Does Your Child Own An iPad/iPod/Tablet?

[Play Care]

I don't think you can make an assumption about everyone just based on whether they have an iPad for their kid or not. Maybe a better way to phrase it would be "how much screen time does your child use per day?" Because my son and the other kids I know all have iPads however not a single one is allowed to just freely use it. And every one of them can play, invent, imagine and occupy themselves without a device.

My dd's each have an ipod. They listen to music on them and have a mix of educational and fun apps. We do limit the time they get to use them, and they spend hours playing, reading, etc.

[melskids]

I know they made the provision for learning screen time but that includes IDENTIFIED goals and objectives. That puts the provider in a position where the use of screens have to be defensible and documented with outcomes the state gets to decide are or are not acceptable. That will result in more work than the time the provider gets down time due to having the kids do screen. It also opens up the high probability that ANY use of screens can be used as a complaint after the fact when parents have money disputes.

What I'm referring to is using screens for pure entertainment and to keep the kids doing something when the provider wants easy. The parents are using the screen as an entertaining activity.

Exactly. I'm hearing ya! That's why I'm going screen free....I'm not going to be bothered with all of the documentation. And we all know they get enough screen time at home anyway. They don't need it here.

I have a mom that said recently "junior was up until midnight catching up on his shows since you don't allow them here...he may be tired."

Um, junior is 2. What "shows" is he catching up on until midnight?! More like mom needs a babysitter and the TV is convenient. Way to go placing the blame on me. SMH

[daycarediva]

I don't think you can make an assumption about everyone just based on whether they have an iPad for their kid or not. Maybe a better way to phrase it would be "how much screen time does your child use per day?" Because my son and the other kids I know all have iPads however not a single one is allowed to just freely use it. And every one of them can play, invent, imagine and occupy themselves without a device.

We use ours for homeschooling and only allow apps that pertain to that. We have logic games too. But that's all. I think there is a way to allow kids to use technology without over doing it. Unfortunately from what the OP and others here describe, the parents you know aren't keeping that balance.

It was a JOKE, relax.

I also don't think a 2yo needs unlimited access to ANY electronic device. I do have a 'screen time/views' question I go over with on interview, but parents DO NOT see ipad/ipod/tablet as a screen. They think screen=TV. Some think I want them to write down their childs favorite tv shows, and most lie about it.

[MsLaura529]

Exactly. I'm hearing ya! That's why I'm going screen free....I'm not going to be bothered with all of the documentation. And we all know they get enough screen time at home anyway. They don't need it here.

I have a mom that said recently "junior was up until midnight catching up on his shows since you don't allow them here...he may be tired."

Um, junior is 2. What "shows" is he catching up on until midnight?! More like mom needs a babysitter and the TV is convenient. Way to go placing the blame on me. SMH

THAT is ridiculous!

My DD just got an android tablet for Christmas. She will be 5 in June. DS got an vetch innotab, he's 3. They are not allowed to play them until daycare is closed, and then they only get a half an hour on them. DD's favorite thing to "play" on there is an app that I downloaded that reads her stories from the Bible in kids versions. She LOVES it. DS will normally watch an episode of Paw Patrol or play his letter tracing game on his. (Although he only plays it about half the times that his sister does). Things will come up where DD doesn't get to play it at all (like if she needs to clean her room first, or if she's had a bad attitude).

[momofboys]

We don't have an iPad or tablet of any kind in our home. I do have my own android smartphone & an ollllllllldddddd desktop pc but we don't plan to make any changes to that. Our boys are 12, 10 & 6 & are so deprived b/c they don't have cell phones or tablets or ipods. We do have an Xbox w/Kinect & they have DSs but they are only allowed to use them on a limited basis. Last night they lost that privilege as everyone got to bed late.

[nannyde]

I'm curious as to how young the screens are actually keeping the kids happy and occupied without needing an adult to manage the electronic. (By manage I mean not having to set up anything other than to start something and not have a risk of the kid doing something to instantly break it.)

I've only seen an IPAD once in my life and didn't lay my hands on it. I've seen parents hand infants their phones a lot.

I just wonder how young is the youngest child who can manage it WITHOUT an adult involved.

Also... did the age of independently using it go down in the last year or two?

Anybody know?

