Your thoughts on an iPod for a 9 year old?

[EasterJoy]

as long as it doesn’t lead into her (?) wanting a cell phone, I say an iPod touch is okay. You can use parental controls to block inappropriate apps and tv shows/movies and music.

It’d be good for long car or plane rides (there are many fun G rated apps)

I think they also have a feature where the parent “loads it with time”, so to speak, and when the time is up, the unit shuts off. That also means that when the privilege is taken away, there is no way to sneak in usage.

 

[Kelfa28]

Hubby and I are totally divided on this issue.

He is totally against this kind of technology…for many reasons. He doesn’t own a smart phone or anything like that. I own an iPhone and the MacBook is something I purchased (that he does use). I would love to get an iPad at some point. He sees no purpose for them.

He doesn’t want our daughter to have one. I wouldn’t mind. She is 15 months and is fairly proficient using my iPhone. She doesn’t play games on it yet…but likes to scroll through the apps and look at pictures. She can play simple games on the Fisher Price website and she is learning her animal sounds and the alphabet.

I think they are great learning tools. I don’t see the problem with them for kids. As long as they are closely monitored. Very closely monitored. Music and apps must be approved by me or my husband. No internet access and no access to purchasing their own apps.

My SIL got her 5 year old a leap pad that allows games and music. She let her download Kids Bop…which, I feel is wildly inappropriate for a 5 year old. The music, while sung by kids, has adult content and I couldn’t believe my SIL allowed her 5 year old to listen to it.

 

[mommamaree]

My kids don’t “own” anything in our home. Anything is fair game for confiscation and parental oversight. All gifts have contingencies!

^This

It doesn’t matter who the gifts come from, and for whom they are intended, ANY possessions “belonging” to our children are available to them according to our good pleasure. My husband and I were not the ones who purchased the iPod Touch for our 8yo daughter. In fact, my FIL purchased it DESPITE being told no when he suggested it as a gift for her.
But we decided to let her have it anyway, and set serious restrictions on its usage. When we get good and ready, we will allow her to make her first foray into the world of texting, but only to family (like her cousin of the same age). We cannot control the gifts that are given to our children by their grandparents, but we are gonna make darn sure that the access to the gifts are according to OUR whims and not theirs.
Any email address or facebook page or whatever else becomes all the rage as our kids grow up, they are only going to be allowed to use them with supervision and permission. I will not have my child exposed to pornography or cyber-bullying. :dts:

 

[VivienneJ]

My SIL got her 5 year old a leap pad that allows games and music. She let her download Kids Bop…which, I feel is wildly inappropriate for a 5 year old. The music, while sung by kids, has adult content and I couldn’t believe my SIL allowed her 5 year old to listen to it.

I have no idea how Leap Pads compare price wise in the USA with say a notebook computer, but where I come from they are only slightly less than a small, basic computer. I suggest that Leap Pads are a huge amount of money and limited usefulness. If you really want to put technology in the hands of your children, rather spend it on an iWhatever, or a notebook or laptop that can be used for school work as well.

 

[EasterJoy]

Hubby and I are totally divided on this issue.

He is totally against this kind of technology…for many reasons. He doesn’t own a smart phone or anything like that. I own an iPhone and the MacBook is something I purchased (that he does use). I would love to get an iPad at some point. He sees no purpose for them.

He doesn’t want our daughter to have one. I wouldn’t mind. She is 15 months and is fairly proficient using my iPhone. She doesn’t play games on it yet…but likes to scroll through the apps and look at pictures. She can play simple games on the Fisher Price website and she is learning her animal sounds and the alphabet.

I think they are great learning tools. I don’t see the problem with them for kids. As long as they are closely monitored. Very closely monitored. Music and apps must be approved by me or my husband. No internet access and no access to purchasing their own apps.

My SIL got her 5 year old a leap pad that allows games and music. She let her download Kids Bop…which, I feel is wildly inappropriate for a 5 year old. The music, while sung by kids, has adult content and I couldn’t believe my SIL allowed her 5 year old to listen to it.

