ipod touch for 8 year old?

[twinmom]

My daughter is asking for an ipod touch. She will be 9 in March. Is the 2nd generation good enough for her or should I go for the newest version? I was planning on getting her a camera but if she can use the ipod, I won't have to lay out that $$ too. Thanks!

[otonoh]

No Offense but an 8 year old doesn't need a device that can connect to the internet. I would stick with a camera. The new ipod has face talk that will show her face to other people, also not a good idea. I would get the old one or a plain non internet ipod for your child.

[gbr]

I started my 8 year old with a simple mp3 player, which than we loaded it with all those disney cd tracks. When she turned 10 she got an ipod (not a touch one) but not just the shuffle, the kind that you can pick your songs by scrolling for them. Is your daughter responsible not to drop and crack the screen or get scratches on it. I would wait.. It makes a better gift when they go into middle school... good luck they grow up so quickly.. keep them young.:)

[amood06]

If you really wanted to get your daughter an ipod touch, I would go with the 2nd generation and buy her an extra camera. Digital cameras are pretty cheap and the apple store has refurbished, certified ipods with free shipping for $149. The reason I say get the ipod (older version) and the camera is space. If you get the new ipod 8gb, then she will be taking a lot of pictures and videos and you would run out of space for apps and songs. Plus it would probably be a good idea to test out her responsibility. If she doesn't break the ipod or camera then later on upgrade her to the newer ipod with maybe the 32gb storage. I'm sure apple will have a new generation coming out every year, so your not missing out on anything.

[flosmoney]

If you buy new get it at best buy. It's expensive but get the extended warranty. It will cover drops and other accidents.

[1josh]

I vote for the camera. I have an 8 and 10 year old and they often ask for things that their friends have but once they have it becomes the it toy for the day and then it lays around forgotten. Although the Ipod touch is a great device I think it is more for adults. Good luck!

[twinmom]

Thanks for the tips. She does go on the internet at home, but very limited sites - club penguin, togetherville, webkinz, and of course browsing the clothes at Justice. But I am not crazy about the face to face stuff. She is getting a netbook from my mother-in-law so we will already have to work on blocking things. She has seen too much on youtube at other kids houses already.

 

She has had a Philips MP3 player for 2 years and done fine with it. She wants a phone but NO WAY - definitely not responsible enough for that - and really no need at her age - she can use the land line all she wants within reason. She is also pretty responsible with her DS & DSI - only occasionally misplacing it around the house. She actually bought the DSi with her own money as did her brother. I hadn't thought about breaking the screen and that worries me too. We will definitely have to rethink this. Her brother is getting an xbox that he has been asking for for the 3rd Christmas now so I really wanted to get her something comparable. Ugh - back to the drawing board!

[davidmg1]

I'm thinking about the same for my 8 y/o daughter for Christmas. I would go for the refurbished as mentioned earlier. $149 is a very good price, with free ship. At squaretrade.com, you can get an extended warranty for $20.

 

If you are worried about your daughter using the internet, you can block sites through your router, which she will use for the Wi-Fi. You can also set up an account for her on iTunes and monitor what apps she downloads. Apple tries to keep porn and those types of apps off the app store. But there are still some adult apps that I wouldn't want my daughter to see.

 

But if you want her to have a camera, that feature is really nice to have in the 4G, but expect to pay about $140 or so more. The ipod touch camera resolution is not as good as the iPhone is.

[mom2monkiesx3]

Twinmom~ different house same situation...My DS12 HAS an Ipod Touch 2nd gen. he wants a new one and I won't allow it because of the "facetalk" I am instantly bad guy. My DD9 is an angel and God bless her soul has a Nano and is completly happy with her Nano and has no interest at all in a touch. My DS7 now wants a touch he currently has Fisher Prices FP3. I will be getting him a touch but it won't be the new generation for the reason above.

 

I say get her a Nano the newer generation is really neat. (DD has last years gen.) plus they come in all kinds of cool colors too

 

My kids all have phones though, its just internet that I am overly strict with. Their phones have NO TEXT though...(yes I am the overprotective parent LOL)

[freesia39]

What is about the ipod touch she wants? If she just wants a touch screen, the new Nano has that.