If a new two year old is able to stay occupied for hours with it and flips out if she doesn't have it... I'm guessing she can operate it with little adult. I wonder how much is just tv watching on it or if a kid that young can do something other than just watch shows. Having the attention span to use it for hours means that it has to be very stimulating. I can't imagine it being like TV where the kid runs house while the TV is on. They would have to be ON it to be entertained for long periods of time.

I really wonder if it won't be long before screens are built into cribs. The bottom of cribs.

[Annalee]

I'm curious as to how young the screens are actually keeping the kids happy and occupied without needing an adult to manage the electronic. (By manage I mean not having to set up anything other than to start something and not have a risk of the kid doing something to instantly break it.)

I've only seen an IPAD once in my life and didn't lay my hands on it. I've seen parents hand infants their phones a lot.

I just wonder how young is the youngest child who can manage it WITHOUT an adult involved.

Also... did the age of independently using it go down in the last year or two?

Anybody know?

If a new two year old is able to stay occupied for hours with it and flips out if she doesn't have it... I'm guessing she can operate it with little adult. I wonder how much is just tv watching on it or if a kid that young can do something other than just watch shows. Having the attention span to use it for hours means that it has to be very stimulating. I can't imagine it being like TV where the kid runs house while the TV is on. They would have to be ON it to be entertained for long periods of time.

I really wonder if it won't be long before screens are built into cribs. The bottom of cribs.

Personally, I do not care for an ipad. Have had my laptop for 7 years and got it to do online class work while obtaining my ECE degree, plus I now keep all my daycare business in it as well. To me, ipads are only good for games, and searching the web....but ipads are beneficial for my sons with school programs that are now on there...extra work placed on there by their teachers....the ipad makes it enticing and fun for my boys! I do like that part!

[Meyou]

I'm curious as to how young the screens are actually keeping the kids happy and occupied without needing an adult to manage the electronic. (By manage I mean not having to set up anything other than to start something and not have a risk of the kid doing something to instantly break it.)

I've only seen an IPAD once in my life and didn't lay my hands on it. I've seen parents hand infants their phones a lot.

I just wonder how young is the youngest child who can manage it WITHOUT an adult involved.

Also... did the age of independently using it go down in the last year or two?

Anybody know?

If a new two year old is able to stay occupied for hours with it and flips out if she doesn't have it... I'm guessing she can operate it with little adult. I wonder how much is just tv watching on it or if a kid that young can do something other than just watch shows. Having the attention span to use it for hours means that it has to be very stimulating. I can't imagine it being like TV where the kid runs house while the TV is on. They would have to be ON it to be entertained for long periods of time.

I really wonder if it won't be long before screens are built into cribs. The bottom of cribs.

My 2.5 year old niece can unlock a smart phone, find her game apps and play them. She can also access the picture gallery and take pictures and reverse the camera so she can see herself on the screen. She's been doing it for months. She can easily chose and play games on a ipad too.

[Blackcat31]

I'm curious as to how young the screens are actually keeping the kids happy and occupied without needing an adult to manage the electronic. (By manage I mean not having to set up anything other than to start something and not have a risk of the kid doing something to instantly break it.)

I've only seen an IPAD once in my life and didn't lay my hands on it. I've seen parents hand infants their phones a lot.

I just wonder how young is the youngest child who can manage it WITHOUT an adult involved.

Also... did the age of independently using it go down in the last year or two?

Anybody know?

If a new two year old is able to stay occupied for hours with it and flips out if she doesn't have it... I'm guessing she can operate it with little adult. I wonder how much is just tv watching on it or if a kid that young can do something other than just watch shows. Having the attention span to use it for hours means that it has to be very stimulating. I can't imagine it being like TV where the kid runs house while the TV is on. They would have to be ON it to be entertained for long periods of time.

I really wonder if it won't be long before screens are built into cribs. The bottom of cribs.

I have a DCG just shy of 2 years old. She can manage her mom's i-phone by herself. 100%.

Other than mom handing to her, she is capable of turning it on (even says "Ooh wait" while start up screen is on), taps the app she wants to play and then sits down and proceeds to do so.

I have also seen little ones....like 12-18 months know how to flick their finger across the screen to find what they want. One sibling (not in my care) of a child I have in care is 18 months old and he comes in with his mom for pick up a couple times a week. He always says "Say cheese!" and will take a picture of me with his mom's phone.

So I'm thinking that yes, the age of being able to use....has decreased in the last few years.

