Electronics and Young Children

Melissa - posted on 02/26/2010

My husband and i actually already talked about this, our son is 9 months so not an issue yet. But my husband is big"vid kid", so i imagine when our son gets older they will play age appropriate games together, its also bonding. I wouldn't just let him play by himself, because like someone else mentioned i dont want to replace me, with a video game. As for a cell phone, i didn't get one til i could pay the bill so that will be the same for my children. I really dont understand what a child needs with a cell phone. Where would a child be that they would need a cell phone?

Kathy - posted on 02/26/2010

I agree that you can't halt technology; however I believe that we don't need to push it onto very young kids, even if they demand it. I think they should be able to buy their own when they can afford it.



IMO, very early toddlerhood is a great time for introducing books and games.

Amanda - posted on 02/23/2010

haha Sara...thats funny about your daughter and the computer. My 3 year old son turns on the computer pulls up games that i have downloaded on the computer for ME to play and will play them all before he wakes me up! It cracks me up but its really scary haha we make jokes that he is going to be a hacker and stuff like that. He rearranges my desk top icons and locks my keyboard sometimes. It took my husband 2 hrs one time to figure out how to unlock it haha. I try not to let him play on the computer but if I am supervising him I will let him play one of my games from time to time. I know when my kids get older they will not have a computer in their room. I am too afraid of online predators and things like that. There will be a family computer in the living room and thats it haha. I agree that reading books and bike riding and stuff like that is important. Thats why I read books with my son every night. I am a self proclaimed book worm and I want to instill that in my son also. Eventhough I allow him to play his leapster and smart cycle, I dont let it consume his life. I feel in moderation, those games are OK. Us as parents just need to set boundaries and guidelines to where its not the ONLY thing they do day in and day out.

Good Day! - posted on 02/23/2010

I never had games and we didn't get the Internet at our house until I was in high school and it was a necessity for homework. Gee what did I do with my time without all those electronics? I read books, wrote stories and rode my bike. Now, I realize that we live in an age where technology is important. I can't say when my daughter will get certain things, we'll make these decisions as needed. She probably will NOT have a gaming system (unless its a Wii, I think those are cool). But when she starts to drive she'll probably get a cell phone. Other than that, I don't know. At 21 months, she already knows that when the screen goes black on my laptop she touches the mouse pad. I'm sure she'll be using my laptop before you know it, but under supervision.

Amanda - posted on 02/23/2010

My son just turned 3. My mom bought him a Leapster 2 (it's a hand held game with educational games) for Christmas. I didnt mind this because I felt that it would be VERY useful b/c we take 10 hour car trips to and from AZ every few months to see family and I need something to keep my sanity haha. I feel these games are very good. They teach numbers, letters, shapes, colors etc. and this is very good on car trips. However, I still interact and teach him these things as well. We still read books every night before bed, we do puzzles together, we try to sing the ABC's and I like to play counting games with him when we are in the car (we will count cars that go by us and stuff like that). I do feel that a DS or something like that is extreme for a 2 or 3 yr old, actually any kid under the age of 7. My nephew will be 6 in June and he has a DS but thats for the same reason as my son. Their commute home every day is a 2 hr commute so thats when he uses it. My son also has 2 game systems that he plays on the TV but again they are educational and they actually promote exercise. One is a Smart Cycle. Thats where he rides a stationary bike and plays educational games and things like that. We do still get out and play though. I am a stay at home mom so in addition to playing with him during the day, I let him play these electronic games while I am cleaning and taking care of my 5 month old. I dont allow these electronis to "parent my son." He usually plays his leapster in the car and his smart cycle gets turned on maybe 3 times a week if that. I do take care of my son; however, when I have housework that needs to be done then I let him play his games. I dont feel that children should have cell phones. Thats extreme to me. I wont allow my children to have cell phones until they are old enough to pay for it themselves. I was never allowed to have a cell phone until I could pay for it and I just cant see why a 9 yr old needs a cell phone.

Teresa - posted on 02/22/2010

Well, I was the first one to respond to that, so..... ;)

I will most likely be getting my 8 year olds a cell phone to share in the very near future since the stupid judge just granted that my ex can take them where he lives for 2 weeks. I only hope I manage to get one that has cell service at his house......

Other than that.... any electronic 'stuff' that they own will be purchased by them at a much older age.

Cassie - posted on 02/22/2010

EXACTLY!!!!

Sharon - posted on 02/22/2010

Oh I hear you Cassie.



I see some kids ... I wonder how they'll ever function later. But God help you if you bring it up to their parents.... their suggestion is that their little brainiac will be the next bill gates. ACK. Not a bad goal, but come on!? How likely is that? ugh makes me want to hurl.



Brings me back to our point.... its the parents. To many parents just LOVE handing their kid something and they SHUT UP. The machines are doing the parenting these days.

Cassie - posted on 02/22/2010

I completely agree Sharon, that we can't escape technology. It is in our children's best interest to be aware of and understand the different uses of it. I just have issues with children at a very young age, usually under the age of 5 using them on a regular basis. I've known several young children who have their own tv, video game systems, hand-held systems and the like and aren't monitored by their parents.

I also think older children today are being allowed to have electronics take over their lives. So many of the students I work with have almost no social skills and can't hold a normal conversation that doesn't revolve around the latest tv show or video game. I completely fault the parents for this. It seems to me (and I realize is not the case for every child or family) that parents view tv and video games as an easy way to keep children quiet and occupied. Especially "educational" games because parents believe they are making their children smarter and giving them a head start by allowing frequent use of them.

Sharon - posted on 02/22/2010

You can't escape technology.



Banning all these forms of technology is guaranteed to put your child on uneven footing with his/her peers.



5 and under do not need DSi's, DS lites, PSPs, cell phones, palm pilots or netbooks. Its a fucking retarded question. (not by you, by the OP on the Welcome forum)



Even children older than 5 don't necessarily need those items.



That said, my daughter got a DS Lite when she was 5. 1. Her older brothers had them, 2. She has proven to be quite capable with smaller electronics But I did buy the NERF cover - god those things are a lifesaver.



I don't foresee either her or my younger son needing a cellphone for a few years yet. He's 10. He got a cellphone at 9 and it was hand through the soccer season. Then he left it in the car and the AZ heat melted it. Soccer season was nearly over so we didn't replace it. He's becoming more independent from his older brother though so we'll look at a new cellphone this year.



However the youngest child will probably not get one for a few years yet.



Its not the kids, its the parents. My kids play outside most of the time. Bad weather, illness, lack of available friends leads to electronic game play. Even then they will jump at the chance to play a board game with me versus a round on their Wii, PS3/2 (unless its DDR)



I think my kids are perfectly well rounded when it comes to this stuff.

Cassie - posted on 02/22/2010

Personally, I don't care for gaming systems including hand held games like the DSi or television game systems like Playstations. I don't think they're appropriate for young children at all. I think kids today need to be using their imaginations more in play.



So many of my students in the 3rd grade are addicted to their gaming systems. They have little to no imagination and basically live to play video games. I think it is a parent's responsibility to monitor any electronic use and keep it to a minimum for young children.



I will say though that the Wii system does seem to provide a family a more hands-on, physical way of enjoying a gaming system than any other I've seen.