have spoken to  isn’t particularly great for the eyesight.

Please see my second response to this post.

[IAMHERE]

On 10/28/2021 at 10:21 PM, bbko said:

To the naysayers here, I think you don't realize how much of a learning tool a tablet, ipad, iphone, smart phone can be if used correctly and in moderation.  Some people here are acting like the OP wants to park his kid in corner with his device and walk away.

My almost 2 year old nephew has a iPhone 6 and loves watching Youtube vids about learning the Thai and English alphabet, numbers or colors, pair that up with his parents reinforcing what he watched and it's a good match.  He's watching learning vids not John Wick.  

Who the heck knows at this stage ? Few of those chip kids are old enough by now to be anything other than rapist, druggies and killers. This tech-revolution can't show that it is a benefit to society at this point in time. 

All those 'good' examples we see on the daily news are from color TV and elimination of the rotary dial.

[brianthainess]

On 10/28/2021 at 9:55 PM, DrPhibes said:

Actually, in the guys defense.  I have a 3 yr old that has his own tablet. 

Nah that's in your defence. What games do you play with him, paper machete, build stuff with cardboard boxes, what story's have you read him, can he swim ??? 

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, IAMHERE said:

Some people here are acting like the OP wants to park his kid in corner with his device and walk away.

And does he not ?

[DrPhibes]

10 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Nah that's in your defence. What games do you play with him, paper machete, build stuff with cardboard boxes, what story's have you read him, can he swim ??? 

Please read my second reply to this post.  He would be swimming if there was no COVID the last 2 years.

[pacovl46]

If I was you, I’d be looking at some studies on how tablets and mobile phone have a negative impact on the eye and mental development of young children first before I’d buy my son a tablet at that age! 

[MrJ2U]

Get a Samsung.

 

3 years of Android updates.

Memory expansion.

7" or larger.

 

Great support.

Brilliant screens.

 

Easy to get repaired in Thailand.

 

*For children get screen protector and a nice case for protection.

 

The cheapo knockoffs are just that.

 

Cheap Chinese cr**.

[LukKrueng]

On 10/28/2021 at 9:55 PM, DrPhibes said:

Actually, in the guys defense.  I have a 3 yr old that has his own tablet.  He is a self starter and mostly watches video's that teach him something.  At 3 he knows all his ABC's, he can count to 100 by 1's, to 50 by 5's, 100 by 2's, is doing addition and subtraction, understands 10's, 100's, 1000s places, and numerous other things.  I have caught him watching a 45 min video on black holes, the human body, and other factual things with no pushing.  Already reading 3 letter words and understands how many syllables words have.  Kind of crazy, but true.  Maybe he is just an early starter, but the tablet gives him instant access to learning.  He is still a rough and tumble little boy full of energy but when he sits to watch something, he's all in.  So maybe cut the guy some slack.  My son has a Lenovo Tab 10' hand me down with a case (he is still 3) since he was 2.  We use mostly Youtube Kids and some Scratch Garden as well as Number Blocks, Alpha Blocks, and other learning videos on you tube.  Monitoring the content he takes in is important.

How about playing with friends? Parents? 

[connda]

Why not a Teddy-bear.  A Lego set.  Let the kid have a life without screens during his formative years.  Encourage the kid to play outside in the fresh air using their imagination.  The kid will have plenty of time to get permanently hooked on screens in the future.

[arithai12]

To those who think their child is a genius because he can count to 10 in Swahili or knows the name of the planets and can say "dog" in 3 languages: do you realize that he could have learned exactly the same things from his parents, if they had cared to spend the time?

Except that a tablet costs some dollars, learning with a parent is priceless.

 

[brewsterbudgen]

3 hours ago, connda said:

Why not a Teddy-bear.  A Lego set.  Let the kid have a life without screens during his formative years.  Encourage the kid to play outside in the fresh air using their imagination.  The kid will have plenty of time to get permanently hooked on screens in the future.

You know, it's quite possible for a 3 year old to have a tablet and a Teddy bear, books and play outside! 

[1FinickyOne]

10 hours ago, steven100 said:

on the downside, he'll probably be a couch potato, he'll probably be fat and lazy and want a packet of chips.

he'll become an expat TVF member? at 10?

[itsari]

On 10/28/2021 at 9:21 PM, EVENKEEL said:

You can get cheap ones for $3000 tbh, that's what mine got at that age. Just go to a local place and get one. I know many make fun of such young kids having a tablet but it's the world we live in now.

How can you disagree about , that is the way the world is . 

But I have seen where children are limited to the time they use on the devices .

 A good compromise I think .

[Scott Tracy]

I regret, I cannot help.the OP with recommendations, but do have comments with regards the abuse the OP has recieved.

 

I respect the opinions of those who have abused the OP. You have a right to those opinions. You may even have a right to express those opinions, in the name of free speech.

