So
what do you think about the whole idea of toddlers using Smartphones?
It's everywhere you turn now, in fact CNN just posted this article "Parents Using Smartphones to Entertain Bored Kids"
on the subject. It's an interesting idea, while on the one hand we are
telling our parents not to use phones at the table because it teaches
our children that this behavior is OK, when in fact it is not, the
point that it entertains them in a restaurant and keeps them from
running a muck is a valid one.
I personally have several
games on my phone for my almost three year old son, they are all
educational and we use them together. I love that we have a fun way to
learn, he thinks he is getting away with something grand by being on
Mommy's phone and I am sneaking in educational time, working on colors,
letters, shapes and numbers with a variety of games, including Toddler
Teasers which was mentioned in the article. I had to stop and think
for a moment, have I ever taken it out at a restaurant to entertain him
with it? I actually hadn't done this until the last time we went out
to eat, typically we come loaded up with stickers and coloring
materials and other traditional toys of distraction, however it was a
spontaneous decision and I didn't have all the other normal trappings
with me. All in all, my son chose the crayons provided by the
restaurant over the phone, I think it was too loud for him to hear the
instructions and I wasn't turning it up for the whole restaurant to
hear. That would have been rude.
So what are your thoughts on
the subject, are apps for Toddlers good? I am on board if they are
educational. Should they be used while in a restaurant or does that go
against the grain of no technology at the table? Are we sending a
mixed message by letting them be used in a restaurant but not at home?
Hopefully you aren't letting them use the Smartphone while you are
eating at home too. That is a definite no no.
I don't have a problem with preschool smartphone apps. Little kids have real limits on how long they can remain interested while running errands, sitting in a waiting room or dining in a restaurant. Sometimes a few minutes of "kid time" makes it all better. I'm happy that some app developers thought to make "kiddie" apps for this purpose.
As for the consistency issue, rules don't have to be universal to be easy to understand. I wouldn't let my daughter color at the dinner table at home, but at a restaurant (since I'm more concerned with keeping the environment pleasant for other diners,) I'll let that be OK. It's like saying that bedtime is at 8:00, unless we're having a party; or like saying that you don't throw things at people unless you're playing catch.
Been a while but let's talk about Spit
- MrsManners
on Apr. 26, 2010 at 12:42 PM