[daycare]

I can't recall the name of the comedian that was telling a joke about kids and ipads.

He is African american and he said you know why I can have 20 kids, he responds no not because I am black, but because these days all you have to do is just give them an I-whatever. Instant babysitter everywhere you go.

Of course it was much funnier when you he said it.

Another thing that happened recently. I have an asst who is 19. She is great. One day she asks me why so many of the kids have horrible cognitive skills. Why are they socially delayed.

I told her the next time she went out into public, grocery store, restaurant, doc office and etc. I want you to count the number of children you seen with some kind of electronic device in front of their faces. She started this on a Tuesday and came back exactly one week later and said it was so many I lost count.

As much as I love tecnology, too much of anything is bad. It is sad that parents don't see the damage that is getting done by these devices.

None of my own kids have one, I do, but they can only use it when everything they need to do is done and between 3 of them, they don't get much use out of it.

[KDC]

My son is 8 and has an ipad. He reads books, plays math games and uses it to study for his spelling tests. He also plays minecraft and other games -- I'm not going to lie and say its all educational But, it does have some really good educational benefits.

I have three children (8, 6, & 4) and I do allow my children to have a certain amount of screen time. I do not strictly enforce it (as there really hasn't been a need). They play with a lot during a summer or spring break, then get sick of it and find other things. They are not really TV kids at all, but they do like the ipad/computer time (raz kids for reading). They all have ipods (Thanks Grandma!), and my 4 yr. old has it all loaded up with kidz bop songs and veggie tales. My kids have grown up with balance (it's not allowed during daycare hours, for them either) I think it makes them well rounded. It's not one extreme or another. Just my 2 cents

[Crazy8]

my own kids all have them - actually my 7 year old is reading on his ipad mini right now as part of his homework. There is a site/app that the teacher can see what story he read and what level it was and how well he answered the comprehension questions at the end.

Like it or not technology is here to stay and will forever be changing. I feel I'd be doing my kids more harm than good if I didn't allow them (and teach them) how to use these things. And yes, with my younger one it started younger than his siblings.

Now the 2 yo crying for it before nap is a big fat NO!! ::

[spud912]

My children (ages 4 3/4 and 3) do not have one and to be honest I don't think they would be all that interested. My brother in law got my older daughter (now almost 5) a cheaper computer "thing" when she was 2 1/2 and to this day she maybe pulls it out once every 3 weeks or so for about 15 minutes (now not at all because the batteries finally died).

Neither of them know how to use my computer or smart phone, possibly because I've never given them that option. I guess if I actually had apps to "play" and let them have it I'm sure they would figure out how to use my phone. To be honest, though, they are 3 and 4 and there is no way I would trust them to be careful with something that costs a fortune to replace.

They do get "screen" time via television at about 30 minutes to an hour a night and probably a couple of hours on the weekend. That is MORE than enough so I discourage additional time.

Edited to add: I am not too worried about their lack of technology at this point in their life. They have all the school years (where it is OVER-emphasized, at least here) to figure out all that stuff.

[daycarediva]

I'm curious as to how young the screens are actually keeping the kids happy and occupied without needing an adult to manage the electronic. (By manage I mean not having to set up anything other than to start something and not have a risk of the kid doing something to instantly break it.)

I've only seen an IPAD once in my life and didn't lay my hands on it. I've seen parents hand infants their phones a lot.

I just wonder how young is the youngest child who can manage it WITHOUT an adult involved.

Also... did the age of independently using it go down in the last year or two?

Anybody know?

If a new two year old is able to stay occupied for hours with it and flips out if she doesn't have it... I'm guessing she can operate it with little adult. I wonder how much is just tv watching on it or if a kid that young can do something other than just watch shows. Having the attention span to use it for hours means that it has to be very stimulating. I can't imagine it being like TV where the kid runs house while the TV is on. They would have to be ON it to be entertained for long periods of time.

I really wonder if it won't be long before screens are built into cribs. The bottom of cribs.

Seeing as how the same girl can unlock my iphone, open it, open facetime, find her moms contact and select it without doing anything else, I'm sure she is a pro and has been using it for a while.

I really just think in this young of an age group, it has become CRAZY obsessive.

[jenboo]

DCG 5 yrs old told me that when she is in time out at home she only gets to use her ipad, nothing else
I would be in time out all day at that house ::