iPad Making the iPad safe(er) for my children to use?

[DisplacedMic]

I'm sorry, but the iPad is not a toy, you and many others may use it as one but that was not what it was designed for, hence why it it not easily made child safe.

If it was designed to be a toy then it would have child safe features.

You're trying to use it as something it wasn't designed to do, hence you will never find an easy or perfect solution to your problem...a bit like trying use a Ferrari to go on a camping holiday for a family of 4, probably not impossible but certainly not easy.

So yes it's do-able for sure, but it's never going to be easy and I think there are other far easier solutions to provide out children with learning tools and an introduction to modern technology without worrying about their exposure.

that's one of the more absurd analogies i've read on these forums, i'll give you that.
The iPad can certainly be a useful tool, no doubt, but it is most certainly a toy for what I would guess a sizable percentage of the people that own it, if not the majority.

for one thing, iOS is not yet a "real" OS. Just look at the benchmarks of even the older lower end macs relative to the newer ipads. I know benchmarks don't really mean all that much, but the point is that the ipad simply isn't going to be a fully functioning tool for a good chunk of people in the work force. It's a great productivity device, it can be a great work device depending on what you can do - but it's still largely a toy.

as it were, when you get right down to it, i imagine most people with ferarri's are using them as toys in their own right.

 

[Beanoir]

I don't think i've ever seen iPads in Toys 'R Us...but if you guys insist thats what they are then who are we to argue with Apple's target market and design brief...

Go for it, use it as a toy, call it a toy, give it your children as a toy i'm not saying you can't...but my point remains, and is demonstrated by the issues people are experiencing in that it wasn't designed as a toy by Apple and therefore doesn't work particularly well as a toy for children, as this thread clearly demonstrates.

 

[itzme]

I turn off safari and installing apps and it is a closed safe system. I think it's is a wonderful tool for kids. My two year old daughter has learned so much from it.

 

[DisplacedMic]

I don't think i've ever seen iPads in Toys 'R Us...but if you guys insist thats what they are then who are we to argue with Apple's target market and design brief...

Go for it, use it as a toy, call it a toy, give it your children as a toy i'm not saying you can't...but my point remains, and is demonstrated by the issues people are experiencing in that it wasn't designed as a toy by Apple and therefore doesn't work particularly well as a toy for children, as this thread clearly demonstrates.

i don't see how this thread demonstrates how that is the case at all. you are demonstrating a good deal of stubbornness however. The iPad doesn't work particularly well as a toy for children? That's utter nonsense. A two-second search on the app store or google for children's apps would make that fact obvious to any reasonable person. We are talking about a many times over multi-million dollar market.

What "issues" are people experiencing in this thread? The OP was simply looking for a way to make sure that the toy he wants to buy for his child can be made as safe as possible. That's called being a good parent. Most people responded accordingly and then a few of you started up with this nonsense. Funny how people with no children are often experts on the subtleties of child-rearing.

Let me ask you this - do you think this is a toy:

yeah? well guess what, you still need to figure out a way for your kids to play with it safely.

Oh and by the way, guess what is prominently displayed as for sale on the main page at toysrus.com?

 

[Beanoir]

Oh and by the way, guess what is prominently displayed as for sale on the main page at toysrus.com?

Ahh...not in the UK it's not. I suppose the definition is different in the US by the looks of your toy shop, but then given the ease of kids obtaining other items in your county, which I don't think I need to elaborate on, then i'm harldy surprised your definition of "toy" differs from ours.

I don't think it's a toy, it's not suitable out of the box for young children, wothout having to modify significantly the device and ancilliary items in the home (as described in this thread?!).

If you disagree then thats fine, I don't mind that. I expect a toy to be perfectly safe for my child to unwrap, take out of it's box and run upstairs and play with it without me needing to worry that it's bringing him any harm - an ipad is not that (as is dicussed in this thread?!). Thats my defintion, you choose your own.

 

[DisplacedMic]

Ahh...not in the UK it's not. I suppose the definition is different in the US by the looks of your toy shop, but then given the ease of kids obtaining other items in your county, which I don't think I need to elaborate on, then i'm harldy surprised your definition of "toy" differs from ours.

I don't think it's a toy, it's not suitable out of the box for young children, wothout having to modify significantly the device and ancilliary items in the home (as described in this thread?!).

