Just as the title says. What age did you get your child their own device, and what did you get? Do you limit usage?
I "gave" D my old cell phone around probably 3 years old. It has wi-fi only and I've downloaded a few select games. I keep it in the diaper bag and he only gets to use it when we're out and he needs a distraction - like sitting in my OB appointment while I'm getting a pelvic exam. 
persimmon / 1364 posts
My DD got an iPad at 2. It only has wi-fi. She has games, YouTube kids and and some other age appropriate apps. When we bought it we viewed it as a family iPad but DH and I never actually use it. Yes we limit her use time.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
My kids are 2 and 4 and I have Amazon Kindle Fire Tablets that I let them use, but they are still mine. They only get to use them on trips or at long appointments/ER visits.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Let's see, we got a kindle fire when he was 4.5. It got limited use because he really wanted to watch You Tube videos on it and since we blocked it, he just played with the Toca apps on Freetime.
Then, this year, in kindergarten, the school paid for some apps that only run on an ipad, and since the one we had is a first generation and doesn't support those apps, we got a brand new ipad for him at almost 6 years old. It's not really restricted, but we do monitor it. He's currently not able to use it though, as he was acting out at school and lost it for a month.
I tell him all the time though, that those devices, belong to the family and they are not his alone to decide when/how to use. He isn't allowed to take it to school, but he has snuck it out of the house in a bag of stuff before (to my mom's house).
watermelon / 14467 posts
She is 3.5 and won't have one for a long time. If she needs a distraction, we let her watch videos on our phones or use the drawing app.
papaya / 10560 posts
Fire tablets were gifted to us at 3 and 4, but they are rarely used up until recently!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
She's been using my iPad since 2 (very sparse use before 2, more regular use after 2, mostly on Sunday's when I solo), I am only thinking about getting her own device after 3 b/c we anticipate a long international trip.
honeydew / 7622 posts
I stopped using my iPad mini so I gave it to DH now a 4 year old iPad is technically DDs and was at about 18 months- now at 27 months we still just use it for an occasional video or traveling. No games. She does not really know it's 'hers'
cherry / 194 posts
We just bought a kid's version of the Amazon Fire Tablet with parental controls for our 2 year old and downloaded a bunch of books, puzzles and coloring apps since it comes with one free year of Free Time for kids. I really just got it for travel since we have some long flights and trips coming up. I haven't given it to her yet since I was waiting to spring it on her if she gets difficult on the first flight.
nectarine / 2973 posts
I gave her my old Samsung tablet that I never used when she was around two. I found it difficult to use so we got her an Amazon fire tablet and like that much better. She's learned a ton from playing games and apps. We don't really limit usage unless she's been playing on it a lot. And she only gets it in the car for out of town trips.
nectarine / 2085 posts
Not yet. He's just about to turn 7.
My husband and some family friends let him use their phones for certain (approved) games, but that happens less than once a week for maybe 10-15 minutes.
nectarine / 2018 posts
DD was given a kids kindle for her second birthday. A little earlier than I would have liked but it was a gift and she has no concept of it being hers. We keep it in our room and only pull it out occasionally.
Honestly I hate it though. We are thinking of getting a refurbished iPad in the next couple of years.
pineapple / 12053 posts
We have an old iPad with kids stuff on it but it's not hers. Had it loaded at about 15 months (was already a few years old) but it's not out unless we're traveling.
coconut / 8472 posts
We got him a kindle fire when he was two that we ended up hating. When he was 3 I traded in my iPhone and got him an iPad. We all like it a whole lot more. He generally watches Pixar movies or uses the PBS app to watch Daniel Tiger or Curious George.
He 3.5 and during the week gets to watch for maybe 15-30 minutes after dinner. On the weekends or if we go out to eat we're a little more free with it.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
She's almost 4 and we got a kids kindle fire for a recent long road trip. We are still figuring out limits as she threw a massive tantrum twice when I said it was time to stop watching. Tonight she did better so we'll see. So far just a couple videos and simple game apps but I need to figure it out more.
cantaloupe / 6751 posts
We got her an iPad mini when she was 2.5. We do limit her usage.
nectarine / 2797 posts
We handed down DH's old iPad at 4y10m - right before first plane ride! But she only used it on the vacation and since then it's been out of rotation. We'll probably bring it back for other long car rides/other events like that in the future.
coconut / 8472 posts
@Foodnerd81: We've had that happen a few times too. Any time it happens we don't let him use it for a while, and then when we do, we tell him he can only have it if he agrees to give it back without an argument when we ask. And sometimes we'll give him a couple minute warning that his time's about to be up, which seems to help.
pomegranate / 3973 posts
DS has been using our Kindle Fire since 2, it's not really his, but he's the only one who really uses it. I've downloaded a bunch of mostly-educational games on it, and we keep the wi-fi off, so he's not watching videos or accidentally downloading things.
I think he's actually learned quite a bit from it, counting, musical instruments, animals and other 'first words'.
pear / 1837 posts
My 4 year old occasionally plays games on my phone if we are out in public waiting on something and she will watch PBS kids on my mom's iPad once a month or so...
But I am considering purchasing a family iPad for her to use for kindergarten this fall. She won't get her own.
persimmon / 1436 posts
My dad handed down an old iPad to her at about 3.5. It gets used mostly on road trips but it's nice to have around for the occasional rainy day too.
She starts kindergarten in the fall so we might have to get her a device of some kind of school. I guess we will find out!
bananas / 9227 posts
My mom got DD an iPad Mini pretty early on. I think she was 2. We live abroad and it was originally for Skype. We limit her usage and she asks before each use. She loves her Paddy.
hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts
I tried to refrain from using screen time in the car because I thought I could entertain them without it. But I had mine and DH's iPad minis and give it to our 22 month old twins for a 4 hour car ride to the beach. OMG! It worked! Buying a screen protector and a kid friendly case tonight for our July 4th trip.
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