# Parenting Advice on TikTok and Toy Gifts

> Parents debate TikTok bedtime use and toy gift timing.
- Title: Parenting Advice on TikTok and Toy Gifts · Slate Magazine
- Summary: Parents debate TikTok bedtime use and toy gift timing. A parent questions letting their 10-year-old watch TikTok in bed nightly, while another parent fights…
- Keywords: tiktok, bedtime, toy gifts, parenting advice, 10-year-old, 6-year-old, mermaids, gift giving, family values, social media, Slate Magazine
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/advice/2026/11/parenting-advice-nightly-tiktok-ritual.html?via=rss
- Author: A.J. Daulerio
- Published: 2026-11-12T18:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tiktok, bedtime, toy gifts, parenting advice, 10-year-old, 6-year-old, mermaids, gift giving, family values, social media
## Parenting Concern
A parent questions letting their 10-year-old watch TikTok in bed nightly.

> My wife and I have a 10-year-old daughter. She doesn’t have a phone and isn’t going to have one for as long as possible.
## TikTok Bedtime Ritual
The parent’s wife lets their daughter watch TikTok for 20 minutes each night.

> My wife lets our daughter watch tiktok in bed with her for like 20 minutes each night
## Parent’s Fear
The parent worries TikTok is brain-rotting and makes kids hate themselves.

> I think tiktok is stupid and brain-rotting, but my wife says it’s important for our daughter to know what’s going on in the culture
## Expert Response
A.J. Daulerio admits his 9-year-old son is fluent in influencers and ads.

> I have a 9-year-old son who is already fully-fluent in influencers who open baseball cards
## Social Media Reality
Social media is a scourge but also the world we live in.

> Bottom line: Social media is a scourge. But, it is also the world we live in and is never going away
## Toy Gift Debate
A parent fights with their mother over frequent toy purchases for a 6-year-old.

> I have a 6-year-old daughter. I really like buying toys and books for her
## Toy Gift Conflict
The parent’s mother thinks gifts should be for birthdays and Christmas only.

> She thinks gifts should be for birthdays and christmas, and that i’m "cheapening" those occasions
## Expert Toy Advice
A.J. Daulerio says buy toys now for happiness, not saving for special occasions.

> I also buy my kids too many toys, whenever i feel motivated to do so. Kids are only going to be young once
## Parenting Conclusion
The parent should prioritize their daughter’s happiness over gift timing.

> Your mom isn’t the parent here, you are
## Key takeaway

A parent questions letting their 10-year-old watch TikTok in bed nightly, while another parent fights with their mother over frequent toy purchases for a 6-year-old.