To ask if you shield your kids from technology?

[fuzzypicklehead]

Had an interesting visit from some relatives this week, with a much different approach to education and child-rearing than my own and it's left me pondering.

I let my own kids (2 and 4) watch (selective)tv, and probably have it on more than we should in the winter when the weather is crap. They have some Leapfrog type reading and writing toys, and I will also let them have limited, supervised use of my laptop, ipod and wii. I try to balance it with arts/crafts/sensory activities, board games and traditional toys (cars, dolls, cookers, etc) and plenty of running around and playing time.

Our relatives have a much different view of technology. They don't have a TV, or use battery operated toys, video games, etc. Their children attend a non-traditional school (I think we're not supposed to mention them on mumsnet) where there is also no technology and exposure to reading/writing is delayed until 7.

I guess I was just struck by the Mum's reaction when the kids wanted to share their toys and especially when they asked to play together on the wii. She was visibly uncomfortable, almost anxious when her kids were trying out these things which were obviously completely new to them. Almost as though the technology was dirty and she was worried her kids would be damaged or corrupted by it.

I know it's not recommended to let kids watch TV before 2 years old, but is it that weird to let toddlers access technology after 2 as a part of a balanced routine?

I'm like you, OP. My kids (also 2 & 4) are allowed limited access. i want them to be able to play without relying on technology, but I'm very aware that they need to be savvy about it in this day and age. I dont think I used a computer until I was 18, but I work in IT now and I see its importance. However limited is the key word here. They need to be able to grow and develop without constant electronic reliance. I therefore understand a parents reluctance to let it 'taint' their children for want of a better word, at such a young age, especially if they have had little direct exposure themselves.

Technology has totally changed my eldest son's life Without it we would have no idea how much he understood (well we didn't until he learned to use google maps when he was aged 10 or whatever age it was, something like that).

So no technology is good. As is being outside and running around, reading and cooking and whatever. It's always about balance isn't it. People can get terribly hung up about it.

The problem with computers and computer games etc is that they can be rather addictive, but that's where self regulation is a good thing to learn.

Going back to the original post, when my DCs were born,the flavour of the month was a thing called Baby Einstein. Videos of certain moving images accompanied by a classical music soundtrack was suppose to help the baby develop.

I guess popular thinking has moved on such that notletting babies watch TV at all is the flavour of the month.

pushydad I know ^plenty of DC who use screens for at least six hours a day.
The TV is on before they go to school for an hour.
When they get home (around 3.45-4pm) they either watch TV or play Xbox.
They're primary and don't get any HW. Their parents wouldn't dream of reading to them. In fact their parents are either watching TV all night or on FB.
They don't do anything else until they go to bed.
It is a shocking way to exist but fairly common.

This weekend we had tons of snow and are blessed with fabulous surrounding hills. Yet there were maybe ten families sledging in our village. The rest would have been glued to the box.

For really personal snobbish reasons, I would have never, never bought anything called Baby Einstein for the dc. Just the name made my blood boil.

I sometimes forget that l/we may not be 'typical'. 6 hours a day? That is a lot. We have a park nearby and apart from mums with toddlers and dog owners it is largely empty. I've always told myself that the local kids are off somewhere doing scouts and the like. Maybe not.

On the plus side we don't have gangs of kids hanging around the park or on street corners :o

I find the research utterly believable. In the US it's almost 8 hours a day according to some credible research on children aged 8 to 18. And much of that time was using more than one media concurrently.

Many teens sleep with their phones and text through the night. I imagine tracking the hours will become pretty meaningless - it will simply be almost every waking hour.