https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:06:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-49095 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:34:21 +0000 tequiero21 49095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>as of now, with no kids, i want to say no way! to kids playing with an ipod/ipad. but ask me again in a year, when i've had my kids. easier to say what you're not going to do when you're not in the situation, eh? every kid i know plays with an ipod/ipone/ipad. and we do have an ipad and ipod.... =T </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48984 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:11:34 +0000 mrs. wagon 48984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: that's exactly what we did... only a friend of ours upgraded to a new iPhone and gave us their old one. Rob Sr. jailbroke it and basically made it into an iPod touch with a camera. We loaded it with free kids apps and some of his favorite videos, disabled in-app purchases, and let him go at it! He is totally addicted, unfortunately, so it's a daily battle to get him to play with other things before resorting to the iPod. But when we're out at the store or a restaurant, it's nice to be able to hand him his own iPod (with a nice thick rubber case) instead of him whining for our smartphones.</p> <p>You might want to look on craigslist for an old iPhone or iPod touch. That's what we'd do if his broke. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48893 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 23:25:52 +0000 daniellemybelle 48893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't have kids yet but my friend's 3 year old son once was playing with her iPhone, and brought to her saying, "Um, mama, I think you need your wallet for this one." He was trying to buy an app, haha!</p> <p>It is crazy that I'd consider buying a used iPod Touch for our kids (with an Otter Box to keep it from being destroyed) as an educational toy of sorts? I'd prefer that then them begging for our iDevices, and I don't really see it as any different than computer or TV time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48736 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:13:00 +0000 Andrea 48736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I use the iPhone to distract my daughter during diaper changes (poopy ones). Nothing else seems to work - she can get into quite the rage when I try to change her diaper. I let her use some apps on the iPad from time to time but not a lot either. I don't know if it's a threat or not but I don't think she needs a lot of exposure yet at 20 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48704 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:45:56 +0000 Boogs 48704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO never uses any of our iDevices yet, but I have a nephew who is already clearly addicted! Lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48681 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:48:37 +0000 j0s1e267 48681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We let our 30 months old LO watch children music videos on my iPhone occasionally as a treat or when we are busy with our newborn twins. Usage is usually limited to 30 mins max. No games, educational or otherwise. There are other things she can do.</p> <p>Never at meal times!!!! Meal time is family time. We have trained her to sit with us at the family table (in her boaster chair or high chair) since she was less than a year old. When she was younger, she can be playing with her baby toys or eating finger food. now, she eats when we eat. At home, she may leave the dinner table when she is done. Outside, she stays put until we are all done. We have been able to bring her to nice dinning establishments where meals are about 2 hours long. A pack of crayons &amp; some paper does wonder too :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48676 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:06:19 +0000 SAHM0811 48676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, my older DD (almost 4 yo) plays with our iPhones and iPads from time to time. I do limit her usage, but I'd have to say she plays with either for a fair amount of time a day. There are a ton of learning tools on it that she's benefited from. She's pretty good at an addition and subtraction app... that's really blown me away, as well as other things. </p> <p>Interesting to note, she learned how to type her name before mastering how to write it. she's in preschool and it's the same with other kids her age. Is this bad, good, or just different (than how we grew up)? It's anyone's opinion. I just think that with today's changing world, kids these days will be exposed to technology like we've never seen before. It's affected what they learn in school too. Cursive handwriting isn't even being taught anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48659 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:10:31 +0000 loveisstrange 48659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No way. I really don't want my kids to think that electronics are a necessity. I would rather they learn to play and entertain themselves than to think that a little glowing screen has to do it for them. I don't want them addicted to technology. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48594 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:27:51 +0000 heffalump 48594@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The only thing of those that we own is a phone, and she will not get to play with it. I don't have the kind of money to replace them if they break. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48565 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:24:23 +0000 BoogieBea 48565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I must say that the iPhone does come in handy when we're out and about or at a restaurant. Our LO gets so engrossed in it. We are at the phase where.hiTunes of it is very limited. It got really out of hand when he entered his terrible twos. We couldn't even make a quick call without him throwing a fit. And sometimes it over stimulates him so much that he started having sleeping problems. My son is in the camp where if he has too much screen time whether phone or tv, his behavior takes a dive. So for a while, we had to desensitize him from it by keeping away from his sight for several weeks. He's now allowed to play with it for at most ten minutes a day and we time him with a timer. That's been working well.<br /> But I am amazed at how easy it was for him to learn how to navigate the phone. And learn how to play games without any instruction. He's even discovered the YouTube icon recently. He'll open the app and ask us to search for 'the wheels on the bus' videos. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48562 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:16:44 +0000 cyndistar3 48562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I will not let my 3 year old play with our ipod or our cell phones because they are not toys. She has plenty of toys books and educational games, she doesn't need expensive electronics. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48555 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:50:29 +0000 mrs. wagon 48555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>hah-paw! (that's what RJ calls his ipod.) Yes, he's totally addicted. Yes, he's used it at almost every meal eaten at home since before the holidays. Do I care that much? ....not really... he eats so much and sits quietly at the table. I especially love it when we go out to eat. It's also amazing to watch him learn how to play the games. There's a shape sorter one: a "hole" appears at the right side of the screen, and a bunch of colored shapes on the left. You have to drag and drop the correct shape into the hole. It plays music, and when you drag the wrong shape, it goes "uh oh!" When you get it right, it plays a fun sound. He didn't even know how to drag and drop in the beginning... and now he gets it right on the first try every single time. And we never even showed him.</p> <p>I just call it the most diesel toy ever. Plus it was free..... :) Some people get horrified when they see him playing with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/touchscreen-devices-a-modern-parenting-tool-or-developmental-threat#post-48550 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:42:15 +0000 Wagon Sr. 48550@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read that something like 1 in 10 babies less than 12 months old have used an iPod Touch/iPad/Android device for play, and that shoots up for kids under 8. </p> <p>Our LO loves old iPhone donated to us from a friend. While it's loaded up with all educational apps and videos and such, it's almost alarming how much he asks for it: we've begun to carefully limit his playtime with it, and luckily, it's become valuable in teaching the concepts of waiting and patience. Even so, the little glowing screen has a scary hold on him when he's swiping around.</p> <p>Are iPods/iPads/Androids a normal part of your LO's life, are they banned, or somewhere in between? </p>