Toddlers and Tablets
We want to raise our children to be happy, healthy, well-adjusted, successful adults one-day, but it’s not an easy road to get to that point. We face many tough decisions along the way, and then question if it was the right decision—what age should they do extracurricular activities, what school should they go to, should they have a tablet, what age do I introduce technology?
Parenting during any generation can be challenging, but parents today face an added dilemma—iPhones, iPads, and tablets. These devices are still considered new; iPads were released in 2010. That is only 10 years ago. We don’t know the full good or bad effects that screens can have on young developing minds, so it’s up to us, as parents, to decide if we should introduce a digital device to our toddler or if there is a more effective way to teach the same concept.
When considering if you should give your toddler a digital device, you should think of your end goal. Ask yourself these questions:
1. Is your goal to give your child an educational experience with a tablet? Toddlers and preschoolers learn best through hands-on experiences. When they can use their five senses to interact with the world around them their brain begins to make connections that help them grow and learn. Young minds have a hard time digesting all the bells, whistles and rewards that “educational” apps offer, so it actually hinders them from discovering how they learn best.
2. Is your goal to make your child tech-savvy? It’s easy to think we are helping to give our toddler a head start by providing them with a tablet early on because they can learn how to operate it for school. Being able to tap, swipe, and download are tasks we learned as adults, so I’m sure our bright children can learn these “skills” later in life too. It’s more important for children to develop visual-spatial skills (time and space concepts). These types of skills come from hands-on, 3-D activities like building blocks, navigating a maze, or following instructions. Sixty Minutes did a study that showed toddlers could not transfer the knowledge they got from playing with blocks on a tablet to real life blocks.
3. Is your goal to prevent boredom? If we give our child a digital device to occupy their time when boredom strikes, such as a car ride, eating at a restaurant, waiting at a doctor’s office, etc., then we are setting a precedent for turning to a device every time they feel bored. Being bored helps them learn to problem solve and build creativity by learning to fill that time on their own. We need to set a good example though by not using our phone to “fill the void” ourselves. (Speaking to myself here!)
4. Is your goal to make your child happy? I’m sure a tablet or digital device will make your toddler happy for a certain time. Take a moment to think about your childhood. What do you remember most? I’m sure it’s not the time you spent in front of the TV or a certain toy; it’s most likely the experiences you had with the ones you love. If your toddler is spending time on a tablet, then they are missing out on spending quality time with you and the family. They are missing out on the experiences you had.
5. Is your goal to prevent a meltdown? Your child is throwing a tantrum, you’re frustrated, and it’s very tempting to give your toddler a phone/tablet to soothe them. I know, I’ve been there too! Learning to understand and handle feelings is a hard, but important job during childhood. And if we hand them a phone each time they feel sad, angry, anxious, or stressed, then they are not learning to deal with their emotions which could follow them throughout life.
Ultimately, the decision of if or when to give your child a tablet is yours, because you are the parent. Some children may be able to use a tablet in moderation and not have it become a problem, while others may start preferring it over hands-on experiences and personal connections with family. As a parent we need to remain alert of these signs of “addiction,” which I will share next week. What tricks do you have to find balance with toddlers and tablets?
