Mum can I play on your phone. . .

[NewFish]

Do you do this?
How often do you let them and for long? Do I need to lighten up? I just don't like letting them have unrestricted access to my phone. But wherever I go gt seems to be the norm.

[stargirl1701]

No. My phone is not a toy and is not suitable for a child. It is an expensive gadget for adults.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Very rarely. They inevitably tether it to a laptop or media device and use my data allowance to stream H20 on a never ending loop, which is both costly and annoying.

At home they have their own devices. If we are out for the day, all tech is banned.

Dd2 used to be allowed it when she had to come to work with me to play with her virtual pet, but she has a kindle now.

[NewFish]

That's my opinion too. But the culture has changed so much I see it more and more.
m
My nearly 6 year old feels left out as all the kids in her ballet class get to play when we're waiting for lessons. I won't let her.

[youarewinning]

I use to be the same. But then realised that whilst. DCs were playing games etc Ds was being left out. Mostly because they were all playing the same game iyswim? I don't allow it all the time but lightened up a little. He has his own iPad now which he uses at home but he's not allowed to take it out for the day or anything. However mornings like today when we are going to get car fixed and have to wait for 1.5 hours I'll allow him to take it. When I was his age I used hand held electronic games which I guess is the equivalent. (Think tamagotchi and space invaders type things!)

[D0oinMeCleanin]

If every other single child was using one, then I'd allow it. If there was even one child who was not I would encourage them to play with that child instead.

When mine used to do dancing the time between classes was always used to eat as many snacks as is humanly possible in just 15 minutes and to swap/compare snack packs or show off your new tap shoes.

[NewFish]

Yes we have a 45 minute wait between ballet classes. when I have one of them alone we practice reading or writing. When we were all together between classes we ate snacks and chatted. But I could see my oldest looking around the room at all the other kids on their tablets phones etc. My kids do have Innotabs without Internet. But I limit them too. I just don't like them using technology to quash boredom when theres plenty else to do.

[Jinty64]

Yes, I don't have a problem with it.

[Benzalkonium]

Make it really clear what else there is to do.

[ceeveebee]

I use it as last resort to calm 2.3 yo dd down when tantrumming - she just looks through my photos though, there are no games on my phone that I know of

[Haggisfish]

My DD (3.5) plays on my phone a lot - I have CBeebies and Babytv apps and a lots of books that are read out to her (including hairy mcclairy by david tennant), so I'm happy for her to be on it. We also spend a lot of time each day not looking at a screen and getting outside, so it balances out for me. I also heard a neurologist say once that children should become familiar with technology asap as it is increasingly going to become their world.

[pizzachickenhotforyou]

My baby's played on the baby apps and looked at photos on my iphone since a couple of months old! She was fascinated by it.

She's not a year old now and uses the baby apps a couple of times a week, usually on train or bus journeys or waiting at the doctors etc. Or when her teeth are really bad.
She loves it and tries to count along with it but just says baby noises at the right time.
She knows how to use a touch screen and this shocked her nan but this is how things are now and good to learn alongside other skills such as using cutlery, hair brush, pens at the same time.

[specialsubject]

I also think 'no'. And it means they are seeing adults doing lots of phone playing.

it is an expensive gadget, not a toy.Buy her a plastic one if you must.

and make sure there's no way money can be spent on it!

[BackforGood]

No.
Same as Stargirl said in the first reply. It's not a toy, it's my phone.

[FrimpongDench]

If you're worried there's an app called Kids Place that only allows them access to apps you check the box for. So they can only get to Ceebies and Chuggington for example.

[McPheezingMyButtOff]

No. It's not a toy. Toys are in the toybox.

[kellibabylove]

My dd's play games on my phone while waiting for the other ones ballet class to finish as theyre in different groups. Sometimes if were early for swimming theyll play a quick game together while theyre waiting.
Other than that they have their innotabs etc which they don't play on that much.

[chattychattyboomba]

My DD is currently watching bubble guppies whilst eating her lunch on her I-pad. Yes...it's her own. She is 2+10 months and we bought it for her when we bought ours before a trip to Aus.
I know it's lazy parenting but it gives me a few minutes without constant chatter...yes I'm mean but she talks SO MUCH and often just about how 'it's cold outside innit mummy? Is it cold mummy? Mummy? Mummy? Yeah...cold. It's very cold. Gotta put a coat on, but you can't wear shoes mummy...gotta wear boots innit mummy? Is it waining mummy? Is the wain outside mummy? Mummy? Because it is waining...but we not gonna go in de wain...innit mummy?' Very very cute but OMG! There's only so much of this line of conversation a grown adult can cope with without going slightly nuts. I'm a convert to the technology gang. All the way.

[GingerMaman]

My DD is only 9 months but constantly wants my phone.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Doesn't bother me except for the fact that the battery is always run down when I want to use it.

[BackforGood]

Quite an interesting article here made me think of this discussion.
OK, it's American/Canadian but it's a fairly up to date study and backed with research references.

[Eletheomel]

My husband used to let DS1 have his phone when he was a baby/toddler - he went through 3 phones that way...

Needless to say DS2 hasn't been given his current phone at all.

I only have a mobile for emergencies (it's never switched on unless I want to make a call) but if my son finds it around the house I don't mind him putting the music on it and dancing around. There are no games on it that he knows about (or that I do - it's a bit of a brick), so that's not an issue.

Personal thing really, maybe depends on how expensive your phone is or how much screen time you're happy with your kids having (I like to restrict it generally, so DS1 (aged 4) doesn't play with tablets or ipads or phones (other than my crappy musical one :-).

[mostlyconfused]

I've let my DD play on my phone and iPad since she was able to. She loves it and has learned a lot from it. There are some great apps for teaching colours, shapes, letters, spelling, how to tell the time etc. she also has some games that are just for fun.

I don't see any harm in it as long as it's not for more than 1 hour in total each day and you are mixing in lots of other play and learning. Also, when traveling it is a godsend! Had a lovely peaceful time in a plane recently thanks to a Doc McStuffins game!

My niece has a leapfrog pad and I think the iPad apps are better. It just depends what you allow them to use it for.

[survivingthechildren]

We have a family ipad in one of those smash proof cases (so far so good! ), so that's what they use for apps and games.

My phone (bar occasional exceptions) is for adult use only. Mainly because it's blooming expensive and I'm always terrified the DC will drop it!