To not let my three year old use technology

[ohmygodkaren]

I've always thought that not allowing my three year old to use technology was good. Strains her eye's, she can learn using paper and pen etc etc

I was speaking to my sister who made the valid point of when my dad starts school. They will use stuff like iPad and computers.

My dd won't have a clue how too use them.

Can I have some perspective on this?

Should I start allowing her too use it, such as games to learn. How long should she go on it for? What iPads should I buy for her etc etc??

It’s all about balance isn’t it. My youngest has been using a tablet since she was 2/3 (thanks to having older siblings!) but we also do lots of other things with her.
She has lots of books, we read with her every day (her reading level is above average). She has an art box full of pens, paper, notebooks, kid scissors, sellotape etc and loves writing and drawing. She does sports clubs and swimming, rides a bike, goes to the park lots.
As long as the technology is alongside other activities then i think it’s fine. We have a rule of no gadgets at dinner (adults too!) so this is a time for everyone to sit and chat.

We have a Kindle Fire for her and I think it’s good. It makes travelling loads easier!
Be extra careful with YouTube, even YouTube kids.
CBeebies has good kids games - Alphablocks for example helped when she was learning to read. Toca games are fun.

(I do have to admit hating it though when I see a parent pushing a pram yacking on their phone with the kid staring at a YouTube video - I always liked those times to chat with my dcs about all the things we were walking past).

My DS had and has a Leapfrog Ultra, VERY robust and aimed at kids, so a) you can set very effective parental controls b) you get loads of educational games and app, the only real downside is it's American so a lot of stuff is English/American but he's had it for a good few years now and it's still in pretty good condition.

Technology is so much a part of life now I'm not sure why you wouldn't let her. Mine use an ordinary iPad mini. We do limit time on it but there are loads of educational apps and things hey can play with on there. It's good for hand eye coordination too

insancerre - I agree with you it’s good for kids to get bored sometimes, mine come up with their best games when I tell them ‘just go off and play!’ However this only seems to happen first thing in the morning, or at weekends and holidays. After school they just seem too tired to do this. I think they are pushed pretty hard at school nowadays.

Really don't see the need to buy a child that age their own tablet. Download s couple of games on yours, and guide play on it for 30 minutes then turn it off.

As for wanting her to learn planets etc, she'll do that regardless of a tablet or not. If she's not engaging with flash cards etc I'd look at how you're playing woth them rather than abandon them as they're still a useful learning tool

Insacerre they can do both. My daughter uses my phone and iPad most days. This morning after a little while she pushed it away and asked for a book. She has been on muddy outdoor walks on three of the last five days, plus been to a gym class and soft play. I don't think anyone is suggesting that preschoolers should be glued to screens from dawn to dusk. Everything in moderation is the best way in my view.

Christ my daughter has been watching cartoons on iPad since about 6 months old but as a disabled lone parent I kind of had to allow it or I'd get nothing done.

I am not against screens, in fact when I hear that people are, intend to think of the Victorians who thought reading was bad for children.

My children have been able to use iPads from a young age...however I do regret not introducing them to desktops with a mouse as my eldest took a while to get this at school after the ease of touch screens.

The other issue we have had is our school using various apps for progress updates, and even homework, which really need an android or PC set up...while we are an apple household...we had to buy a cheap all-in-one PC for this and rapidly get him up to speed.

We do have a system at home though with screen time bought with completion of other tasks -playing outdoors for 30 mins, getting written homework done etc...just to make sure screen time doesn't become the number 1 priority.

I agree with you insancerre. Although my children do use "technology", but I don't think they are advance or ahead because they are able to use apps on a tablet. And they also don't need to play on tablets because "it is the future". It's not something you need a lot of practise to be able to do.
Children also don't need them in order to learn things, but I suppose TV/apps etc can teach children things so that parents don't have to do it themselves. (Mine are watching Planet Earth on iplayer at the moment).
But I think it is wrong to say that children who use technology are somehow ahead or that they can gain knowledge from these things that they would otherwise not be able to gain. There are plenty of books about the planets, nature etc.

But aspergallus if they can earn screen time by playing outside then screen time really IS the number one priority because you are making it a treat/reward. Playing outdoors should not be a task that needs completing in order to get a reward.

Mine didn't have access to tablets/screens until they started school and both are extremely digitally literate, it's a running joke that DD gets called to help other adults in school with their technology.
They pick it up really quickly at school at a young age, don't worry.

iPads and screens are tools. What matters is how you use them.

Shoving a kid in front of the TV/iPad all day, or allowing a young kid to have unmonitored social media is not good.

Using iPad to FaceTime granny, looking up animal noises for a curious child, looking up that funny bird you saw at the park pond, or fifteen mins in front of the Gruffalo while you cook tea is not going to do any harm.

Not using an iPad at all until they hit a few years old is not going to cause harm either. They’re so intuitive even animals (orang utans for example) can use them.