[nick_jenni_jocelyn]

Great question as my daughter will be 8 on November 28 and is asking for an ipod touch or her bday.

[momof3luvs1]

Last year I got my daughter the disney mix pix n she did great with it. This year I am upgrading her to the shuffle. She is also 8 and will be 9 in march. She has not asked for a touch but my dd breaks EVERYTHING so I will not get that for her until I know she is ready to care for it. So I would say to go with what u think is best for your dd!

[twinmom]

I think it is the music player and camera that she really wants. I asked her what it was about the touch and she said well, it is like going from a DS to a DSI! I was really impressed with her analogy even though it didn't completely answer the question for me.

 

And as for phones, they are pretty good with real electronics, but are always losing our old phones that they play with. I told them they could have phones when they could pay the $10/month on them. Fortunately for me, they never manage to do their jobs so they don't earn all of their allowance!!!

[1josh]

Im almost in shock with this thread :shock: This is just an opinion of course but I cannot understand how a 7 or 8 year old can value such an expensive item, especially because I have an 8 year old and I know how immature he still is (I like it that way though). I have this mentality with the cell phones as well (I dont think a child should have a phone unless he is from a broken family and needs to communicate with the absent parent, other than that we know where our kids are at all times). I must be getting old. Please please persuade me!! :)

[twinmom]

Josh - they really can't value it which is why I am so on the fence with it, beside the face to face thing. Sadly, for some reason, my daughter has really outgrown toys except for American Girl dolls which are outrageous in their own right, but my mother-in-law started her on them. I have yet to purchase a single American Girl item. She still plays imaginatively - she and her friend were pretending they were "Twitches" for a number of days. I am not really sure where she heard about the ipod touch as I have a really old ipod nano - probably 1st gen and that is still fine with me.

 

I have boy/girl twins and my son is so much more immature than she is. His Christmas list mainly consists of U-Build it games, an xbox, and lego items. Hers is a desk, ipod touch, jewelry box, beanbag chair and to redo her room. I have no idea what I will do when she actually is a teenager and not just acting like one.

 

My 7 year old nephew has a phone but that is because he was diagnosed about a year ago with juvenile diabetes. That and your reason - broken home, latchkey kids are the exceptions I would make for a phone.

[amood06]

1Josh, I get what you are saying about the age, but at some point you have to teach them responsibility. My daughter had a cell phone when she was 8. I gave it to her for my peace of mind because we lived in military housing and no buses were provided so she walked to school with a group of friends (our school was directly behind our house). She called me to let me know she was starting her walk home and also she would use it to call me when she went to a sleepover (she didn't feel comfortable using their phone). She still has a cell phone and she's 12, she doesn't use it to call her friends, she uses it to keep me informed. The other day she called and told me they were stranded at school because her bus broke down. As far as the mp3 players, toys in general have gone up in price, baby dolls and accessories would equal the same as a refurbished ipod, so I don't know if cost would be the issue. I wouldn't get my daughter a $300 32gb ipod touch, but if she wanted I would get her the lower end of it, meaning a 8gb ipod touch if she was responsible enough. You just have to think though, "If I give her everything she wants now while she is 7 or 8 years old, what will I give her when she's a teenager." Let them look forward to some things.

[EYGLE]

Remember what we pay for the Nintendo Dsi and those other gaming systems. I think it is case by case but kids are growing up much faster these days.

[lelee24]

I agree with the "keep them young" but this is a tech savvy generation and they are raised with this stuff. The trick is to let them use the technology without accessing the adult content that is out there. That said, my DS10 got a phone last year. No he is not from a broken home or a latchkey kid, but it is sooo nice to be able to contact him whenever I want. I always know where he is, but sometimes that means playing outside at a friend's house. So I can call/text him anytime without having to go through the other parent...and he can do the same. He doesn't have internet access on the phone, it only costs us $5 a month and he has a low tech phone with an insurance plan. His phone has lasted longer than my husbands...LOL! Now DS10 (almost 11) wants an IPOD Touch. We'll go with a 3rd gen model probably refurbished. I figure he can get the really spiffy one when he's old enough to appreciate their cost a little more, but I dont' see any reason to keep kids from using/owning high tech gadgets because I didn't have them at his age. It isn't owning the gadget that ages them.

