Lately

So lately my daughter has forgotten about the ipad and doesn't really ask for it anymore.  So I am on the other side of my earlier comments, now I a feeling that I should encourage it a little bit more.  When we use facetime to call her grandma she is uninterested.  I am looking to find some more educational apps.  Anyone got a good one that they have found successful?

We also went to a friends house this weekend and his child did nothing but walk around with his ipad (yes they all have one and he is only three years old).  So he would sit and watch television through his ipad and not really socialize at all.  When he was playing with my child, he was really just taking all his toys back and crying.  They would throw the ipad at him and he would zone out.  They were even discussing buying another ipad for their one year old daughter, just in case she wants to use it.  They are afraid that the kids will fight over his.  I didn't know what to say.  I hope I never allow the ipad to raise my child like it is at their house.  Thoughts?

Wow this is interesting....

So this article here says to limit children ages 2 and up to 1 to 2 hours a day in front of a screen, breaking that time into 1/2 hour blocks.  So we are kinda on the right track if this is true.

http://www.ikidapps.com/2011/01/how-much-time-should-kids-be-allowed-to-play-with-iphone-ipad-or-ipod-touch.html

It also says that children spending more than 4 hours a day in front of a screen tend to be overweight and lack interest in physical activity.  I think as parents we really need to lead by example, but it is hard when some of your activities involve being in front of your computer a lot.  So that is the next dilemma...When my child observes me working on homework which could keep me on the computer more than an hour or two a day, am I not setting a good example...

To tech, or not to tech, that is the question...

When I was a child, the big debate for our parents would have been how long to let us watch T.V.  I remember many times my mother would come in and turn the T.V. off, forcing us to go outside and play.  Many thought too many hours in front of the T.V. would cause serious damage to their children.  Now that technology has grown and I have children of my own, I am starting to ask similar questions and don’t have clear answers.  It is also way more complex than it was when I was a child.

Not only do we have to monitor time spent watching television, but since my daughter could walk she has been addicted to my iPhone.  Recently we have added an iPad to the situation and she wants it every time she sees it.   She now begs to spend time on the iPad and play games for hours.  At first I tried to keep her away from the iPad by just not getting one, but then I saw other children using them and started to worry.  Yes, other 2 year old were able to do all kinds of things with their iPad and my daughter would just watch them in amazement.  I started to fear that she would fall behind when it came to technology and broke down and purchased one for our family.   

Now some of these other kids, specifically my nephews, just sit for hours and hours playing with an iPad and do not attempt to socialize with anyone around.  It is very annoying and I don’t want my daughter to ever reach this extreme.  I am trying to find the best balance and make sure my daughter understands technology, but also learns how to use it responsibly.    I want my daughter to be able to utilize technology to her advantage, be able to socialize with her peers, but to also understand that there is a world outside of her front door that she also needs to explore.  I am sure that it will benefit her in the future to know how to use technology, but where should the line be drawn.

Right now we limit her to about an hour a day with the iPad.  Is that the right time or not, I have no idea.  Some days she doesn’t even want it and some days she does things that amaze me.  The other day she used facetime to call her grandma.  I don’t think we have ever shown her how to do that and she learned it by watching.  So I pose the question: What do you think is the proper balance for our children and their use of technology?  I would love any opinions, thoughts or ideas…