[TechFreak1]

This morning on my way to work and way home, I noticed a horrifying trend - young couples and older couples alike were placating their little kids with smartphones and headphones. I am strong believer of communicating with your young one(s) and making them laugh etc, simply just enjoying life.

Yes I know sometimes they can be pain however the way I see it - we all must have been a pain in the back side whilst growing up. I mean come on, we all got up to some sort mischief one way or another. (No I don't have kid's lol - I used to baby sit before I got my current job)

So my questions to you, do you placate your kids by using your phone and headphones? or noticed this trend?

[myrandex]

My wife and I notice it and do not do it. We gave our son a Lumia 900 for Christmas to use on WiFi only (8 years old BTW), but he only gets it at certain times during the day. He always wants to play on it, but it gets limited and taken away and essentially he has to earn time with it. We try to actively engage in conversation and stuff like that all the time with him. We don't allow out at the dinner table (although we have occasionally allowed him to bring it or his DS to a restaurant when we were going out and knew we would be there for a while with our friends or family).

Jason

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[mase123987]

In short, this will continue to get worse worse among lazier parents.

[Laura Knotek]

I think it's just a continuation of a trend. Before smartphones existed, lazy parents used the TV as a babysitter.

I'm 44, and I can remember my parents talking about what happened at a parent-teacher conference back when I was in grade school. This was probably 35 years ago or so. The teacher asked why one of my classmates didn't do his homework. The kid's dad said the kid "had better things to do--watch TV".

[palandri]

LOL! Growing up, I never watched much TV since my parents controlled the TV in the evening and I had no desire to watch Lawrence Welk or Name That Tune.

[martinmc78]

Kids are a reflection of their parents. If they see them constantly on phones or tablets then they will only naturally want to copy. I only have my little girl every other weekend but I have noticed if I am on my phone or tablet for any length of time then she will ask to have a go on it as well.

I actually don't mind her using the RT at all - shes coming up to 4 - but can already sign into her profile with a picture password. She closes and opens her games and apps just as I showed her. I wont let her use it for more than an hour a day but I feel her grasp of tech at such an early age is only a good thing.

[TechFreak1]

My wife and I notice it and do not do it. We gave our son a Lumia 900 for Christmas to use on WiFi only (8 years old BTW), but he only gets it at certain times during the day. He always wants to play on it, but it gets limited and taken away and essentially he has to earn time with it. We try to actively engage in conversation and stuff like that all the time with him. We don't allow out at the dinner table (although we have occasionally allowed him to bring it or his DS to a restaurant when we were going out and knew we would be there for a while with our friends or family).

Jason

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I think that is the best way to go about it, this way you already have established certain boundaries and a reward mechanism which in turn would encourage good behaviour. Kids are incredibly fast learners. Like Martinmc said they will only mimic what they see especially the younger ones.

In short, this will continue to get worse worse among lazier parents.

That unfortunately will always be true thus possibly creating a cycle.

I think it's just a continuation of a trend. Before smartphones existed, lazy parents used the TV as a babysitter.

I'm 44, and I can remember my parents talking about what happened at a parent-teacher conference back when I was in grade school. This was probably 35 years ago or so. The teacher asked why one of my classmates didn't do his homework. The kid's dad said the kid "had better things to do--watch TV".

Wow, I'm intrigued as to what happened to your class mate now lol.

LOL! Growing up, I never watched much TV since my parents controlled the TV in the evening and I had no desire to watch Lawrence Welk or Name That Tune.

Haha, I understand how you feel my folks were like that too, pushed hard - get good grades = rewards. I'm truly grateful for them for pushing so hard.

Kids are a reflection of their parents. If they see them constantly on phones or tablets then they will only naturally want to copy. I only have my little girl every other weekend but I have noticed if I am on my phone or tablet for any length of time then she will ask to have a go on it as well.

I actually don't mind her using the RT at all - shes coming up to 4 - but can already sign into her profile with a picture password. She closes and opens her games and apps just as I showed her. I wont let her use it for more than an hour a day but I feel her grasp of tech at such an early age is only a good thing.

That's also abit worrying too.. you will need a rather secure method of logging in for your account soon!, I kid lol. Some people think kids at an early age aren't quick thinkers or that they don't understand.

My neighbour uses games on their ps3 to distract their kid whilst spoon feeding him (almost 3 now). Back when I used to baby sit, I kept telling them to turn it off and interact with him, or heck let him start using his hands for some foods (in a humorous way ofc.. you don't want to sound patronizing lol) they would say his not old enough to understand and its easier to feed them when their distracted. Recently I heard the kid's older brother was not doing well in school, well you reap what you sowe.

[squire777]

There is so much talk out there these days about kids not being acting enough and having short attention spans. I think many kids are just overstimulated and their minds aren't meant to handle all that visual and audio noise. It's at a point where I know some parents who say their kids are addicted to their iPads yet they don't want to limit their use since it keeps them quiet for a while.

Kids should be playing with toys, throwing a ball around, riding bikes etc to develop their motor skills.

[Laura Knotek]

LOL! Growing up, I never watched much TV since my parents controlled the TV in the evening and I had no desire to watch Lawrence Welk or Name That Tune.

Did you see the show when this song was covered?

[gedzum]

I've definitely noticed more and more young kids on mobile devices. What makes me shake my head is when it reaches the point when the kid constantly bugs the parent for the device and if they don't get their way, go into tantrum mode.