[Kibit13]

Kids are growing up so fast. I was playing with Barbie's when I was eight. The Christmas after I turned eight I received a preemie Cabbage Patch Kid doll and a dollhouse.

[1josh]

I thought about this question yesterday and brought it up to my husband who is into technology and is also a teacher. He talked about the applications available in this device and how they can benefit a child. Specifically, he used my son (10 yrs old) as an example and how we ask for him to practice his math 30 minutes each day. My husband mention that this device has math applications that would probably simplify math for kids in general. I think I was more looking for an answer towards the educational side of it and I understand that in that sense it is definitively a benefit to a child.

 

In terms of teaching them responsibility... I struggled with this one. I could only come up with "they will learn to be responsible by caring for the item" and I think that there are much simpler ways of doing that. I think a pet could probably accomplish that with the added bonus of teaching them compassion and understanding. Responsibility from a 7 or 8 year old child, to me, is more about their actions toward their people around them(learn to respect them, understand them etc), the schoolwork, and their shores, etc. I also thought about how I will probably teach them, by allowing them, to give in to peer pressure (buying it because everyone else does) or allowing them to be envious. Maybe Im just thinking too deep into it. I also understand that this could just be as simple as an entertainment device.

 

What does a typical 8 year old do with the Ipod Touch? Im loving the discussion btw.

[amood06]

There are so many apps on such a broad range, they even have apps for preschoolers to teach them colors, numbers, alphabet, word recognition. I let my 3 and 4 year olds play with it when we are in the doctor's office and it keeps them occupied. I said responsibility because I expect that if I allow my children to have such a device as an ipod touch that if I tell them "hey, I don't want you go downloading or going on certain sites that they would do that." If they do what I tell them to do, they are being responsible. I don't see it as buying an ipod because everyone else has one or peer pressure because the reverse of that is, "can I get an ipod because none of my friends have one yet and I want to be the first one to have one." Then do you run out and buy your child one so she can be ahead of her friends and be the one envied? I think we as parents try so hard to be two steps ahead of everything, that we over think things. An ipod is a good entertainment device, but it can be so much more than that, if we (as parents) are uncomfortable with some of the things that the ipod offers then place limits on those things you don't want them doing with it. If you can, before buying one, maybe browse throught the itunes store to take a look at some of the apps.

 

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with getting a 7 or 8 year old an ipod touch, but they would get an older version of it because those still let them use apps and have the mp3 player. When they get older (teenager), I would get them the more updated version. Again, giving them something to look forward to.

[otonoh]

I had the same dilemma but it is with a 15 year old boy. He thinks I will never buy him a touch and has been asking for it for the past few years, this year I plan on getting him one for Christmas. I am a teacher and catch kids all the time looking at inappropriate sites instead of paying attention. Phones are banned in class but not the touches ( yet ). I don’t blame the kids, they are curious and probably more worldly then we ever were at their ages. My son is old enough now, that when he goes to nasty sites, it won't scar him for life. Does anyone know if the face talk is really worth paying the extra or is it just hype? thanks

[mom2monkiesx3]

Personally for me having an Ipod is no different then myself as a kid asking for a CD boombox or heaven forbid a CD walkman Man I feel old now:blush: But I was also a teenager in the 90's that had a cellphone (yes I was spoiled)

 

My kid have cellphones because although I am not a single parent I have a husband that is gone weeks at a time. All 3 of my kids go to different schools and I refuse to make them ride the bus so I pick them all up individually BY MYSELF. I am just one person. They are also involved in a ton of extra activites that sometimes require me to be in 2-3 different places at once. They have CALL only only thier phones. No data and no text. Its a piece of mind thing for ME they just get the added benifit of having a cellphone.