The research doesn’t seem to indicate that these gizmos are detrimental, per se, excepting that there is a limit to how much time a child should spend with their eyes focused at close range. There seems to be a problem, however, if they take the place of real-time pursuits. The reason is that attention paid to a screen activates the brain differently than attention paid that engages the senses more broadly. IOW, don’t let the tech pad take the place of real crayons, real modeling clay, or real books (yes, even those), let alone real games between real people and activities that activate an interplay between brain, muscles, and sensory perception.

Having said that, some time with eyes trained at close range seems to engage the tracking muscles of the eye used in reading. Children who go from crawling to walking, for instance, not uncommonly have reading problems. So the techie stuff isn’t all bad for a kid growing up in where the techies run everything.

 

[EasterJoy]

^This

It doesn’t matter who the gifts come from, and for whom they are intended, ANY possessions “belonging” to our children are available to them according to our good pleasure. My husband and I were not the ones who purchased the iPod Touch for our 8yo daughter. In fact, my FIL purchased it DESPITE being told no when he suggested it as a gift for her.
But we decided to let her have it anyway, and set serious restrictions on its usage. When we get good and ready, we will allow her to make her first foray into the world of texting, but only to family (like her cousin of the same age). We cannot control the gifts that are given to our children by their grandparents, but we are gonna make darn sure that the access to the gifts are according to OUR whims and not theirs.
Any email address or facebook page or whatever else becomes all the rage as our kids grow up, they are only going to be allowed to use them with supervision and permission. I will not have my child exposed to pornography or cyber-bullying. :dts:

If it is expensive and they can’t afford to pay for it, I agree with the concept of saying, “This is assigned to you, but it belongs to the family. You should have no sense of ownership and no expectation of privacy. If you want that, earn your own.” Since you’re the spiritual authorities in your home, this can apply even to gifts and things earned by their own labor, depending on the item and the effect it might have on their spiritual advancement. They do it that way in monasteries, and it doesn’t kill anyone.

 

[Aggie414]

I haven’t read the replies, but I will say I wouldn’t have a problem with an iPod touch (or an iPad, for that matter). I would definitely make sure they don’t have the passwords so they can’t download items without your knowledge or permission. When I keep my niece and nephew if they want to purchase anything (movie on Amazon, game on my iPhone, et cetera) when the screen pops up for the password, they just automatically hand it to me. I know a while back there were parents who were suing Apple because their children had downloaded and bought all these games because their children had the password.

 

[Honour]

My step daughter got hers when she was three. She’s now almost 5 and just finally killed it the other day when she vommitted on it in the car and her grandma got it more wet while trying to clean it up. I think they are great. Hers was actually a handed down iPhone with no SIM card, so it didn’t cost us anything. My two year old also has one but doesn’t use it much yet, she uses ours instead. I know there is a lot of difference as far as what they can get into, need for parental controls, but its very easy to lock them down.

I would suggest you get one used, they aren’t that expensive, and as long as you get a good case they will last a very long time. Personally I wouldn’t even bother with getting them a nano. Apps is where mine spend most of their time. We download lots of educational apps for her.

 

[Cat]

Make them work for it.

It’s her birthday.

You don’t make a child work for a birthday gift.

 

[Johanna_C]

Son #1 saw an ad and asked for an i phone for his 8th birthday. I told him that he could have an i phone when he could pay the monthly bill.

I can’t imagine spending a hundred to several hundred dollars on a child’s birthday present, most of the presents my husband has bought me didn’t cost that much. If this is common, it’s no wonder the debt to income ratio is so terrible for so many Americans. It’s also no wonder that so many children have so little sense of value and appreciation for the things they have. My target for kids presents is around $20. Once we spent $30 when son #2 wanted a statue of his patron saint for Christmas. Frequently I will make presents. Most recently son #2 wanted a hat with daleks knitted into it, and after seeing it, two of his brothers have requested similar presents for their birthdays. I like that, because they can see the work that goes into making the gift.

