Ban iPads & Tablets For Children

[londonmummyof1]

Is it just me, or does the iPad generation bother anyone else?

We went on a family holiday to Spain with my husband and almost 3 year old daughter, and at breakfast, lunch and dinner it’s the same sight - parents bringing out iPads for their preschool children to sit and watch - while eating!?! This is something I have never seen before and I absolutely do not agree with. I think seeing the scale of the problem during this one holiday shows what a problem this is. The thing is, the children aren’t even given the choice of asking for the iPad or to watch a show, it’s just slapped down in front of them and then they are glued. No interaction, just plugged into this simulated world, at the prime time in their life they are developing their language, speech, behaviour and personality - under the age of 5.

We did not bring an iPad for our child on holiday because we wanted to play in the swimming/splash pool, go to the beach etc and we spent such quality time with our child with memories we will keep forever.

This did not happen 20 or even 10 years ago - what did parents do with their children then? God forbid did they COMMUNICATE with their children at the dinner table?

What is happening to this world? Why not have a conversation with your child or bring a sticker book or story book for them to look at if feeding time is difficult. Every parent has been there with challenging mealtimes, but lugging the iPad around during 3 mealtimes, that’s a minimum of 3 hours your child is in a zombie state of mind, you’re starving them of developing their speech and ability to play by themselves and entertain themselves through play.

Do parents understand that too much screen time is extremely damaging to young children and can pave the way to obesity and development issues later in life?

I feel so passionate about this topic, as I’ve even seen some parents putting their children in pushchairs by the swimming pools glued to an iPad, when they could be swimming and having fun with their parents or siblings.

Parenting can be really tough, but somehow I think government intervention is required as this is such a vicious cycle, what future are we preparing our children for???

Simple alternatives to iPad/Tablet entertainment:

Play doh
Stickers
Books
Playing cards
Colouring books
Drawing

Absolutely BAN iPads & Tablets for children.

My two youngest would be glued to iPads 24/7 it was becoming a huge massive issue so I banned them. The zombies they became whilst on them bothered me. My older boys didn’t have iPads so even commented on their brothers dependance on them. I was going through a rough time and yes wrongly used them as a babysitter, but it came back and bit me so now things are much better and the Ipad is used for a reward for good behaviour or homework but kids manage to play and do other stuff instead.
But do what suits you, certainly wouldn’t take them out or to restraunts or on holiday.

I couldn't care less how much "screen time" children get, but I'd totally support a ban on tablets in public without earphones or the volume muted. It's not acceptable to inflict that noise on others.

Kindles are fantastic for dyslexia - you can change the font size, change the font, adjust the contrast. All my children read far better from a kindle than a book.

"Colouring on a screen just involves jabbing with a finger, not pencil control or pencil hold and again is more passive"

EXCUSE ME? Have you ever actually DONE any art on an ipad?

Please don't ever talk to a digital artist.

oh.. and my son CANT HOLD a pencil properly.. so colouring on his tablet by 'jabbing with his STYLUS' is a lot easier for him than trying to hold a crayon.

The kind of colouring my kids have done on ipads is definitely of the jabby finger kind.

Being a digital artist is quite different as I'm sure you are aware.

I think the thread title is sensational, which annoys people sick of 'nanny state' proposals like the sugar tax.

However, it would be great if it made people think and try to suggest other alternatives to their children, ensuring the iPad is not always the first port of call.

Also, one tip I read was to make sure that there are never instances where they always have to have screens. So a portion of a car journey yes, but not every car journey. Some restaurant time, but exception rather than the rule. Never at the table at home.

It's all about moderation.

iPads can actually act as “missiles” in a car accident and cause injury to passengers. I wouldn’t ever use one in the car.

Anything can act as a missile in a car accident, bags, books, mobile 'phone, cups, etc.

iPads can actually act as “missiles” in a car accident and cause injury to passengers. I wouldn’t ever use one in the car.

