Hellobee

We don’t have a TV but I’m not super anti technology, if she watches with her grandparents ah well. My concern is more daily exposure and the spaced out look I see on some of my friends/cousins toddlers when they’re watching TV. I remember my sisters only being able to focus on TV for about 10 minutes at a time and these kids can sit down and watch a movie daily, that just seems a bit unhealthy and a bit off to zone out for that long.

i don’t know how we could keep technology from charlie and olive seeing as we’re online all the time. but they don’t have access to a tv, so at least there’s that! i’m fine with them having access to ipads and a cell phone like the firefly. my biggest concern is actually video games!

I like the idea of the firefly phone. It looks like it would be a good one to have until they’re old enough to understand the bills that come with phones and other technology. I also like your point on the iPad and how she can interact with it. I’ve been struggling with what we’re going to do about technology and our child. I know we’re becoming a very digital world, I just sometimes wish we could revert back to 1980 and not have it all.

What I don’t like is when I see kids at restaurants, not paying any attention to their parents, playing with their technology. I see it more often now (young kids and old) and it’s so hard to watch. When we went out dinner, it was always a big event so we always had good family conversation and paid attention to what we were eating. How do you have conversation if your nose is in an iPad or a phone? Same goes to parents who ignore their kids at dinner b/c they’re texting or calling, that is tough to see, as well.

@mediagirl: I totally agree about kids out and about, unable to interact with anything or anyone else because they are glued to technology. We were at a restaurant a while ago and a kid (maybe 9?) was sitting and playing with 2 different gaming systems rather than participating in the conversation. We’ll definitely be implementing a “Tech-free Table” policy!
I think it’s become so commonplace to be so connected that kids don’t realize how rude they’re being. They are sending a message that everything going on everywhere else is more important than the people that they are there with in the moment.

When we brought him home and he screamed for 12 hours straight we let anything that calmed him down work. So he watched tv (bright lights). He still has it on alot when he is around. He also plays with our iphone and has his own ipod touch (old iphone that has kid friendly apps). I feel like he shouldn’t have as much time as he does but at this point we go with what works.

Also tv is on all day at daycare. And i can’t really control that.

We struggle with this issue, especially since someone gave us an old iPhone which we jailbroke and turned into an iPod touch. It is a GREAT tool to distract him when we need him to be quiet– mostly in a restaurant after he’s finished eating, so we can shove food into our mouths and pay the bill. He knows how to choose games and play them… it’s pretty crazy. He asks for it all the time, which we hate, but we try to limit his time on it.

He also loves TV, but has never really gotten totally addicted to it. Luckily for us our daycare doesn’t have a TV, so he only has access to our TV for a few hours each night before bed. We usually let him watch about 20 mins before bedtime… it’s a nice wind-down. And on weekends, we use it as necessary — usually about an hour a day total. We try to go out a lot.

Honestly, some kids are perfectly happy playing with a spoon and a fork at a restaurant, and some kids are more active. After RJ became an active toddler, I decided to NEVER judge a parent as long as the child seems healthy and loved… I understand what it is to just try and survive and live a “normal” life! We use the iPod in restaurants because otherwise, after his food is gone and it’s been about 5 minutes, everything on the table will be broken on the floor and he’d be screaming his head off. Lesser of two evils, and I need to eat food too. Needless to say, we eat out a LOT less now!

I think my main concern is video games as well. And I’ll never have a TV in the kitchen… I’d rather give him the iPod to play games than turn on a TV. At least the games are educational (or just play music).

Rob Sr. and I both learned how to read at age 2 by watching Sesame Street every day, so we are really not anti-TV at all. We just try to keep the programming limited to what we think is appropriate for him. Right now that’s The Wiggles, Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, and Wonder Pets. And, of course, sports.