If you disagree then thats fine, I don't mind that. I expect a toy to be perfectly safe for my child to unwrap, take out of it's box and run upstairs and play with it without me needing to worry that it's bringing him any harm - an ipad is not that (as is dicussed in this thread?!). Thats my defintion, you choose your own.

First of all, I do live in the US but I'm Irish - hence the username. But yes, I would agree that the American definition of "toy" sometimes differs from that of the nannystates. There are many toys that are not "suitable out of the box" but require some parental supervision. If I took your attitude I feel that I would be depriving my children of some wonderful and wholesome learning and playtime opportunities simply because I didn't want to take the time to monitor the use of their belongings once they were "out of the box." To my mind, that would be more appropriately called "lazy parenting"

But yes, you are free to choose your own definition of what a toy is and what's appropriate for children. But since the question in this thread was how to lock down the ipad and not a request for your input on how to raise someone else's children based on your own experience raising the children that you clearly do not have, I'm not sure you should be too surprised by some of the pushback your high-horsary has elicited.

 

[Beanoir]

But since the question in this thread was how to lock down the ipad and not a request for your input on how to raise someone else's children based on your own experience raising the children that you clearly do not have...

Read the thread will you. All based on experience, thanks very much, from parenting my own children. Looks like you judged that wrong too…

Now BOT, i've had enough of you personal snipes.

 

[Señor]

And getting an iPad for a ten year old? The point where a ten year old would need their own tablet just screams lazy parenting. There, I said it, sorry mate. I can see 13-14, which is the age where some schools are participating in programs to get their students their own iPads for academics. At a younger age, I wonder what a kid is really benefiting from by having their own dedicated device, I just don't see the purpose.

 

[DisplacedMic]

Read the thread will you. All based on experience, thanks very much, from parenting my own children. Looks like you judged that wrong too…

Now BOT, i've had enough of you personal snipes.

you mean the post you went back and edited to add that you have kids? it doesn't matter if you have kids or not, you're still being silly.

 

[Primejimbo]

And getting an iPad for a ten year old? The point where a ten year old would need their own tablet just screams lazy parenting. There, I said it, sorry mate. I can see 13-14, which is the age where some schools are participating in programs to get their students their own iPads for academics. At a younger age, I wonder what a kid is really benefiting from by having their own dedicated device, I just don't see the purpose.

The iPad is a great tool for kids and learning things, and even more better with kids with special needs. The iPad helps kids with autism with motor skills, and for other kids there are so many learning apps there. If you're not a parent, so you're not in our shoes and don't see the benefit of iPads and kids.

To the OP, as others said you can disable safari and down load a web browser. I did this with my daughter and the one I used, it emailed me an update of sites she tried to get on and was blocked. I wish I could remember it, but I can. It has McGuff on it, so I do remember that much.

 

[caesarp]

I have a 9 year old son. The only restriction we set up on his ipad is to not allow in app purchases. Because we talk to him and ask questions we learned that he was looking at sexy stuff on YouTube which he came across by accident. We did not make a big deal about it and he quickly grew bored and self stopped. (Had we made a big deal about it I'm sure it may have led to sexual awkwardness in later life).

He also looked at scary images. He self taught that the scary stuff was not good since he was scared at bedtime. Again he stopped on his own and learned a thing or two.

In our opinion and experience, blanket restrictions only create more curiosity and make things worse. My suggestion. Let them explore but ask questions about what they see. They will learn and be better for it in the long run.

Ask yourself this. Has any child exploded or suffered lasting harm from seeing what adults label "bad" images? In fact they are usually attracted to such stuff mainly due to the reaction of adults. In my opinion, it is the adults that are uncomfortable having "real" conversations that enact the most restrictions on their kids. And if you lock it down they will see it at their pals house after school anyway and then not tell you out of fear. Then you have zero opportunity to talk to them about their feelings and explain what they saw.

Don't allow your own feelings of revulsion or fear to be projected onto your children. It is projected feelings and fear that lead to child restrictions and can lead to issues later on. It is not due to any actual harm to a child by viewing imagery (as none has been known to occur by simply looking at something).

 

[Primejimbo]

I have a 9 year old son. The only restriction we set up on his ipad is to not allow in app purchases. Because we talk to him and ask questions we learned that he was looking at sexy stuff on YouTube which he came across by accident. We did not make a big deal about it and he quickly grew bored and self stopped. (Had we made a big deal about it I'm sure it may have led to sexual awkwardness in later life).

