Best iPad set-up for a kid

Tech Support
1

We have a 5 (6 in January) yr old son. We try to limit screen time, but he will use my partner’s iPad to play Redball, use a coloring app, and occasionally watch YouTube videos.

We’d like to set time limits on these things. I’d like to REALLY filter content on YouTube, too.

Has anyone set-up an iPad specifically for a kid? I’m considering buying a regular iPad, setting him up w/ his own Apple account, and Google account (for YouTube purposes) and majorly locking it all down. I also have just set up an Orbi network so can do some network level filtering that way and I’ve read about some Disney Circle possibilities.

Looking for advice/experience. Thanks!

2

Assuming you have iOS on a parent device, Screen Time is a great way to set time limits, app limits, and so forth on a kid’s iPad. It can also filter web sites (though I prefer OpenDNS for that).

YouTube has a separate kid-focused app which you might try but the content is very limited. Our kids hated it when they were young because most content they heard about from other kids wasn’t on there. The full YouTube app claims a safe mode but in our practical experience it is all but useless. And the ads on YouTube can be kid-inappropriate. I finally paid for YouTube to get rid of the ads (and I feel it is a rip off). Like other Google properties they don’t take the needs of family/kids seriously.

That said I imagine your child will love the iPad and I think Apple provides the best parental control of any tablet.

3

Thanks, Ron this is super helpful.

We both have our own iPads, so could use Screen Time which I had totally forgotten about.

We also pay for YouTube to avoid the ads and like you, our kid HATED the Kids app. He can end up down a horrible trail on YouTube so I’d really like to be able to totally customize what he can see. He’s found some great educational videos and then really ridiculous things too.

Thanks again. I’m definitely going to go ahead with this plan!

4

YouTube is no place for kids, until they solve their insane issues with generated content.

I shielded my toddler from YT purely on hunch and now I’m glad I did. At the very least you need to be watching actively with them.

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5

Yes, you definitely did the right thing. We’re working on removing it as an option for him. It can be pretty terrible in a covert way.

6

Even the youtube for kids app is suspect. We go old fashioned and do timers and then tell our kids to tell it “bye bye” (our kids are younger lol). We only have apps that are educational or creative (specifically music geared). I know youtube is great for when it is, but holy moley is it bad when it it’s bad.

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