Should I buy a kids tablet or avoid screens completely?

You do not have to treat this as an all-or-nothing choice. For many families, the best approach is a limited, intentional screen plan rather than either “no screens ever” or “tablet all the time.”

A simple age-based rule of thumb

• Under 18–24 months: avoid screen use except for video chatting with family.
• Ages 2–5: keep screen use limited, choose high-quality content, and watch together when you can so you can help your child understand what they’re seeing.

Tablet or no tablet?

If your child is very young, a tablet is often harder to manage because it is portable, interactive, and easy to overuse. That can make it harder to stop than a less interactive screen.

If you do choose a tablet, it helps to treat it as a tool, not a default toy:

• use it for specific situations like travel or waiting rooms
• keep it out of daily free-play time
• set clear limits before handing it over

When going screen-free may be better

Going screen-free can be the easier option if:

• screens quickly lead to tantrums or power struggles
• your child is very young
• you want to avoid building the habit in the first place

A middle ground

If you want independent entertainment without a screen, audio-only devices like story players can be a good compromise.

Bottom line

If your child is under 2, I’d strongly lean toward avoiding a tablet. If your child is older, a carefully limited tablet can be fine for many families—but it works best when you set boundaries early and use it intentionally, not as a constant fallback.