It’s like everything - context and moderation is key.

I wouldn't worry about it OP and stick to the no technology rule for now until she asks for it. She will pick it up at school! My girls rarely use tablets and certainly didn't start before 3yrs old (later for my first one). It has its uses but if you don't need it now why bother? Your DD is definitely not going to be missing out!

I didn't allow my son any electronics until he was 4, they weren't completely avoidable (i.e. at other peoples houses), but he didn't have a tablet or computer at home. They do have to use tablets at school, so for his birthday he had a gaming system (barely uses it) and last xmas he had an amazon tablet. I do understand they need to use screens and learn tech skills, but I do think a lot of parents become dependent on handing them over for a bit of peace/give in to easy when their child cries for it (easily done!), and it's certainly not necessary for a 2/3 yr old to have Ipads or expensive tablets typically aimed at adults.

Using a tablet or iPad proficiently does not require any real computing skills.

Unfortunately a lot of parents think that because a child can use an iPad, they are great at computing.

Allow your kids to use tablets and iPad as a way of keeping amused or for fun but if you have time please take the time to show them how your PC or Mac works.

'Technology' comes 'under understanding the world' in the early years foundation stage.

Have a look at Development Matters to see where she should be.

YANBU
She will pick it up fine at school.
I personally allow a bit of tv and sometimes he watches a video on the phone (but that is not often, I dont even have a smart phone only my husband does)
I think its really up to you as I dont think she will gain any computing skills from using an Ipad at home this young. Its just entertainment at this age.
Best to focus on manual skills like writing, painting, puzzles at that age as those things WILL help massively in school.

But it's also vital to be able to talk to people and interact with them.

Many jobs will also involve using motor skills.

So learning via interacting with other people and physical play are really important parts of our social development.

I don't really buy the idea that early use of technology is a vital educational/developmental tool. To mind it is simply a cheap(ish) ways of keeping children quiet in the house - or on outings - while parents do other things. Which, for busy parents, is probably useful. But there are downsides....

It's also worth mentioning that schools often comment about how children arrive not knowing how to sit at a table and eat with cutlery...

Or maybe even to follow instructions about needing to sit and pay attention for short periods when someone is talking.

Not sure if anybody's mentioned this yet, but part of the Early Years Foundation Stage includes use of technology.

By 50 months (4yr2m) as well as being competent in using physical toys such as those with knobs and pulleys, and showing an interest in objects such as cameras and molile phones, the child should know that information can be retrieved from computers.

By the 5th birthday, the EYFS looks for the child to be able to use IT hardware to interact with age appropriate software, and to be able to complete a simple program on a computer.

Ricottapancakes I understand what you are saying, but obviously I know my children best...and my really geeky indoorsy books/tv/iPad orientated child needs the incentive to do other things. More often than not, going out to earn iPad time results in him being out all day and forgetting all about the iPad or learning a new note on his guitar ends up with him playing for a couple of hours. What we do has made his activities much more varied. My younger child is naturally more active and the iPad is a last resort for him when he can't think of anything else he wants to do.

We have a leap pad for 3.5 year old DS which he loves and there's loads of educational games you can buy for it. (Toys r us are having a closing down sale you could probably get it cheaply!)

We also have an iPad which is ours that he goes on (he thinks it's his though as he does with everything in the house! 😂) but he uses it only occasionally.

No screens is pointless imo as it's just a part of life now.
If it's a 'school' day then he has 30 minutes screen time, weekends he has 1.5 - 2 hours. Some people think that's a lot but there's another 10+ hours in the day that he is active for and he is VERY active! 😂

Tablets and phones are designed to be user friendly. This extends to children too. They are not complicated and are not 'computing', if they use them in school she will pick it up very easily.

Don't buy your 3 year old daughter a tablet so that she won't be behind in school ffs. When our generation were growing up we didn't have touch screen technology but most if not all 20-40 year olds are competent at using iPads and iPhones- children are no different.

I completely agree with the majority on here who say don't worry too much about it and that 'play' is the most important thing right now, together with social and emotional learning and language acquisition (so lots of play dates and reading/sharing books together and talking about things that you are doing). However...as of this week we know that Reception children will be tested within their first 6 weeks of school on their language and maths skills (possibly some social skills too, the content hasn't been released yet). This is going to be done on a tablet, using an app or some kind of game program with the teacher, so if your child has absolutely no knowledge of a tablet (most schools will use iPads) this might challenge them and be a bit scary. It would be prudent to give your child some access to child friendly apps on your iPad, so that they do know that tablets are fun and friendly and they know how to navigate through...the tests will be set up like a game. Of course the teacher will do the navigating for children who are inexperienced, but children who have already experienced apps/games will be much more relaxed when going through this already controversial process! The main thing of course at this age is to make it fun, age/ability appropriate, supervise and limit.