Parenting ain't easy, and it becomes harder when there's an enormous gray area around knowing when it's the right time to introduce certain products to kids. For plenty of baby and kid items, including everything from car seats to toys, the age guidelines are made perfectly clear.
At what age is it really OK to introduce your little one to a smartphone or tablet?
Parents face a bigger problem when it comes to tech: at what point is it really OK to introduce your little one to a smartphone or tablet? Plus, parents also need to be on top of setting parental controls and only allowing access to certain apps.
Parents stand totally divided when it comes to how much time each day is allotted to electronics. Some parents are fine with, while others turn on the timer and tablet at the same time and monitor the minutes.
So, what should the rules be at home with your child? That's really up to you and your pediatrician. It's the first time we're raising kids with electronics at such a young age, which is why we don't know just yet what all of the effects will be moving into adulthood.
For now, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children from 2 to 5 years of age should only be exposed to 1 supervised hour of media per day — and it should be high-quality media at that. Yes, you read that right: ONE!
Plus, that daily 1-hour media recommendation is for all forms of general media, so that means if your kid goes beyond 30 minutes of a television show and 30 minutes of tablet use per day, she's technically exceeding the recommendation.
Some parents swear that too much tablet use will burn up their babies' brain cells and imaginative creativity, while other parents are certain tablet time can enhance their child's intellect through educational apps.
One thing we can all agree on: A tablet can be a real lifesaver in public scenarios, like waiting in a long line at the grocery store to sitting on a train. Those parts shouldn't count toward the 1-hour limit, right?! (Kidding ...)
There are apps specifically designed for tots.
So many parents have found solace in letting their tots zone out with a tablet (we're not judging!) that there are literally tons of apps available to download for toddlers specifically. Monkey Preschool, for example, is one of the most popular apps for preschoolers or tots ages 2 and up.
The good news? If you can set the boundaries at home, the apps are getting more and more educational and engaging, so the time your little one spends on the screen can be more productive.
Parents should think about the impact of screens on a child's eyes.
If you've stared at a screen for an ongoing amount of time, you know how it can make your eyes feel. From dry and itchy to appearing redder in color and irritated, screen time has a direct effect on our eyesight. What does it do for younger ones during these formative years? Well, dry-eye syndrome due to excessive screen time in toddlers and kids is a very real thing, and in the worst case, eye damage and vision loss can occur.
There are easy alternatives to tablet use.
If you're thinking of slowing down your kid's tablet use, there are fun alternatives so your child doesn't feel like he's having something taken away. Childrens' film illustrator and book author, Ryan Sias, points out that excessive tablet use directly interferes with developing social skills. He decided to roll up his sleeves and do something about it, so he launched an activity-based subscription box, Box of Play, for kids to exercise their personalities and imagination. We got in touch with him and asked for some tips and games to try at home. Check it out:
1. The One-Minute Animal Game: You need paper and pen or pencil. One player calls out an animal, and the other person has to draw it in just one minute! Make it more fun by using imaginative animals, like a lion-unicorn or dragon-cat! It’s fast, silly, and can be done anywhere.
2. One-Sentence Story: The parent starts a story, but only tells one sentence of it: "The robot unicorn saw an apple.” Then, the child has to add the next sentence to keep the story moving! Keep this going and it's guaranteed to give you both a good laugh.
3. Silly Squiggle: This is a no-skill-necessary drawing game. One player draws a scribble on paper, then the other person decides what it is and comes up with a story. Maybe the squiggle looks like an octopus or an vampire! Then, it's the other player's turn. This encourages playful storytelling and perception, and it gets little ones talking!
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