Sorry... not sorry

So this happened today...




In a moment of frustration my three-year-old chucked  his iPad down a set of stairs, thus cracking the screen. 

But here's the deal… I don't think I ever would've bought my three-year-old an iPad. To me, three years old is way too young to be spending time in front of a screen. The iPad that he had was actually my first iPad that I ever owned probably a good seven or eight years ago. It had been passed down through Jenica, Tenley, and now onto Kenton because Jenica and Tenley both saved up enough money to buy their own personal screens. 

The thing is, I'm not even sorry. When Tenley came to me scared, knowing she needed to show me that Kenton had destroyed his very expensive toy, I didn't feel angry, or upset, or even disappointed. I felt relieved. I felt relieved that my three-year-old would now experience a natural consequence of his actions, which meant no more screen time for him. 

Because the truth is, in my opinion, he is not developed enough to be spending time in front of the screen to begin with. What are your thoughts? When did your kids get their own "screen"? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.









Comments

Anonymous said…
We have a first generation iPad that is essentially useless now except as a kid toy for Elsa (3). It's kept on a high shelf. It has preschool apps like Daniel tiger on it. We use it when we travel. I occasionally pull it out at home when I'm at the end of my rope but we always set a timer for when to put it away. I try hard to minimize screen time. We are still at one half hour of tv a day.
September 6, 2017 at 5:24 PM
Jodi said…
We made our oldest two wait till junior high for an iPod/iPad and then they had to save & buy their own. Blake will have the same rule - but we did get him a kindle fire last Christmas for all those high school games he's forced to sit through! I like the parent controls on it a lot.
September 6, 2017 at 6:38 PM
Unknown said…
Spoken like a true mom. "I'm glad he will be able to experience natural consequences. " I agree, if he isn't old enough to respect the fact it can be broken easily then he shouldn't have it. Studies have shown that too much tablet screen time for kids can be lead to addictive type behavior in children. I've struggled with with my own kids when they don't have their tablets to entertain them. Praying for smooth transition!
September 6, 2017 at 7:23 PM
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