Toddlers & Tablets - Why I Caved

Toddlers & tablets (or any form of technology really) is a pretty controversial topic, and one that is prone to causing ‘mummy wars’. It shouldn’t be so divisive!

I admit, me & daddy-o were always reluctant about giving Max (2) a device of his own, worried that we’d somehow hinder him or hold him back by letting him have one. However, lots of reflection made us realise the following;

• It’s 2018. Tablets are now as commonplace as notebooks in society, even infant schools are using them as an educational tool, so it’s important that kids learn how to use them at a relatively young age. ‘Relatively’ being completely subjective, of course.
• EDUCATIONAL TOOL – fundamentally, if used as such, and sparingly, it could actually help bring on Max’s speech. There are SO many educational apps that are engaging and developed with education in mind.
• Long journeys – Max gets very bored and our tablets don’t have the easily set screen & parental controls like the Fire 7, so we can’t really put Peppa Pig on our tablets for him. His own tablet has changed this completely, so in situations where distraction techniques just aren’t possible (like long journeys), the tablet is a very good back-up.

In the end, with these factors in mind, we caved. We went for the Amazon Fire 7, which we got a good deal on for the Bank Holiday sale. If it gets broken at any point during the 2 year warranty, Amazon will repair it for free which is excellent, and it comes with a childproof case too!

Of course, I still worry just a tad. I don’t want him to become dependant on it, I want the tablet to be a tool rather than an addiction! For now, the tablet has been used sparingly to dampen any temper tantrum brewing, and to try and help teach Max his numbers, letters and colours using apps, and we don’t regret purchasing it at all as since getting it, we’ve found that his speech has come on, and we enjoy sitting using it with him (as well as reading books and doing crafts – it’s all about balance).

I completely understand why lots of parents don’t agree with giving children tablets, and I appreciate that lots of parents reading this won’t agree with my reasoning – fair enough. However, I wanted to give a balanced perspective from someone who was very much on the fence for a long time! It’s all about moderation. Max gets plenty of Montessori, hands-on activities and education, so I personally feel that carefully managed tablet time in moderation is not going to cause him to become a zombiefied, milestone delayed, screen-glued tech addict!

Please don’t judge parents for including technology in their child’s development journey – just as I ask that parents don’t judge those who prefer to keep technology away for now.

Love from Katie. Xx