Breech babies?

Anybody else feel this way??

Posted 06/12/2013

Is it considered child abuse that I refuse to let my children, ( they are 2 and 4 mind you), to have nothing to do with an iPad or iPhone? I was searching the web for other like minded mother's and to my astonishment...I COULDN'T FIND ANY!


Now, we could never afford an iPhone or iPad so that makes our decision pretty much based on financial reasons. But even if we did have the means to purchase such devices, I wouldn't! I know that many mom's find educational app's for their little one's to play with while secretly learning something and that is great for THEM.


I prefer to interact and engage my children without the use of technology. Is that so terrible? I want to look them in the eyes and have them look other people in the eyes when they either speak or are spoken to. I have seen far too many children with their noses pressed into a little screen unaware of their surroundings let alone that they are missing out on imperative social skills. 


For more specific reasons, I prefer that my children avoid all things dealing with the internet or apps until they are much much older. My plan is to have them earn supervised internet credits/minutes with good behavior, completing the assigned chores they have, and good grades in their classes. These minutes will only be awarded after my husband and I have a good long discussion about the importance of safety and responsibility that comes with the privilege of using the internet.


I know my children will eventually need to learn computer skills to thrive in adulthood but as for right now...they are so little and naive and innocent and I want to preserve that for as long as I can.

Comments (24)

/ 3
Posted 06/12/2013

Why would child abuse even come to mind when your talking about technology?? 

I'll let my ODD play games on the computer from disney jr but thats about it. 



Married to the love of my life ♥ since Feb 2006. 

DD 9.27.07 ♥ DS 9.15.09 ♥ TTC #3 ♥ 

Last edited 06/12/2013

We have a number of these devices in our household (2 ipods, an iphone, two ipads, etc.).  With the exception of the rare two minute kid's video on Youtube if we are trying to avoid a nuclear meltdown in public, our DS is given absolutely no screen time with internet or any of these devices.

I don't think they are the devil, or will scar my child for life.  But like you, I just don't think they are a great option.  These devices and media are soooo pervasive in our society, that I know there will come a time when he uses them frequently, like the rest of the world.  But for now he is very young, doesn't know much about them (since we've never shown him much about them), and we can control his access.  So for now, we don't use them. 


DS (October 17, 2010)
Boy/Girl Twins (August 30, 2013 at 37 weeks)

Posted 06/12/2013

Did someone tell you it was abusive?  I think CPS would laugh at that complaint.

On another note, my DD has 3- 45 minute sessions of computer use a day.  She uses a reading program and is getting pretty good at her letters from it.  During that time, I am working with LO on his 1 year old skills.  It would be great to do it all together, but DD gets frustrated with LO not being able to match the shape and does it for him.  Also, he does not get that the letters mean something and tries to eat her cards.  DD also has great social skills, when she is not being shy, and is very polite.

What you choose for your child is great for your child, but do not assume that all kids who are exposed to technology young will have their face in a screen all the time.

Posted 06/12/2013

Child abuse, no.  I think it's perfectly fine.  I know what you're talking about though - I loathe going to the park and seeing parents with their noses stuck in their phones instead of playing with their children and then a group of young teens will go by and they're all stuck in their phones too rather than interacting with each other!  I really don't know how I'm going to handle that type of thing as my children get older.

We don't have ipads/iphones or the like and we limit DS's TV time.  We just got him a LeapPad2 for his 4th birthday and we limit him to 30 min a day on there.  He'd sit for hours and do nothing but that if we let him.  He uses a computer at preschool for games but they are limited to just a few minutes each and they are educational games.  It's amazing how quickly he learned how to use the computer and how he didn't need any instruction on how to use his LeapPad when we gave it to him! 


Me (34), DH (37)...married 6 years
DS born 5/20/09, early m/c 8/4/12, DS #2 born 6/29/13

Posted 06/12/2013

In our district the schools use ipads starting in Pre-K, through 12th grade, so they start teaching in the preschools computer skills and tablet skills at 2.  Does that mean they sit in school all day with their noses buried in their ipads, no of course not, but it does mean they need to know and understand how to navigate around a tablet before going to public school.  Our society as a whole is moving into a technology based way of living and its not a skill they will need to learn later in life as adults, it is a skill they will need to learn early.  Kids are doing powerpoint presentations in 4th and 5th grade here, etc.  The Ipads with their interaction with the smart boards in schools open up an entirely new way of learning, thats so much better than when i was a child.  Like it or not, tablet technology is a prominant part of our society now, and an important skill to learn.  I dont think everyone who has tablets in their houses just let them be the babysitters, any more than every family who has a TV in their house lets the TV babysit.  

Posted 06/12/2013
I think you are bing overly dramatic and should mind your own business.I have an iPad and a Fire and my children (7 and 2) rarely use it.Seeing them in public once for five mintues does not mean they are mindless social outcasts.
My ODS gets 30 minutes of screen time a day in the summer.Only on weekends during school.YDS almost never uses it.Moderation in all things is the key.
Posted 06/12/2013
To each their own. I think it is perhaps a bit excessive. We have a Kindle Fire fire and my preschooler has games on it (yes, they are "educational" like Team Umizoomi). It counts toward her screen time for the day. She gets an hour, counting tv, movies, video games (with the occasional exception of Skylanders which she plays with DH, we will let her play a little longer). Pretty sure that is not robbing her of her innocence or turning her into a zombie.