Studies tend to indicate that too much exposure to electronics stunts a child’s IQ and their ability to focus. You may recall the controversy surrounding the “Baby Einstein” videos, where it was found that children who watched them actually had lower IQs than their peers who didn’t watch. Recently I saw a study where older adults who grew up without the internet were tested on a computer against younger people in excises that measured their ability to concentrate and focus in the presence of distractions, and the younger people almost universally scored much lower. For all the “educational” games and entertainment available, children actually learn very little in proportion to the amount of time they spend, and they are far more likely to fritter away time on “Facebook” or playing “Angry Birds” or something equally inane. And let’s not forget the rising problems with childhood obesity and the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency that can both be cured with more time out of doors. My son #4 is almost unmanageable when he can’t spend time outside.

I see myself that my children are massively better behaved without much time spent with screens. After a couple hours of TV or computer games, it’s like they forget how to entertain themselves and pick fights with each other out of boredom, while at the same time they have pent up energy from the time they spent sitting in front of the screen.

I will skip the i-stuff for my kids, and video games and most TV too. I will make them learn to type, though.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

If it is expensive and they can’t afford to pay for it, I agree with the concept of saying, “This is assigned to you, but it belongs to the family. You should have no sense of ownership and no expectation of privacy. If you want that, earn your own.”

…she’s 9. How is she going to “earn” much of anything?

I guess this is just divorced from my upbringing, but I’ve never heard of the concept of a child— or anyone else for that matter, “earning” a birthday gift. A gift is a gift, not a loan or something you hold over someone’s head.

 

[Cat]

Son #1 saw an ad and asked for an i phone for his 8th birthday. I told him that he could have an i phone when he could pay the monthly bill.

I can’t imagine spending a hundred to several hundred dollars on a child’s birthday present, most of the presents my husband has bought me didn’t cost that much. If this is common, it’s no wonder the debt to income ratio is so terrible for so many Americans. It’s also no wonder that so many children have so little sense of value and appreciation for the things they have. My target for kids presents is around $20. Once we spent $30 when son #2 wanted a statue of his patron saint for Christmas. Frequently I will make presents. Most recently son #2 wanted a hat with daleks knitted into it, and after seeing it, two of his brothers have requested similar presents for their birthdays. I like that, because they can see the work that goes into making the gift.

Studies tend to indicate that too much exposure to electronics stunts a child’s IQ and their ability to focus. You may recall the controversy surrounding the “Baby Einstein” videos, where it was found that children who watched them actually had lower IQs than their peers who didn’t watch. Recently I saw a study where older adults who grew up without the internet were tested on a computer against younger people in excises that measured their ability to concentrate and focus in the presence of distractions, and the younger people almost universally scored much lower. For all the “educational” games and entertainment available, children actually learn very little in proportion to the amount of time they spend, and they are far more likely to fritter away time on “Facebook” or playing “Angry Birds” or something equally inane. And let’s not forget the rising problems with childhood obesity and the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency that can both be cured with more time out of doors. My son #4 is almost unmanageable when he can’t spend time outside.

I see myself that my children are massively better behaved without much time spent with screens. After a couple hours of TV or computer games, it’s like they forget how to entertain themselves and pick fights with each other out of boredom, while at the same time they have pent up energy from the time they spent sitting in front of the screen.

I will skip the i-stuff for my kids, and video games and most TV too. I will make them learn to type, though.

If you can’t afford it, that’s the end of it.

But facts are facts–this is the electronic age. Kids will eventually need to know this stuff, or they’ll be left way behind.

Even farmers are computer-savvy now.

Certainly, go ahead and strive for balance. I think a couple of hours watching TV or playing computer games is too much for a child or teenager.

But don’t throw it out entirely. We can’t live in a bubble.

Perhaps you are able to be isolated with your children, and that’s wonderful. It’s great when you can ignore the world for a few years and when homemade knit hats thrill them.

But eventually, the kids will have to enter the real world, which is electronic age. We can’t avoid it forever.

 

[Honour]

One other thing for everyone aaying it is too expensive. First I recommend getting it used. I know not everyone can afford one, but do think about this way. Your kid will play with that thing more than he does another toy, except maybe a bike or a trampoline. You can get them for $100 dollars, and I expect it to last two years. That’s a way better investment than 100 dollar store toys, 20 $5 dollar toys, or even 10 $10 toys over the course of two years.

