Toddlers and Technology

amother

Mon, Oct 25 2021, 9:22 pm

My daughter is 2.5. Until now my approach to technology has been zero screen time. No computer, no iPad, no videos etc. If, for example, a grandparent wants to show something on their phone I’ll get pretty upset and ask them to put it away. She does see me and my husband and her grandparents using technology around her and now that she’s “older” and very perceptive, I need to reassess.

On the one hand, I know that it’s a slippery slope once she gets up close and personal with the addictive lights and touchscreens…I myself want to limit my own screen time and I wish my husband would too. On the other hand, I know she will be exposed to and using technology in her life. I’m wondering if I should davka introduce tech to her in an appropriate way, ie showing her pictures or videos of family on an iPhone.

Would love to hear thoughts of other moms of toddlers and older!! I know this will only become a bigger question as she gets older.

amother

Hyacinth

Mon, Oct 25 2021, 9:53 pm

You’re still in charge. It’s not like she can go buy her own ipad, pay for her own cell
Phone bill, turn the tv on herself etc.

We allow limited screen time (Sunday mornings while I folded laundry and unloaded dishwasher, for example) and in car on long trips. It was also made clear that this is a privilege not a right and we have full veto power.

I do not at all think it’s all or nothing. You can put tight boundaries

amother

Valerian

Mon, Oct 25 2021, 11:22 pm

We let them use it for FaceTime with grandparents and other family members and they watch pbs kids tv shows (on our tv). I don't have any games or apps for them and I don't let them use it unsupervised. I teach older kids but I'm very wary of the impact that screen time has on attention spans, imaginative play, and perseverance. I know it'll be harder and less realistic to keep devices out of their hands as they get older (we do not live in a screen-free community), but I'm just trying to be conscious and set limits.

LovesHashem

Tue, Oct 26 2021, 3:18 am

Older is like 6 or 8 or 10. It's best for development to have no screentime.

Try not to use your screens too much around her and she won't want to see so much.

amother

Tue, Oct 26 2021, 6:09 am

I agree with the two posts above that screen free is best but I can’t control my husbands and her grandparents usage in front of her. And the reason I said she is older is because she picks up on this kind of forbidden fruit concept…like everyone is using it (I try to limit my usage but even so she knows it’s the camera, it plays music, sometimes I need to use it in front of her to look things up or send messages) and then I get upset when someone overuses in front of her or tries to show her a video. They all know how I feel but screens are a huge part of peoples lives whether I like it or not.