My oldest son is 16 months old and he knows how to unlock my phone, swipe through photos, activate Siri (by accident, of course) and use some basic kiddie apps. I know, my son is a genius, right?! But of course he can do all these things. He has been watching his parents and loved ones use technology every day of his life, so naturally, it was just a matter of time before he started picking up these skills as well.
Screen time now isn't just about watching TV because we have portable screens everywhere we go because of our smart phones and tablets. Being a UX designer I have always been PRO technology but since having Samuel I've had to ask myself, is the use of technology bad for him? Well, to answer this question I needed to break it down:
Will it keep him awake?
Even though Samuel can look quite dazed and sleepy while watching nursery rhymes (thank you Dave and Ava) on my phone before bed I have to admit that screen time has been scientifically proven to keep children awake if they are using devices right before bed. Our bodies produce a hormone called Serotonin in the light which helps keep us awake. Serotonin is converted to Melatonin (a sleep hormone) but only when it is dark. So the light that is emitted by our devices can prevent us from producing our much-needed sleep hormone to get us into sleep. Note: you can turn on night mode on most devices which changes the blue light of the device to a yellow light and dims the screen. It's the blue light that stops Serotonin being converted to Melatonin.
Lesson for mummy: No more Dave and Ava before bed!
How much is too much?
Raisingchildren.net.au released an article saying children 18 months and younger should have ZERO screen time per day. YIKES! Samuel can sometimes go days without it and sometimes spend 1-2 hours a day watching nursery rhymes, the wiggles or play school.
Lesson for mummy: Keep things balanced. If I choose to give Sammy my phone for 20 mins then I should make sure I spend some extra time talking to him about his books or his toys. I also think that watching nursery rhymes like Dave and Ava have helped Samuel start to talk and understand objects. For example, he says "a, a, apple" just like the phonics song and can point out an apple in a book.
Am I a bad mum for using devices?
No. I hate judgement. I think we are all doing the best we can for our children. If my style of parenting doesn't align to your style of parenting then that's fine. I don't want to push my ideals onto you, so please don't push your ideals onto me.
Lesson for mummy: Listen to my gut instinct and do what I think is right for my kids.
Is it socially acceptable to have my kid watching something while out?
Who cares! I personally do not think that it is that bad if my kid watches YouTube while I have a nice meal out at a restaurant, even if he is under 18 months. It hardly ever happens that I am out, and if I am out I would like to enjoy myself. I usually bring some activities and toys with me but like everything they have an expiry date. So when Samuel is acting up, and there is nothing else that will distract him, I take out my secret weapon, the iPad. Do others judge me? Probably. Do I care? No. I know that I am doing the best I can with him. We sing nursery rhymes every morning, we read books together every night. We explore nature, we talk about our surroundings. I try to keep him stimulated and interested in life. So if I have to use an iPad for 30 mins while I finish my meal so be it. It will probably be another few weeks before I do it again!
Lesson for mummy: Don't worry about what other people think.
Is the use of digital devices changing the behaviours of our children?
I do not see behavioural changes in Samuel after watching his nursery rhymes on my phone or tablet. But after a quick google search I feel like the worst mother ever. This article explains the damage screen time can have on our children https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/behind-online-behavior/201604/what-screen-time-can-really-do-kids-brains. Here it says that there is a risk that too much screen time can impact childrens language development and social skills because kids need "real-life interactions to develop these skills". GULP. And apparently rather than listening to a mothers voice and trying to understand what mum is saying, the use of devices are making our kids lazy. They are watching the screen which is showing them what they are hearing. So they are not using their brain as much as they should be, which is making their cognitive functions weak. DOUBLE GULP.
Lesson for mummy: THROW MY PHONE & TABLET AWAY! Kidding. But think about limiting the use of screen time for when we really need it.
Again, I am a big believer in balance (well drrr, I am on a journey to become a "balanced mother"). I don't think that I am making my son "dumber" for using my devices but I am now a bit more aware of the impact that using these devices has on his learning capabilities. I have decided I will limit his use, and make sure we balance every session with an imaginative and creative session.
