SCREEN TIME: HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
As every single soon-to-be first time parent literally ever, I swore I would never allow my child to play on an iPad. Ah, those were the naive days (looks upward reminiscing.) I am not ashamed to admit, I stood in judgement of those who did allow their child to navigate through an iPad. That was until I took my daughter out in public. Arianna is a very active child, she is not one of those kids who sits and plays for hours. She wants to get up and run, it is up to us as the parent to catch up to her. I mean, this child did not want to be carried the moment she took her first steps, she actually insisted on running not walking. Going to the Americana or the Mall (pre-covid) was for sure a workout on it’s own. Imagine asking this child to sit in her high-chair at a resteraunt and be a good little girl while mommy and daddy have a quick lunch. YAH RIGHT!
Allowing your kid to spend some time on an iPad or watch T.V. Is not the devil, people. Us parents need a damn break too. If you’re telling me you don’t need a break you’re obviously lying to yourself and those around you. Yes, when we go out to lunch or dinner (pre-covid), you bet her iPad will be fully charged the night before and shoved in her bag when we go out. I refuse to leave the house without it. There is nothing like Moana or Mickey Mouse Club House to occupy your child while you eat your lunch at a resteraunt. Your child is not going to be anti-social or unintelligent when they grow up if you allow them to hop on the screen once in a while; the world will not crumble. That being said, everything needs to have a limit; will I let my child sit on the damn thing ALL DAY LONG? Absolutely not! Setting boundaries and rules for using electronics is the safe way to have your kid use the iPad. What I did was I installed what turned out to be her favorite app in the world (ABC MOUSE) which is a very fun, interactive and educational learning app that she uses to play games. It sets my mind at ease that she is playing while learning. If and when she gets bored, she can navigate herself to Disney+ and watch Frozen, or Mickey.
If any parent, new or seasoned, is wondering if you should invest in an iPad for your kid, DO IT! I was hesitant at first but it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made. Using it while you go out to a resteraunt or as a reward if your child behaved and did what you told them to do, is good for you and it serves as a positive reinforcement for the child. I would never suggest you let them stay on it all day long, That can be pretty harmful in the long run, but using it for 30 minutes or an hour a day or every other day will absolutely not hurt them and it will allow you, as the parent, to get things done.