I agree that people need to get the neck off their phones during social time. We don't have smart phones for just that reason, it can be too tempting. But the fact is these kids are going to grow up in a tech centered world and there is little to be done about it. I set what limits I think are reasonable, and all you can do is the same. Keep in mind, though, that loads of schools are using technology and the internet earlier and earlier. ODD's preschool is trying to get tablets for next year, the school my mom works at has a laptop for almost every student (elementary) so you may have to rethink your policies regarding tech connected to their education.
Posted 06/12/2013

I have a smartphone (work pays for it as I'm in IT) and we do have an iPad (I won it at an IT conference).  ODS has gotten on the iPad and my phone before, but not for even 30 minutes at a time and not in place of social interaction.  Generally ODS gets up in the morning at about 6:30.  He's the kind of kid who just wants to sit around for 15 minutes before starting with the morning routine of getting dressed, breakfast, etc.  I'm the same way.  So, at about 6:30, ODS will choose to either watch cartoons or play on the iPad.  He does that until about 6:50 and then the iPad goes off and we start breakfast, getting dressed, getting ready for preschool, etc.  ODS used to play games on my phone while I dropped and picked up YDS from daycare - that was about 10-20 minutes per day.  But, about 2 months ago ODS decided to delete all my apps off my phone that he didn't feel were important, so now ODS just sits in the car staring out the window during YDS drop off and pick up.  So, basically he has maybe 20 minutes per day of iPad time, 5 days per week.  The rest of the time he's either at preschool, outside, playing with YDS or interacting with DH or I.

I agree, too much screen time regardless of what device it is isn't good.  It's not that I don't want want my kids to learn technology, I just don't want it to become an addiction at an early age.  At this age I'd like to instill in my kids a love of being outdoors and being active.  From age 5 on, they have the rest of their lives to learn technology and at the rate kids soak up knowledge, my guess is it would take a 5 year old who'd never seen an iPad about 3 days tops to master the thing.  Prior to us having an iPad my ODS had never seen one.  He watched DH and I use it for a few days and then tried it out himself and he was scrolling through screens within minutes.  Without us ever showing him, he now knows how to download apps and install them.  It's incredible.  My computer, which he occasionally gets on if I leave it unlocked, he's figured out how to navigate to and open up Paint and "paint" pictures, again, without me ever showing him.  So, I'm fairly confident that even if he doesn't regularly touch a computer or tablet by elementary school, he'll be able to figure it out within days of being there should he get introduced to one.  The schools will definitely introduce him to technology, but they won't introduce him to a love of being outdoors and being active.  I'm taking that as my goal right now being a parent.


Jennifer    Married to Chad 10/5/2002 


Posted 06/12/2013

My DH and I both have an iphone, and our DD is not allowed to play on them (I'm afraid she'll delete something or mess up my settings, etc).  However, when we got them, we did start letting her play on our ipod occasionally with age appropriate games.  She hasn't played on it in a really long time, but I wouldn't care if she wanted to do so once in awhile, just as long as she didn't sit and do it all day.  She's always on the go and prefers to do things like ride her bike than sit and play on electronic gadgets, so I don't worry about it when she occasionally does want to sit and relax and watch a bit of TV or play an electronic game.

I agree with PP that you're being overly dramatic.  I understand why you don't want your children using these devices, but I don't think it's that big of a deal if some kids do use them sometimes.  Your post comes across as smug and judgmental.



Posted 06/12/2013

Both my husband and I have smart phones and I have the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. We also have a cheaper off brand tablet that I bought for $60 a while back. I have a computer (MacBook) and a Kobo Glow (DH has a Sony Ereader) as well. When it comes to electronics and tv time my son has to earn the right to use them. When he does something that is helpful he earns a set of reward tickets. Each ticket is 10 mins of electronics time. If he's behaving then he is allowed to cash in those tickets (up to 2hrs) in a day. He will have days where he is not behaving well and he will go without. He's gone as long as 2 weeks without earning a ticket and being allowed to cash them in. Finances are tight for us too and I saved money for 2 years to purchase my Galaxy Note. My phone was free and so was DH's. During the day my kids are outside playing and if we are inside for whatever reason they are playing with their toys, coloring, or looking at books. My ODS has a Mobigo and a V.Reader. Since he has gotten those he is spelling words, reconizing words, and is even doing math. I allow him to play on those as long as he wants because he is learning. He goes to preschool will be starting kindergarden in the Fall. I get him together with other kids as often as we are able to. We plan trips to the zoo, Imagination Station, and parks as well. My younger son is partially deaf and so I use apps on my tablet and phone that use noise as a way to get him to work on listening for sounds. Some of these apps are drums or piano, animal noises, ect. So he is learning as well as hearing. He doesn't use them every day but when he does it's great for him. I see no problem with it as long as it isn't in excess. Also I should add that in kindergarden my son will be working on computers and tablets. It's not a bad thing. We grew up without all this stuff and survived but there is no harm in a healthy mixture.


Mom to 2 preemies

E born @ 30 weeks 6/2008

Fin born @ 35 weeks 10/2011

1 2 3
first page | last page
< Browse more posts

What's on your mind?

Create a new post

Please sign in

This field is required.
This field is required.