Does Your Child Own An iPad/iPod/Tablet?

[Happily_wed]

My kids each have an Ipod but they are also almost 18 and 21 LOL. They got their first Ipods as teenagers as Christmas gifts from the grandparents. They have both upgraded but paid for the new ones themselves.

My two daycare girls each have an Ipod and a Kindle. They are 4 and 6 and got them when they were 3 and 5. I do NOT allow them to use them here. First off the Ipods have music that is just not appropriate on them and I don't want to be responsible if they break them here.

[nannyde]

It's soooo going on my interview question sheet! I really think it's a reason to not want them in care. ::

2yo dcg cried for her ipad for 40 minutes before FINALLY going down for a nap today. I sent dcm a text.....they let her play with it until she falls asleep. She has a tablet in the car and an actual ipad all her own at home. She rips books for goodness sake, I wouldn't be giving her an expensive piece of electronic equipment even if it was good for her-----which it's NOT.

Dcb/3 lost his kindle and his mother had one overnighted from amazon because (her words) it's TORTURE at their house when he doesn't have it.

The only child in my care who doesn't own some sort of personal computer type device is the 4yo. I don't think it's coincidence that she is the best behaved and can wait a turn without crying.

Get used to it. I just have to be gobsmacked by the irony of New York State forbidding ANY kind of screen in child care including any screen for the provider yet this child who is two has a screen from the moment she leaves until she comes back.

What are providers supposed to do with kids who have their happiness in their fingertips?

[Josiegirl]

I don't even own a smart phone let alone an ipad or anything like that....
My dd saved up her Christmas money to buy hers otherwise she prob wouldn't have one.

We're probably the only 2 adults that don't own any of those gadgets.
I have my trusty desk-top, and my old flip phone. But I can text!

[childcaremom]

My kids don't have anything, and they range in age from 6-16. That's not for lack of wanting one....

[melilley]

We're probably the only 2 adults that don't own any of those gadgets.
I have my trusty desk-top, and my old flip phone. But I can text!

:: I think so! I did get rid of my flip phone almose 2 yrs ago, but I have the slider keyboard phone now and I just started texting when I got that phone...

[Christina72684]

I don't even have an iPad!!!!! I'd love one but can't afford it. I do have a Kindle but primarily use it for reading. IF I let my 2yr old look at it it's to watch Baby Einstein or something. These kids are gonna have major eye problems when they get older!

[Michelle]

My 10 year old DD has an ipad but it's for school, she goes to private school and they are required.
She has an iphone because she has a lot of activities after school and I need to get ahold of her.
Has anyone ever noticed how impossible it is now to find pay phones?
Also, did you know that you can use an ipad like a phone through facetime?
( something I wish I knew before buying the phone first)

[melskids]

Get used to it. I just have to be gobsmacked by the irony of New York State forbidding ANY kind of screen in child care including any screen for the provider yet this child who is two has a screen from the moment she leaves until she comes back.

What are providers supposed to do with kids who have their happiness in their fingertips?

They didnt take screen time completely away, we just have to prove its educational.

417.7 (u) (u) If television or other electronic visual media is used, it must be part of a planned developmentally appropriate program with an educational, social, physical or other learning objective that includes identified goals and objectives. Television and other electronic visual media must not be used solely to occupy time.

I've been screen free for a while. Kids learn, they catch on. I have ones who walk in with tablets and hand them right over to mom before she goes. They know they aren't getting them here.

[daycarediva]

They didnt take screen time completely away, we just have to prove its educational.

417.7 (u) (u) If television or other electronic visual media is used, it must be part of a planned developmentally appropriate program with an educational, social, physical or other learning objective that includes identified goals and objectives. Television and other electronic visual media must not be used solely to occupy time.

I've been screen free for a while. Kids learn, they catch on. I have ones who walk in with tablets and hand them right over to mom before she goes. They know they aren't getting them here.

I am not screen free (we do kids exercise/dance dvds when we cant go outside). I have no idea how I am going to prove it's educational, it's a good way to get them all engaged in a physical activity though.


I talked to DCM at p/u. She looked a bit embarrassed, said dcg has been getting way too much time on there and even said she screamed bloody murder in the store when it died and they had to leave their cart and go. I was dumbfounded and just suggested that they start setting limits. 2, like JUST TURNED 2.

[sammie]

We're probably the only 2 adults that don't own any of those gadgets.
I have my trusty desk-top, and my old flip phone. But I can text!

Make it 3!!! I also have my desk-top and flip phone. But, I DONT text!

[AcornMama]

Well, my dcb (4) said he and his 7yo brother each got iPads for Christmas.

Dcg (3) said she got a tv for her room for Christmas.

I'm going on their word.

My own kids, however, apparently have the world's meanest parents. My oldest two just got their own iPods for Christmas. They are 16 and 18. They have never had a personal electronic device before. Well, 18yo has a laptop for school work. I already dislike seeing my 16yo walking around with headphones in his ears all the time. But they've proved themselves to be responsible, hard working, polite, and friendly teens, and we were happy to get them for them. But I'm glad we didn't start them on electronics when they were young.

Oh, and we gave our 13yo a Nook for Christmas. She'd rather read than listen to music.

I'm sure our kids thought we were mean and slow about electronics. We just wanted to give them lots of time to explore everything else interesting around them before encouraging the plug-in and tune-out mindset.

We also have younger children. None of them have free access to the computer (mine/family) or tablet (mine). But they sometimes get to play on my tablet or dh's phone. And we have a Wii. And digital movie streaming. And I think that's enough.

We also have a house FILLED with books and go together, as a family, to the library almost every week. I think it's less the actual electronic gadget and more the family mindset that makes the difference.

We are, however, woefully inept at sports, and are rather on the geeky side. Oh well.

[nannyde]

They didnt take screen time completely away, we just have to prove its educational.

417.7 (u) (u) If television or other electronic visual media is used, it must be part of a planned developmentally appropriate program with an educational, social, physical or other learning objective that includes identified goals and objectives. Television and other electronic visual media must not be used solely to occupy time.

I've been screen free for a while. Kids learn, they catch on. I have ones who walk in with tablets and hand them right over to mom before she goes. They know they aren't getting them here.

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.

[Evansmom]

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.

[AngiesCareXYZ]

I have an almost 3 yr old and an almost 5 yr old. They both got nooks for Christmas. They get to use it after the DC closes for the day. All of the DCK either have their own or get to use iphones or kindles. One of my DCK is super smart. I asked her mom about the apps that the DCK uses. I know have those same apps on my children's nooks. I have another DCK that gets to use the iphone to watch Mickey Mouse club house. She throws horrible tantrums and has a very hard time socializing with the other children. ...She is also an only child. Does that really make that much of a difference? I have never cared for a child that has such an introverted personality, that was not diagnosed with a mental illness of some sort. ....Anyways, My husband and I thought that our kids would be so excited to have the tablets.....They rarely play them.!? They would rather play together. lovethis

[Meyou]

My kids all have kobos for reading and access to a desktop computer (mine) and a tablet (mine). My teens have android phones with no data but they can use wifi at home with them. We don't have tv's (other than one hooked to a PS3) and any tv they watch we download for them. They have DS's and we have a wii but they don't use the wii very much at all.

We turned down ipads/tablets for all the kids for Christmas from family this year. There are many things they can be doing other than poking a ipad for hours IMO.

We are planning on getting a new laptop soon. Our old one is dying and can't be moved (or she gets very angry!!!) and it would make homeschooling easier since we use some web based lessons.