Tablet or Chrome book?

[ang79]

DD1 is 11 and in 5th grade. Next year she will be getting a chrome book from the school and will be able to bring it home to use it. So I was really trying to avoid getting a device, but lately she has been having to borrow my laptop to watch videos on Google Classroom for her homework. DD2 (9) has been using DH's desk computer to do Xtra math. I was going to let her use my Nexus tablet, but it appears you have to pay for the app to do xtra math, but the website is free. I'm starting to wonder if a tablet or chrome book for the girls to share would be a good idea.

We are not a techy family. Each girl has an e-ink Nook that they sometimes read on. We recently gave them old iphones, one is used as an ipod over wi-fi to take pictures and text family, the other is an emergency only phone that DD1 sometimes carries with her if she has afterschool activities and may need to be in touch with me about pick up times. I've put restrictions on both phones as best I know how and they are not allowed to purchase apps without permission from my account. Not sure I want yet another device to figure out parent controls for....

DD1 told me tonight that she feels like she is way behind her friends when it comes to technology. Even though she uses the chromebook daily in school, she often has to ask about how to do different functions, use different programs, etc. She also complains that her friends only talk about apps and games they have on their phones, or shows they watch (we only have super basic cable, so are not getting any of these shows and we don't watch much TV to begin with). While I don't want to add more technology to our simple lifestyle, I'm wondering if we need something more just to help with homework and get the girls more comfortable with programs they may use in school. So, what is a good, not too pricey option that they can use it for Google classroom, Xtra math, and maybe some popular games? Will a Kindle Fire work or do I need an android tablet or chromebook? Which is easiest to set parental controls on? Bonus points if you can point me to online deals with Black Friday/Cyber Monday coming up.

[citymama]

Desktop or Chromebook (if that's what her school uses). She needs a keyboard. My 11 year old has a Chromebook but I kinda wish we had a family desktop instead.

[JBaxter]

If you want it for school work I'd get the chromebook. I'm not sure about parental controls I have the search set on the google browser but I generally just check the history and most often they are in the living area. We are fairly liberal with tech stuff but they know I will collect it all and put it away if they break rules. 5th grade mine had working phones and I control app purchases through apple family share. My 3rd grader has computer homework for 30 minutes 2x a week. He actually saved his money and has his own laptop. We each have our own now.

[mom2binsd]

My DS uses his school chromebook at home. We have a desktop PC that he also uses, but he tends to use the school chromebook (it comes home everynight). He is able to watch YouTube on it, which is pretty much all he uses it for. Our school lets them keep the laptop after 8th grade (we rent for 100.00 a year, a few kids bring their own, but the school one's work better for homework and assignments and they fix and provide a loaner if you laptop has any problems).

If she's getting a chromebook at school, get the same one if you want to make it easy to go back and forth, and yes a keyboard is essential.