Do you let your toddler play with your phone?

[peaches35]

Just that really. My 15 month old DS loves my iPhone and already uses his finger to swipe the screen. I find it really sad/depressing and try not to give it to him very often, but admit that I do let him play with it occasionally when I’m desperate for some peace and a break.

Now he knows what it does though he gets really bad tempered when I sit on the sofa reading my phone whilst he’s playing. He will stop what he’s doing and demand the phone, so I now have to hide it when he’s around!

I feel like a crap mum for letting him get hold of it in the first place. Is anyone else’s toddler like this?

@Eggcellent29

Nope. 16 month old - no screen time at all including TV.

He doesn’t need it and gets much more out of looking at books, etc. I may feel like I could do with him watching something at times, but it’s a personal choice that I’ve made for his benefit rather than mine, so I don’t.

It may all change tomorrow 😆 but that’s how it’s been so far!

Out of interest, how is his speech?

My toddler has their own iPad 😂 and yes, they use my phone as well sometimes. It’s the only way she’ll lay still for a nappy change & I don’t want poo on my carpet! She watches Bing on it while I do it. She also watches the iPad in the car on longer journeys, it’s brilliant for preventing danger naps! My eldest watched loadsa TV & iPads & phones. She’s bright as a button, really well behaved, has always had excellent speech & language. We do loads of other activities as well, we see friends regularly, she does swimming, art class, gym class, football.. she plays out on her scooter with the neighbours kids. She had a very rounded life but does watch a fair chunk of TV & always has .. it’s 2021. Not 1960. Technology is fine so long as it’s not 24/7!

The bit that's really sad to read is people giving them to babies while changing their nappy 🥺
That's such an intimate moment for eye contact ect.

To answer your question no I've not given them my phone. I think the lack of eye contact stunts social skills. We have iPads. The first time we used them in public was with 3yo on a flight. Worked a dream. I still wouldn't use them in situations like waiting rooms because I want them to learn to wait without being dependant.

I'm not being judgey. It just makes me sad reading about the nappy changes.

@stabinthedark0

The bit that's really sad to read is people giving them to babies while changing their nappy 🥺 That's such an intimate moment for eye contact ect.

To answer your question no I've not given them my phone. I think the lack of eye contact stunts social skills. We have iPads. The first time we used them in public was with 3yo on a flight. Worked a dream. I still wouldn't use them in situations like waiting rooms because I want them to learn to wait without being dependant.

I'm not being judgey. It just makes me sad reading about the nappy changes.

Eye roll

@stabinthedark0

The bit that's really sad to read is people giving them to babies while changing their nappy 🥺 That's such an intimate moment for eye contact ect.

To answer your question no I've not given them my phone. I think the lack of eye contact stunts social skills. We have iPads. The first time we used them in public was with 3yo on a flight. Worked a dream. I still wouldn't use them in situations like waiting rooms because I want them to learn to wait without being dependant.

I'm not being judgey. It just makes me sad reading about the nappy changes.

Lol. My 2.5yo DS doesn't appreciate nappy eye contact anymore. I don't use a phone but I absolutely would if it kept him still whilst changing a dirty nappy!

@stabinthedark0 please keep your pity for children who are actually emotionally neglected. You say you aren't being judgey but I beg to differ.
The second DS could crawl any beautiful moments of eye contact during nappy changes were out the window.
I feel so sad thinking about babies being physically restrained during nappy changes hence a distraction like my phone, or my car keys, or the whisk etc.. is used instead. I'm very relaxed when it comes to mess and if I have to wipe some poo from the changing table so be it but his desire to break free puts him at risk of hurting himself.

@stabinthedark0 speak for yourself. Intimate moment for eye contact 😂😂😂 my 16 month has screamed the house down since newborn and usually still does. Though I normally can distract him enough with a toy eventually.

@stabinthedark0 haha! The intimate moment of wiping up poo and wee and invariably getting covered in it myself whilst my DC yells and tries to launch himself off the changing mat

@adamant8 yeah funnybinnot

Yes, I love staring adoringly into DD's eyes as I wipe rancid shit off her arse while she pretends she is a wriggly worm. It's a really special time for us both. Especially when I get poo on my hand. Brings a tear to the eye.

@Elune LOL!

I think I recall saying to my DP when we decided to try for children, "I sure can't wait for those intimate moments, staring into my childs eyes whilst I wipe their shitty arse."

Toddler shit stinks and I try to get it over with as quickly as possible, aint no one got time for that! 😆

Ha! Yes I prefer my intimate moments to contain less excrement.

@Elune

Ha! Yes I prefer my intimate moments to contain less excrement.

@orangejuicer

I hate to use the word ‘normal’ but pretty much that 😆 Uses a variety of single words, occasionally a couple together but with varied degrees of actual meaning, lots of BSL.

I should also say that he is around other children every day for my work so he’s occupied a lot - I don’t know what I would have done differently, if anything, if that wasn’t the case.

[quote Eggcellent29]@orangejuicer

I hate to use the word ‘normal’ but pretty much that 😆 Uses a variety of single words, occasionally a couple together but with varied degrees of actual meaning, lots of BSL.

I should also say that he is around other children every day for my work so he’s occupied a lot - I don’t know what I would have done differently, if anything, if that wasn’t the case.[/quote]
That's really interesting, thanks.

As mentioned my DS watches a lot of tv but has picked up a lot through seeing words played out in context.