I used to keep the tv on as background noise all day. Then, Paige started showing signs she was behind in speech, etc. We were advised to turn it off completely, as well as the radio, computer, etc. She did a full 180 after that. I never understood how overstimulating the TV can be; and the child cannot learn to play, engage, interact, or use imagination while sitting and staring. Educational shows geared toward younger kids, I feel, can be fine in small doses. The people of Sesame Street even say that the programming is specifically designed to target 3 year olds (and up). Children learn best through play and interaction with others so they can link experiences with language, emotions, etc. It is important to see facial expressions, hear tone of voice, etc. You can’t pay attention to those things with a tv blaring in the background. Children can have a hard time filtering out what is “important noise” vs. “non-important noise.” Another thing to note, Paige’s behavior is stellar when she isn’t allowed television/media stimulation. She isn’t grumpy, fussy, or tantrummy (new word!) She is more creative, happy, and is easily engrossed in play when she’s away from media. As soon as she gets a “fix” through a show or computer game she becomes more fussy, challenging, screams when the show is over, etc. I’ve now found it just plain easier to not allow that stuff as much as possible and only use it as a treat (ex. being allowed to watch Dumbo one evening if she’s been a good girl all week and such). On days she is sick or I am sick, well, I use the TV more because ya gotta do what ya gotta do. The rest of the time, she is getting so good at playing by herself now; making up little story lines with her dollhouse, etc. Or, I try to include her in the things I’m doing by breaking down little tasks she can help with. It gives her the attention she craves and allows me to still get things done (despite them being a bit slower). Just my two cents!

I am hoping to be anti-technology when our LO gets here (because, hey, you never know– a lot will change when I go from non-parent to parent), including no TV (or as little as possible), no Leapsters, no iPads/smart phones, no DVD players in the car, none of that. Kids nowadays are all about instant gratification, and I don’t agree with handing them an electronic device to keep them quiet.

I’m not anti-TV, but I’m definitely against the video games. They really scare me.

we really don’t want to introduce technology so early on. like comments above, i really don’t like seeing kids glued to their dvd/ipod/ipad/etc. screen during dinner. but, i do know many people who do it and to them, it’s worth it to be able to eat. who knows. can’t knock it until we’re there, right?

So far, we’ve been pretty lucky that my 2.5 year old isn’t all that interested in TV. Maybe b/c we watch adult shows and news so he loses interest pretty fast. However, the iPad/iPod/iPhone is another story; but we’ve taught him to turn it off shortly after we say “last time” to whatever he’s watching. He stalls, of course, but pretty good for the most part. I just ask him, “where’s the button?” and he’ll show me. And I only give it to him for poopy diaper changes when I really need him to be still. He’ll grab it and lie down very still for us. And we don’t allow him to play with it for more than 5-10 minutes after that. He likes to watch you tube videos of cars and trucks and LOVES anything “wheels on the bus” videos. Again, pretty lucky he’d rather read books over watching TV or playing with the iPad/Phone/Pod!

@hideandseek: wow, so interesting to hear your experience! And I can totally understand about Sesame Street– RJ was NOT into it at all when he was younger, and even now he’ll watch one or two segments and then lose interest and get frustrated. I can definitely tell it’s geared for older kids. He loves anything with music and dancing, and he loves those segments with the numbers. But anything else is too much for him.

I still haven’t fully worked out where we fall. We’re taking a flight in a few days and you bet your iPad we’ve loaded ours up with apps and videos for our 1 year old. It’s a special treat for him and he already knows that if he touches the screen stuff moves around.
I really think the biggest issue we’re going to face is with peers and what they are doing. It is fine to say you’re not going to give your child a phone (or whatever) until a certain age, but as our lives change it is hard to predict future trends. I certainly don’t want to give our son something because everyone else has it, but who knows what’s going to happen.

I’m with @maysprout – we don’t even own a TV, so that will not be an issue with us. I’m also ok with baby v occasionally watching something at a friend’s or family member’s house & the lady who will be watching him or her doesn’t let her children watch very much tv at all, either, though they do own one.
We do have a computer, so I’m sure baby will get some screen time out of that & if we ever get smartphones, those, but it will be very limited. I’m all for the educational aspects of technology, but I think that they are entirely too unregulated for the majority of children now a days.
As for the cell phone for children, I wouldn’t get an iPhone or even just a regular cell phone for our LO, but I have heard of the phones for kids where they can only make calls to certain numbers – I guess the firefly is like that? I’m not at all averse to our child having something like for the times that they are out, unsupervised, but the husbone & I haven’t discussed at what point that will be yet.

I’m like Bee, I’m online almost all the time, and the hubs is a movie junkie so unfortunately my son knows what and iphone and ipad is. I think apart from watching movies (disney) he doesn’t really use it yet. I think you can also use it as a teaching tool too, but yes, this also falls in the video game category and moderation is best.

I let my LO watch about 4-5 minutes of youtube whenever I need to cut her nails.
We don’t give her screen time, but she ends up seeing our screens since we’re always on the computer. -.-
I make a conscious effort to keep her away from our TV, computers, phones, ipad..

I’m not anti-technology, but we have decided to enforce a policy when it comes to all things technology. “Everything in moderation” will be our rule for all things tech, junk food, etc.