Also you could put the word out and see I’d any family or friends want to go in as a combined gift.

 

[JackieMom]

Son #1 saw an ad and asked for an i phone for his 8th birthday. I told him that he could have an i phone when he could pay the monthly bill.

I can’t imagine spending a hundred to several hundred dollars on a child’s birthday present, most of the presents my husband has bought me didn’t cost that much. If this is common, it’s no wonder the debt to income ratio is so terrible for so many Americans. It’s also no wonder that so many children have so little sense of value and appreciation for the things they have. My target for kids presents is around $20. Once we spent $30 when son #2 wanted a statue of his patron saint for Christmas. Frequently I will make presents. Most recently son #2 wanted a hat with daleks knitted into it, and after seeing it, two of his brothers have requested similar presents for their birthdays. I like that, because they can see the work that goes into making the gift.

Studies tend to indicate that too much exposure to electronics stunts a child’s IQ and their ability to focus. You may recall the controversy surrounding the “Baby Einstein” videos, where it was found that children who watched them actually had lower IQs than their peers who didn’t watch. Recently I saw a study where older adults who grew up without the internet were tested on a computer against younger people in excises that measured their ability to concentrate and focus in the presence of distractions, and the younger people almost universally scored much lower. For all the “educational” games and entertainment available, children actually learn very little in proportion to the amount of time they spend, and they are far more likely to fritter away time on “Facebook” or playing “Angry Birds” or something equally inane. And let’s not forget the rising problems with childhood obesity and the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency that can both be cured with more time out of doors. My son #4 is almost unmanageable when he can’t spend time outside.

I see myself that my children are massively better behaved without much time spent with screens. After a couple hours of TV or computer games, it’s like they forget how to entertain themselves and pick fights with each other out of boredom, while at the same time they have pent up energy from the time they spent sitting in front of the screen.

I will skip the i-stuff for my kids, and video games and most TV too. I will make them learn to type, though.

You are well within your rights to raise your kids the way you see fit, but I think most families expect to spend well over $20 per child for birthday and Christmas gifts. It does not mean they are in debt or that their kids are spoiled. Honestly, I don’t know what you can even buy, aside from junky stuff, for $20! We aim for about $150 per birthday and $200 per child for Christmas (unless it is a “big gift year” i.e. new bike), and both are very modest occasions in our home!

 

[EasterJoy]

…she’s 9. How is she going to “earn” much of anything?

I guess this is just divorced from my upbringing, but I’ve never heard of the concept of a child— or anyone else for that matter, “earning” a birthday gift. A gift is a gift, not a loan or something you hold over someone’s head.

I guess I’m showing my age. It used to be that one could pick strawberries for money, starting in about first grade…fifty cents a crate.

 

[CradleJourney]

FWIW - With our kids, we’ve been giving them a Sansa Clip similar to Ipod Nano but we like the style/price more. It’s a straight up gift, no strings, except we limit the music the same way we limit it on CD’s and radio stations smile

IF (big IF) they take care of it then next up is a kindle/e-reader which nowadays would probably be equivalent to the Touch. However to qualify for this type of gift, they have to show responsibility with the MP3 player for a year or more. Next step, a few years later would be a cell phone.

I guess we just don’t see the need for kids to have the gizmos too soon or too quickly - not so much there’s something wrong - but there’s so much more out there to see/do/experience - that there’s no reason to rush it. Books to read, fireflies to catch, trees to climb, plants/pets to raise, board games/card games to learn (and lose), figures to pretend with, costumes to create, sewing, cooking, and so on…

Again, as they age - no reason not to give them the devices provided their responsible - just no reason to give it too soon either, imho.

 

[mommamaree]

If it is expensive and they can’t afford to pay for it, I agree with the concept of saying, “This is assigned to you, but it belongs to the family. You should have no sense of ownership and no expectation of privacy. If you want that, earn your own.” Since you’re the spiritual authorities in your home, this can apply even to gifts and things earned by their own labor, depending on the item and the effect it might have on their spiritual advancement. They do it that way in monasteries, and it doesn’t kill anyone.