You do not, however, have a right to abuse the OP or his child. 

 

It saddens me. 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Scott Tracy

[fangless]

41 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

he'll become an expat TVF member? at 10?

Was that a spelling error? Should it not have read;

"he'll become an expat expert TVF member? at 10?"

[ballpoint]

I suggest you buy him a hoop and a stick to play with when he's not shovelling coal down the mine.  Then he can enjoy the same childhood that so many members in this thread seem to have had.

[1FinickyOne]

6 minutes ago, fangless said:

Was that a spelling error? Should it not have read;

"he'll become an expat expert TVF member? at 10?"

Yo, No Fangs, I guess it could have read like that... you could probably change near every posting on this forum if you want to mess with wording... or maybe - fewer fangs than others - that might be less fangs - right? 

[jak2002003]

11 hours ago, steven100 said:

by the time the kid is 10yrs old he'll be an ace games killer, he'll know every computer game in existence.

oh ,  on the downside, he'll probably be a couch potato, he'll probably be fat and lazy and want a packet of chips.

And no friends and not able to cope in social situations as he can't interact with people face to face in real life.

 

Probably have some behavioural mental problems and identify as a binary sexual space cat and have a breakdown if someone looks at him the wrong way.

 

What a world we are in now. I am glad I dont have children as kids now miss out on so much now.

 

They are like fat zombies, sitting eyes glued to tacky simplistic dumbing  down loud American accent cartoons and songs, and later brainwashed into the fake, shallow world of social media.

 

They should be interacting with parents and family...but everyone now has no time tine for that ..as they are also all on social media.  Lock the kids away from real life and people...as every stranger adult male is a potential child molester. 

 

Rant over. ????

 

 

[fangless]

2 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Yo, No Fangs, I guess it could have read like that... you could probably change near every posting on this forum if you want to mess with wording... or maybe - fewer fangs than others - that might be less fangs - right? 

Fangs for the comment! 

As you see I do like to get my teeth into these things!

It is not as if we want anything set in stone tablets is it? ????

[LetsGoJoe]

Does anyone here remember what it was like being a kid, surrounded by the natural world, enraptured by wonder and the joys of simple pleasures?.......geeze, that's SO last century, isn't it.

 

[steven100]

9 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

They should be interacting with parents and family

yes,  years ago this was the normal thing to do,  talk, laugh and listen to each other, then we'd watch a movie together.

social media such as facebook and others have ruined the family life and atmosphere as we know it.

I'm glad and thankful for the old times,   most teens these days wouldn't know how to change a flat tire. 

 

[fangless]

49 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

I regret, I cannot help.the OP with recommendations, but do have comments with regards the abuse the OP has recieved.

 

I respect the opinions of those who have abused the OP. You have a right to those opinions. You may even have a right to express those opinions, in the name of free speech.

You do not, however, have a right to abuse the OP or his child. 

 

It saddens me. 

In which comment(s) in this forum/thread has the OP, or more importantly, the OP's child been abused?

The OP does not seem to care as the OP has not responded at all!

I am not objecting to any teaching  aids just the use of computerised devices for three year old children. 

The "KISS" principle should be in use with regard to the "education" (I prefer to call it playtime) for three year olds;

"Keep It Simple S.............(insert as required)"

 

[MrJ2U]

4 hours ago, LukKrueng said:

How about playing with friends? Parents? 

That's very important.

 

It's also important to know technology.  Of course you don't want to overdose on it.

 

 

[fangless]

Some people seem to wish the opposite to this;

[recom273]

Who says the OP doesn't give his kid lego, or takes them out at dusk to kick a can in the road?

 

Tablets aren't the problem here, its the attitude that you just give kid and forget them is the problem. When I was a kid, it was the danger of colour TV burning out retinas, I survived and I learned a lot from UK afterschool TV.

 

I would give a 3 year old an old 2nd hand iPad, there is an element of parental control that's embedded into iPads. From what I have witnessed kids seem to pick up the use of apple products quite easily. Wether that's deliberate is another discussion, but with my wifes android experience, I got sick of repairing software or losing files in the OS. Kids don't need that, they just need something to work when they press a button.

 

With edu tech - its the way the tool is used that makes it a dangerous weapon rather than the device itself.

 

I wouldn't let my kid spend all day on YouTube suggested content complete with advertisements, I would spend time downloading content and curate some kind of library to play through a media player, instead of jumping from one video to the next following YouTube algorithm.

There are plenty of ways a tablet are good for young learners. Books are expensive here, picture books have a limited lifespan, I would download books and allow the kid to use a book app to read. Seems a good enough idea to me.

Coloring is a great way to improve kids motor skills, pages look good on the fridge, there are plenty of coloring and drawing apps to download.

 

Anyway, just my 10 pence worth.