KIDS AND THE IPAD
Check out this article I read on the NZ Herald website this morning, about kids and the iPad. Specifically the fact that us parents use it as a pacifier …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11615429
Let me just set the record straight, well from me anyway: I would give my 12 month to 18 month old a digital device (iPhone or iPad) if we went to a restaurant and they started getting upset or restless. I wouldn’t give it to my 2 year old or 4 year old now, as they are older and understand.
What’s the difference between that and giving them a book, or something to colour in? It’s still achieving the same thing.
A restaurant, in my opinion, is actually an ADULT place. Where we expect kids to act like adults, and eat politely, and converse politely.
Babies and young children do not understand this yet – and chances are, if we’re in a restaurant with a young baby or child, it has nothing to do with them. It’s usually for someone else.
At that age, there are no lessons to be learned. They won’t remember anything.
So I will do what I can to get through the meal in peace.
My kids are only 2 and 4, and only NOW do they go to dinner with us (when we go, which is hardly ever), and sit at the table without a digital device being offered when they get restless.
We would NEVER use a device in a normal situation, when we know they understand the environment they are in. And they can understand us and our expectations.
Thankfully for us, we usually only go to Chinese Restaurants. Or Carl’s Jr. Or McDonald’s (HA). It’s a lot more relaxed there, and often the kids will get up and run around. We have never taken them to an actual restaurant yet.
I don’t plan on doing that until they are a little bit older and have an even greater understanding of our expectations. Sitting at the dinner table at home is hard enough as it is, let alone a restaurant in front of a group of strangers!
So anyway … YES, I will use a digital device to help my child get through a meal when they’re young and don’t understand. They aren’t young like that anymore, so a toy will do now haha but it’s still doing the same thing, isn’t it?!
Does that make me a bad parent? I don’t think so. My kids will still learn proper restaurant etiquette. It’s all about surviving the moment with a young YOUNG baby / child. Also, I don’t take my kids to proper (fancy) restaurants until they’re older and understand. As I said above, the only ones we go to are relaxed ones 🙂
What do you think?
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