Toddlers and technology?

Kimono-Girl

http://gizmodo.com/5666170/experts-worry-toddlers-are-becoming-too-attached-to-parents-iphones

my daughter is 15 months old, she got her hands on my iphone a few months back when i downloaded a sponge-bob tickler app, and she loved it, it was also great to distract her when she got upset out and about, at this stage she runs up and grabs my phone at every oppertunity and has learned to press the home button, and then slide to unlock it, she can slide between the windows and open the sponge-bob app! she also loves putting it up to her ear and saying "hewwo (hello) dada"...we bought her a toy telephone but she kept picking up the entire thing rather then the receiver and putting it to her ear, so then we bought her a toy mobile phone and she rarely plays with it!


now i was proud of her for learning how to work the iphone and lets face it in a few years she will be engulfed in technology, but then reading articles like this makes me worry am i doing the wrong thing letting her play with something like an iphone?

when i say she plays with the iphone, it is usually for no more than 20 minutes a day on and off,and she does spend an hours playing with her lego, walker toys, flicking through picture books, teddies..etc she also watches on average 2 hours of tv a day, broken into 1 hour in the morning of 'Blues clues' and 1 hour in the evening of 'The Simpson's' but she does cry when i take the iphone off her, we don't want to spoil her but do toddlers and technology mix?

cynder

I don't have an iPhone (my hubby does and they kids are not that interested in it) they do play with my ipod touch, games and watching movies.

My boys are 5 and 3, to be honest they prefer you tube, My 5 year old could work the pc at 2, start it up , go on to the Internet click favorites and then go to either playhouse Disney/Disney online games or cartoon network. At 3 we introduced him to you tube both my boys love you tube now.


I don't see the harm in her playing with the iPhone (unless she drops it or throws it down the toilet) there is some research to suggest that the radiation can cause problems within the brain for anyone under the age of 12 using a mobile phone. Im no expert the choice is yours.

lonestargirl

My friends 20-month old has mastered the iPad, she knows how to unlock it and scroll through the pages to find the app that she wants.

grindelwald wrote: »

there is some research to suggest that the radiation can cause problems within the brain for anyone under the age of 12 using a mobile phone. Im no expert the choice is yours.

There have been opinion pieces written about this but there is no evidence that this is the case. As a physicist, it is non-ionising radiation that is not of the appropriate wavelength to interact on a biological level.

Das Kitty

James is nearly 9 months and he loves all our devices. He plays with the piano on the iPad and a few other things we downloaded for him. He's also a big fan of the x box controllers.

I don't see anything wrong with them playing with these things in moderation.

cynder

Das Kitty wrote: »

. He's also a big fan of the x box controllers.

I don't see anything wrong with them playing with these things in moderation.

Thats what were getting the boys as their big x mas pressie, an Xbox with Kinect, (i cant wait to play it even though it will be in their room)

cynder

lonestargirl wrote: »

There have been opinion pieces written about this but there is no evidence that this is the case. As a physicist, it is non-ionising radiation that is not of the appropriate wavelength to interact on a biological level.

As i said im no expert. Thanks for the reassurance that they wont get brain tumors from phones.

gowayouttadat

The iphone is without a doubt the best distraction ever invented
DS loves scrolling through the pictures and loves watching the videos of himself dancing to the imagination movers. If he gets upset or starts whinging I use it to distract him. He forgets what's been upsetting him in a second.
He doesn't play with it too much, because he still loves to drop it from a height onto the ground, but for distraction it's fab.

axel rose

Nah, not for me. I have had to replace too many phones to allow my 2 year old play with them. He will not be allowed to have any computer type game until he is 7. Watching the TV is as technical as I allow him. (Horrible mean mammy that I am )

CK2010

wow,i felt bad that my little girl is able to use the dvd player and a camera! babies using iphones! :eek: smart kids! i dont think id even be able to use one tbh!
although, i dont like the thought of her looking at too many screens at a young age, like going from a telly to a video game to a computer... shes only three now but id like her to play with actual kids toys while shes that age and only use technology as she needs it/until it at least has some convenience to her.

lonestargirl

In some ways I would much prefer my child to play with a computer/iPad than watch TV (in fact I don't even own a TV). It's much easier to regulate and control what they have access to, I've seen some cartoons recently that I wouldn't be happy with my child watching. Also, computer applications are usually more interactive than just sitting there in front of the TV. Having said that I would still limit time in front of screens and make sure they get outside play too.

x in the city

candlelover wrote: »

http://gizmodo.com/5666170/experts-worry-toddlers-are-becoming-too-attached-to-parents-iphones

my daughter is 15 months old, she got her hands on my iphone a few months back when i downloaded a sponge-bob tickler app, and she loved it, it was also great to distract her when she got upset out and about, at this stage she runs up and grabs my phone at every oppertunity and has learned to press the home button, and then slide to unlock it, she can slide between the windows and open the sponge-bob app! she also loves putting it up to her ear and saying "hewwo (hello) dada"...we bought her a toy telephone but she kept picking up the entire thing rather then the receiver and putting it to her ear, so then we bought her a toy mobile phone and she rarely plays with it!


now i was proud of her for learning how to work the iphone and lets face it in a few years she will be engulfed in technology, but then reading articles like this makes me worry am i doing the wrong thing letting her play with something like an iphone?

when i say she plays with the iphone, it is usually for no more than 20 minutes a day on and off,and she does spend an hours playing with her lego, walker toys, flicking through picture books, teddies..etc she also watches on average 2 hours of tv a day, broken into 1 hour in the morning of 'Blues clues' and 1 hour in the evening of 'The Simpson's' but she does cry when i take the iphone off her, we don't want to spoil her but do toddlers and technology mix?

*likes this

axel rose

lonestargirl wrote: »

In some ways I would much prefer my child to play with a computer/iPad than watch TV (in fact I don't even own a TV). It's much easier to regulate and control what they have access to, I've seen some cartoons recently that I wouldn't be happy with my child watching. Also, computer applications are usually more interactive than just sitting there in front of the TV. Having said that I would still limit time in front of screens and make sure they get outside play too.

My rule is that if I cant stand to watch it then it doesnt get shown in my house so my wee man is subjected to http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sesame-Street-Old-School-Box/dp/B001BX5GVS/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1287529565&sr=1-2

Dades

My daughter has always loved my iPhone(s).

Mainly for the photos and vids which I think is a great way for her to keep familiar with family she doesn't see very ofter. I take pics specially for her as I know she'll be looking through them later.

It's a technological world - they might as well be prepared!

Kimono-Girl

Dades wrote: »

Mainly for the photos and vids which I think is a great way for her to keep familiar with family she doesn't see very ofter. I take pics specially for her as I know she'll be looking through them later.

this is my favorite part, the fact she will be able to watch movies/see pictures of her grandnana, nana...etc when she is older

when i was young photo's were only taken for special occasions, like birthdays, now you can just take out your phone and record/snap!

annetted

i would say everything in moderation. if it keeps your little one happy for a few minutes here and there, I would not see any harm in that.

livinginkorea

Extremely useful for changing diapers! Got him settled for the change.

Chuchoter

I have stickers all over my phone and the two year old I used to babysit thought it was amazing, I had it locked so you couldn't do anything but you could make the screen light up. Then his dad gave out to me for 'the radiation' and its kind of like the number of wireless things you have in this house is way more than my phone thats not even doing anything.