 

I think you just have to be the responsible parent and REALLY look into these new devices and then learn all about parental blocks. Sadly parents buy these things and have no clue what they are all about or capable of.

[AndreaInNC]

What would you tell her if she asked for a pony?

 

DD19 and DD16 are still using their Ipods they got for Christmas 3 years ago. DD19 says the battery is slowly dying, but she knows not to ask for a new one from me.

[digman6]

1josh my 2 older children have cell phones they are 14 and 11, our other 2 kids who are 8 and 4 do not. the reason behind my kids have the phones and they have had them now for 2 years is because of school activities they are in after school. I also do not want my kids walking home alone after school with no communication if they where to get hurt etc. I live in a small town and close to school but it was originally more for communication between point A and B. SInce then we have cancelled our home phone because it was not used by us much. My son uses his to talk with his buddies and we have access to it when we want. He is also responsible and takes care of it, is a honor roll student and does not get in trouble. My daughter who is 11 really never uses it unless she calls her cousin or her bf wants to talk to her. her phone is usually off here at home often enough the bf texts me asking if she would turn her phone on! lol

Do my younger 2 kids think they need a phone yep, will they get one hell no!!! those 2 younger kids are with somone who has a phone at all times so they dont need one. if it was as you said where the parents are not together that is more then acceptable for the child to have a phone. I thiink it really depends on the situation at hand

[digman6]

as far as an Ipod goes i would not get one for my 8 yr. old. my 11 yr old has one with a screen and it is a few yrs old . she would like a touch but is happy with the one she has also.her sister who is 8 got her old shuffle and has misplaced it. its here but who knows where at.

[allison1022]

I have an 8 year daughter and a 12 year old daughter. My 8 year old wants EVERYTHING my 12 year old does. My older daughter has a cell phone, no internet though, for all the reasons that others have mentioned. She has after school activities, etc. and also for the mere fact that it is fun and cool! She has texting, but is not allowed to delete any of them. Our bill shows how many texts she sends/receives, and if the numbers do not match, the phone is taken away permanently. Only I can delete the texts and I look through them from time to time just to be sure she is being safe and responsible. She has been fine with this and has had the phone for almost a year now. As for my 8 year old...absolutely no phone. She is only 8!!! I plan on getting my 12 year old an ipod touch for Christmas this year and no, the 8 year old will not get one. Kids grow up way too fast these days. There are some things that you have to wait for until you are old enough and mature enough to truly appreciate and enjoy it. I love getting things for my kids and I want them to be happy. But, there has to be rules and limits. I don't feel my 8 year old needs a phone or an ipod touch, but the camera and a smaller MP3 player are great ideas. Parenting is tough...but someday, they will thank us for it...maybe...LOL

[sastolfi]

If you don't want to buy a new Ipod touch try going to the apple store online. I bought myself a refurbished Ipod nano for $100.00 and it has a new case, new earbuds and warranty. I have had no problems with it. I also ordered an Ipod Touch refurb for only 150.00 and no problems with that one either.

[jediliz]

8 is a little young for an iPod....maybe buy a cheaper MP3 player (is that what you need it for? just for music?). My 11 year old niece got an iPod touch a year ago when she was ten. Is the 8 year old responsible? iPods are a little expensive. And you'd have to set up an account on iTunes for him/her since technically you have to be 13 to have an account.

[KatieMill]

My 5 yr old got an Ipod Nano last year for Cmas. She likes to listen to music, she is responsible, and she's kept up with all year..not even a scratch. I downloaded the music onto it that she liked from my Ipod...and put some of her music, little kid stuff and Hannah Montana, songs on there. We are of the Christian faith, and I put alot of kid Christian songs...and worship songs on there as well that we enjoy together in the car. We take many trips...and it's been good for her to have her music, etc. We specifically decided upon the Nano instead of a shuffle...because of the pics.

 

I would not let her have one with picture or internet. The one we purchased had just been marked down some because the new Nano's were out.

 

When reading this thread, remember that there are Ipods and Ipod Touch. Touch does WAY more than the Ipod alone! Especially older Ipods.