So can anything else, so unless you literally sit in the car with no loose items whatsoever for the entirety of any car journey, that's not really saying much.

We're doing a six hour drive to Devon in June, like hell would I expect my two year old to sit rear-facing for that distance without anything to entertain him, iPad or not.

Well yes, that’s why I don’t have anything loose in the car - even my bag is inside the boot.

I agree OP! A piece of paper and a pencil is a great alternative

Judging other parents based on a small snippet of their life is really not on. You have no idea how their children spend the rest of the day or whether they have different rules on holiday, or if they have special needs.

Tablets can be useful and educational. Overuse of them can be a problem but it's for each parent to decide what works for their family. Unfortunately some parents makes bad decisions eg smoke around their kids, use racist language, leave five year olds without supervision etc. Overuse of tablets is a small problem by comparison.

Most parents who allow their children have some kind of rules or restrictions about them. My kids are older, aged 8,10and 11 and they have one hour on their tablet each day, two hours on holiday.

Also it very much depends what it is being used for. If it is watching videos that's the same as TV. It could be games that improve hand eye coordination, and most preschool games are educational in that they teach colours, numbers etc. There are apps for colouring and drawing. You can also read books or listen on them. Presumably you don't consider reading, listening to music or drawing to be detrimental to children do you cannot state that all tablet use is bad.

I do agree with you op, found this online puts it quite well

"Quantity or quality
Media is like food: A healthy diet is all about how much you take in and the nutrient content of the diet. Too much is rarely a good thing. Excessive media consumption in children can cause adverse effects on the child’s development later in life, in terms of health, lifestyle, social skills and academic achievements. In other words, good parenting involves providing both leeway and limits regarding media consumption."

Also

"Some research does, however, suggest that screens could contribute to the onset of problems including near-sightedness and astigmatism. "

There's so much on it,

I don't have a an iPad for my 2yr old but we do watch tv at some point duing the day (around meal times)

Cowparsley you are wrong, schools recognise that digital awareness is important in today's world and frequently use ipads and other screens in class as well as the many other things they do.

Bonbon - its not about whether we are 'judging' only a small slice of someones life, i couldn't give a fig what the parents do with their kids the rest of the time- they might be reading Shakespeare and learning mandarin for all I know or care - its just this ubiquitous use of screens for kids as a first port of call is a shame. Shoot me but can't help how I feel.

It's a hundredth of the price and doesn't break for a start...

How do you know they didn't also go to the beach and splash park and spend quality time?
But during meals.they let their kids look at iPad. Same as giving them a pencil and paper really.

And which restaurant wants you playing play d'oh on their tables?

I haven’t read the full thread, but agree with you in principle OP, although you are a braver woman than me to start this thread, as I know it’s a controversial subject. There is evidence to show that too much screen time is damaging for young kids. Here is just one example:

academic.oup.com/pch/article/22/8/461/4392451

Well yes, that’s why I don’t have anything loose in the car - even my bag is inside the boot.

Well for me, it would be significantly more dangerous for me to be distracted while driving by a screaming child for six hours than to let said child have a tablet in a foam case.

Anyone in possession of a two year old who will happily spend a six hour car journey, while rear facing, completely silent and content - I applaud you. You're clearly a better parent than I am.

I find it quite strange that in this day and age where freedom of speech is so significant - and we encourage others to speak their opinions - and where we have seen all sorts of topics come out of the woodwork and put an end to bad ways of the past - you aren’t able to speak about a new trend in behaviour when it comes to children.

I found it shocking and I am not afraid to speak up about it.

Banning the devices for children (especially preschoolers) is an extreme solution, but it has shed light on the problem.

We as parents are the ones in control and the only ones that can put an end to it.

People are aware of limits and guidelines set by the NHS and health professionals so it’s important these professionals educate us more.

The tablet devices are a new technology and perhaps those professionals aren’t aware of how much they are used by children and under 5s. More needs to be done.

Zzzzz you can do all those things on a piece of paper