How old should a child receive own personal electronic gadgets ?

[janitablue]

I have been reading previous post on giving children electronic gadgets such as IPAD, tablets, and IPODs that is to name a few to children between the ages of five and six.  Honestly my son is seven years old if I had money , and if he ask for IPad 2 I would give to him BUT I would also monitor him on how he use it ..... How old should a child receive their own personal electronic gadget ?

[ProudMommy51006]

My daughter got a portable dvd player at 4 and just got an ipod for christmas. She is 5 1/2 now.

[Prissy_Gurl]

My daughter got a portable dvd player at 3, and just got a tablet at 7.

[jillbailey26]

Mine are 8, 7 and 3 and won't be getting their own iPod/iPad anytime soon.  They're allowed to play with my iPod, but it's mine.  I just recently got an iPad and they're not allowed to touch it, lol.

I did get the two older ones each a Nintendo DS, but we found out they were playing them in bed so we've taken them away until further notice.

[careyphotoo]

My DS got a dsi when he was 4 from his grandparents but I personally would not have gotten him one yet and he's 6 know! He though will not be getting anything else until he learns to take care of it so he nor anyone else breaks it! My dd has my old iPod touch cause I got a iPhone other wise she would have never gotten it!!

[Jay9xoxo]

My sons are begging for a DS. They are 6 and 4. I might get them it for Christmas this year.

I just got a new iPhone so I let them play with my old iPhone. I downloaded a whole bunch of apps and games they enjoy and they like to watch videos on you tube. I give them each 20 min a day to play with the iPhone.

They won't be getting there own brand, spanking new tablet or iPod any time soon.

[JasonsMom2007]

For my family I say 10

[kmcjcd]

My brother want to get my 6 yr old an IPad, but refused. He's on the family computer more than enuff. I dont need him in his room on it all the time. Im thinking closer to 8 or 9.

[indymom22]

Our kids got their first iPods at 6 and 7.  They got our hand me downs.

[LabTech211]

My daughter got an iPod shuffle with her money from her 8th or 9th birthday and got her first DSlite this year for Christmas. It was bought used and she's 10. So far she has taken good care of both. My stepson, on the other hand, has been given 3 or 4 handheld gaming devices starting at age 4 (by his mom) and guess how many he still has that aren't broken? You guessed it. Zero. This is why I never gave my DD electronics at such young ages.

[DolphinsSplash]

I was one of those people with the dilemma this Christmas over my eight-year-old and an iPod Touch.  I did not get it for him because I could not justify spending $200+ on a piece of equipment that he could easily break or lose.  I'm not saying my son is destructive, but I have an inkling that he wanted one of these devices because he sees friends at school with them and he doesn't want to be "left out".  Imagine him taking an iPod Touch to school and what could possibly happen. 

I tell you what, I bought him other things for Christmas that were not electronics and he was just as excited as if he had gotten the iPod Touch.  So honestly, I don't think it's necessary for a child under 10 to have his/her own electronic device like a tablet or smart phone.  My sons can play on the computer, Wii, or Playstation whenever they'd like, but they won't own their own multi-hundred-dollar device until they are more responsible.