My daughter’s iPod Touch belongs to her. No one else may use it. However, she may not use it without permission, and she is not allowed to use the texting function or FaceTime yet. We will be setting that up for her soon, but she will not be allowed to keep her texting or FaceTime conversations secret. Especially since her communication will be including my niece, who is also 8. We are going to keep a close eye on what is going on.
Someday she will be old enough for a Facebook account, and her own email address. We will be supervising her use of those as well. At some point in her late adolescence, we will hopefully reach a point where her use of mobile electronic devices will be her responsibility, and we can give her more freedom. I hope we can teach her properly now, and keep her from harm as she makes her first foray into the world of technology and social media.

 

[EasterJoy]

My daughter’s iPod Touch belongs to her. No one else may use it. However, she may not use it without permission, and she is not allowed to use the texting function or FaceTime yet. We will be setting that up for her soon, but she will not be allowed to keep her texting or FaceTime conversations secret. Especially since her communication will be including my niece, who is also 8. We are going to keep a close eye on what is going on.
Someday she will be old enough for a Facebook account, and her own email address. We will be supervising her use of those as well. At some point in her late adolescence, we will hopefully reach a point where her use of mobile electronic devices will be her responsibility, and we can give her more freedom. I hope we can teach her properly now, and keep her from harm as she makes her first foray into the world of technology and social media.

My boys are 14 and so far have no desire to get into social media, heavens be praised. That’s just their temperament. They’re going to need phones, soon, though. One may still opt out of Facebook, but it is becoming expected that anyone high school age or older can be reached via text message.

They have computers that belong to them, but we pretty much share everything around here. If my laptop will do things that their computers won’t, they can use mine, and vice versa. The only thing that ownership gets anyone is that if they have something urgent planned that requires a piece of their property to complete, their project gets priority. Otherwise, it’s kind of like a monastery here, I guess. You don’t get to just take other people’s stuff, but with permission pretty much everything is available to everybody who has proven themselves worth of trust. If one child gets some set of gear that is very expensive, it is understood that the gear belongs to the family. We even teach them to take care of clothes that are getting too small for them, so that they’ll still be in good condition to be handed down when they’re done with them.

I think this comes out of their grandmother (my MIL) having lived here with us. They’ve been used to seeing how adults do sharing since they were little. They’re twins, and the rule was, “You can’t use yours unless you’ve helped him find his” and in theory the rule was “if you break his, and there is only one left, then he’ll own yours and he can decide how to share it with you” (which we thankfully never had to enforce). We also had very special toys that belonged to the family, rather than to them. They were the only ones who ever played with them, but it was a privilege when they got to use them and they knew I expected to have them around our house for other kids to play with when visiting, when our kids got older.

 

[Cat]

As long as we’re talking about how old and behind we all are…

…I am supposed to teach one of my original songs to the VBS in a few weeks. I told the coordinator that I would have my husband make some CDs to pass out to the teenage helpers in advance so that they could be familiar with the song and help teach it.

When I told my husband, he said, “I’m not sure if the teenagers will know what CDs are. I’ll just email the song to them.”

Wow. I’m a fossil. I’m still trying to figure out cassette tapes and players.

Oh,well, at least I don’t do 8-tracks.

 

[flowerz4rabbits]

Hi there! I actually work for Apple as a sales representative, so I’ve spent a lot of time guiding parents through the company’s various products to find the right fit for their kiddo. An iPod touch is a really great, popular device for younger kids.

The other posters are absolutely right when they say passwords can be set up to monitor the downloading of Apps, etc. Something I’ve seen a lot of parents do is purchase an iTunes gift card for their kid (say they allow them $20 a month). When the money is up, it’s up.

Additionally, remember that if you get the device, and it doesn’t work out - you can always return it. Customer satisfaction is our main goal. Typical return period is 14 days, but extraordinary exceptions can, have, and will be made. If you have any specific questions, I’d be more than happy to answer them.