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How young is too young for Kindles?

Discussion in 'Tea Room (Book Chat)' started by jessica, August 10, 2017.

  1. jessica

    jessica Citizen of Logres

    What age is best for a child to be before they get a Kindle?
  2. Demi

    Demi Member

    In all honesty, people are getting kids tablets so young these days, so I'm not sure there is a correct answer. My younger cousin is 5 and his dad bought his iPad for him when he was 3 or 4. He's able to use it like an expert and there's a bunch of learning apps too.
  3. Jordan

    Jordan Active Member

    The only recommendation I know of is for television, which says no screen time for children under 2. Of course, I regularly see babies handed phones. Demi's story blows my mind. I can't afford an iPad, and a 5-year-old has one?

    Anyway, my best answer is that it depends on the comfort level of the parent. I do think Kindle is a better option since the Fire has parental controls that limit screen time for games and can prevent unauthorized purchases. Amazon also has family bookshelves, which lets you share selected books among family members.
  4. Julia

    Julia Member

    I have a six year old who has a Kindle. She loves to read on it although she is just learning. I do let her play some games on it sometimes, but not for hours and hours. I think if they are used right, they can be good teaching tools for children of any age.
  5. I probably wouldn't hand one over until they were ten or twelve because I would want them to play outside and I'd be afraid the device would stifle their creativity and get them addicted to screen time early on. Plus, I'd want to be sure that the child would take care of the device and be responsible with it. But honestly, I'm sure I picked up all those lovely ideals from a magazine somewhere as I haven't any children. :D

    I guess making sure the child could take care of the device isn't that important. Here is a kindle for kiddos that comes with a two year worry-free guarantee - "If they break it, we'll replace it. No questions asked."
  6. Donna

    Donna Member

    That's a good question Jessica. I didn't have to face this dilemma with my kids as there were no kindles back then. However, I do believe it is up to the parent to decide when the child should have one. And I think there should be time limits as to how long they can play on one.
  7. Ellie Jane

    Ellie Jane Member

    It's got to be rough raising kids now as there are so many devices that seem to "demand" all their attention. My Kindle allows parental control, but when most everything connects to the internet, how do you police all that?
  8. natalie

    natalie Member

    I don't know the answer to this question, not just because I don't have kids, but because I think this is one of those things that just doesn't have a one-size-fits-all answer. Personally, I don't think I'd introduce them to a Kindle until they were old enough to handle electronics with care. I don't think they offer anything over a physical book until they're at the point where they need a lot of books. Whenever I babysit, I notice the kids always have just a few books they read over and over again, you know?
  9. Belle

    Belle Member

    Six sounds about right. Some kids learn how to read earlier than others, but I guess a 6-year-old would be better at taking good care of the Kindle than a 3-year-old.
  10. Jordan

    Jordan Active Member

    I never paid attention since I don't have kids either, but it seems Amazon sells kid-friendly Fire-tablets with "content for kids 3-12." They have a protective, colorful case and a warranty to replace them for any reason. I stick to my original comment, but that does help a parent out.
  11. Belle

    Belle Member

    I think I should check those out. If it's durable then it will be great for the younger kids. If they really are going to replace the broken ones no questions asked, then that's incentive enough for me to buy one.
  12. Kindler

    Kindler Active Member

    Depends on the kindle. If all the Kindle does is books then once they start reading and want to read and learn more then they are probably ready.

    If it is a Kindle Fire, where its being used as a timesink to keep the kid occupied, probably not such a good idea until they have a little more understanding about it.
  13. Jackie

    Jackie Member

    I agree with Kindler. I think it depends on the type of Kindle. If it's basically a tablet, then I would wait until the kid is a lot older. If it's a simply a tool for reading books and nothing else, I think I would be comfortable with allowing a child of any age using it. If that's how they prefer to read their books, then that's how they prefer to read their books. I wouldn't want to discourage reading, you know?

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