He also looked at scary images. He self taught that the scary stuff was not good since he was scared at bedtime. Again he stopped on his own and learned a thing or two.

In our opinion and experience, blanket restrictions only create more curiosity and make things worse. My suggestion. Let them explore but ask questions about what they see. They will learn and be better for it in the long run.

Ask yourself this. Has any child exploded or suffered lasting harm from seeing what adults label "bad" images? In fact they are usually attracted to such stuff mainly due to the reaction of adults. In my opinion, it is the adults that are uncomfortable having "real" conversations that enact the most restrictions on their kids. And if you lock it down they will see it at their pals house after school anyway and then not tell you out of fear. Then you have zero opportunity to talk to them about their feelings and explain what they saw.

Don't allow your own feelings of revulsion or fear to be projected onto your children. It is projected feelings and fear that lead to child restrictions and can lead to issues later on. It is not due to any actual harm to a child by viewing imagery (as none has been known to occur by simply looking at something).

That only works to a point and having and with a lot of ways for predators to talk to a kid on websites is very easily, I would high recommend against this. Kids need restrictions and discipline. Times are different, but seeing friends who didn't have restrictions and ones who have with I was young, I see a big difference now. 9 years old isn't a big deal, just wait until 12 and up. You remove something from the iPad, they don't know it's there, and don't care. Out of sight, out of mind. My daughter didn't know for 2 years with her 1st iPod Touch that she had Safari, it was just locked out and she didn't know it was there.

Also don't take what kids know for granted, they are smart and parents need to stay one step ahead at all times. My daughter knows I will find out and, and the more she does good in school, school activities, and so on, the less restrictions she will have. Not all kids are the same, but I've learned this works with mine.

I have friends who don't restrict their kids with stuff and I want to slap them! The words that come out of their mouths and the stuff they wear, I am shocked. If I ever talked to my parents the way those kids do, I would get a butt whipping.

 

[caesarp]

That only works to a point and having and with a lot of ways for predators to talk to a kid on websites is very easily, I would high recommend against this. Kids need restrictions and discipline. Times are different, but seeing friends who didn't have restrictions and ones who have with I was young, I see a big difference now. 9 years old isn't a big deal, just wait until 12 and up. You remove something from the iPad, they don't know it's there, and don't care. Out of sight, out of mind. My daughter didn't know for 2 years with her 1st iPod Touch that she had Safari, it was just locked out and she didn't know it was there.

Also don't take what kids know for granted, they are smart and parents need to stay one step ahead at all times. My daughter knows I will find out and, and the more she does good in school, school activities, and so on, the less restrictions she will have. Not all kids are the same, but I've learned this works with mine.

I have friends who don't restrict their kids with stuff and I want to slap them! The words that come out of their mouths and the stuff they wear, I am shocked. If I ever talked to my parents the way those kids do, I would get a butt whipping.

He gets plenty of discipline. The most polite boy in his class and he is never allowed to be disrespectful to anyone. If he is, he loses ipad privileges for a few days. We just don't believe overbearing or helicopter parenting is very productive in the long run. He will not be coddled nor sheltered. If he doesn't hear bad words on the internet he will hear it at school or in public. So we are not going to waste too much effort on being the internet police. And he knows what's on his friends iPads and his parents. There is no hiding apps. And he would laugh at an attempted predator. Not worried about that.

The issue with your friends kids with poor manners has nothing to do with device use. That's just normal parent training (or lack thereof). What a kid sees or hears for entertainment purposes should have no bearing on his manners with others if the parents are doing their job.

 

[aPple nErd]

not trying to be rude, but why not just say "no iPad after 8:00." for example? seems simple to me.

and also, while it is important to ensure safety on the internet, looking on the router to see what sites have been accessed is only going to make your kid a sneakier teen. (I'm 15 now and speak from experience here...) you can just block certain websites on the router settings, that way, there is privacy, and safety.

 

[caesarp]

not trying to be rude, but why not just say "no iPad after 8:00." for example? seems simple to me.

and also, while it is important to ensure safety on the internet, looking on the router to see what sites have been accessed is only going to make your kid a sneakier teen. (I'm 15 now and speak from experience here...) you can just block certain websites on the router settings, that way, there is privacy, and safety.

Why block sites? That will only lead to an escalating battle of sites and router settings. Talk is better than censoring. Tell them what is right and wrong and websites will not cause harm. I have yet to see any kid explode from viewing any website. Have you? You can't be unsafe by looking at something.