Mother’s Decision to Let Daughter Use iPad for Hours Each Day Sparks Debate, People Call Her “Lazy”

There’s been a lot of talk about a mom who’s okay with letting her two-year-old daughter play on an iPad for hours daily. Some folks have strong opinions about this, and it’s opened up a debate about whether or not it’s good for such young kids to spend that much time on screens.

Seeking opinions and insights, this woman turned to the popular British forum Mumsnet to share her perspective. She proposed that her daughter’s considerable screen time might be the reason behind her advanced skills in areas such as language and numbers, even at such a young age.

The mother shared: ’Our daughter is nearly 2.5 and watches A LOT of iPad every day. Hours of it. It’s the go-to for her otherwise very present and engaging and loving and affectionate father.’

As is typical for online forums, other users chimed in with their own thoughts and reactions. While some expressed concern about the possible negative impacts of excessive screen time, such as stunted emotional development and impaired brain growth, others didn’t seem to view it as a major issue as long as the child in question was engaging with educational content.

In highlighting her daughter’s remarkable skills, the mother confidently expressed, “I think she’s actually pretty advanced in language and numeracy.”

“She can name all but 3 or 4 letters of the alphabet (which we haven’t actively taught her). She knows how to count actual objects, up to about 5 or 6 (we’ve taught her this mostly. But it’s been reinforced by YouTube videos). She knows how to say three colours in Spanish (we’ve not taught her this).”

The mother further elaborated on her daughter’s abilities, revealing that the toddler has acquired the skill to independently type the initial letters of something she desires and can navigate the web with the help of auto-suggested search options.

Noting the balanced approach to parenting, the woman reassured, “She gets lots of other activities and time outside, lots of Mummy and Daddy time and crafts etc. So we’re not awful parents. I don’t think!”

Curious to gather different perspectives, the mother inquired, But interested to hear if we’re still rotting her brain and social abilities, or if she’s getting the payoff from so much learning.

However, not everyone shared the same sentiment. One individual voiced their concerns, stating, “Screen time (ipad and tv) does something weird to young children. If mine have more than an hour a day they become bad tempered, rude and over-emotional.”

“I don’t know if it’s because of the constant fast-paced images going into their brain at a pace they can’t control, or if it’s merely because hours of screentime is hours of missed real world two-way social interaction, but either way; yes, it is damaging to give a lot of screentime to young children.

Sure your kid may learn the alphabet/numbers faster, but that isn’t important at this age, what you want is healthy brain growth and emotional development and hours of screentime is not going to give that.”

Another user commented: “Sorry but my view is that this is lazy parenting and is probably effecting your child’s development. I’m astounded by the amount of kids I see on their devices in all sorts if scenarios, not interacting or playing. Just sat staring at a screen.”

Another typed: “How much is hours? I’m pretty relaxed about screen time generally but I don’t think hours a day at 2.5 is great to be honest.”

However, there were others who empathized with the woman and offered suggestions to help reduce her daughter’s screen time.

One user shared their curiosity, saying, “I’m watching this with interest. My daughter is two and exactly as you’ve described yours. Seems very advanced — for example, she knows 12 colours — whereas Google says a two-year-old would know one or two. I’m sure that’s mainly from the YouTube videos of colours!”

They continued, sharing their daughter’s screen time routine, stating, “She watches about 30 mins in the morning and then over the day around 15-20 mins a few times.”

Admitting that they were aware it might be excessive, the user acknowledged their struggle, admitting, “I know it’s too much but we are also struggling to cut back.”

Another person wrote: “I saw something helpful recently that ’coviewing’ (ie watching tv with them) is much more beneficial than tablets- because you can talk about what you’re watching, check comprehension, it’s less immersive and addictive.”

“So although no more than an hour is recommended at your child’s age, in the real world that can be hard but tweaks might make it less harmful”, they added.

While the internet exploded with opinions about one mother’s decision to allow her daughter endless hours on the iPad, another mother quietly stirred up an entirely separate controversy. Get ready to be captivated by the tale of a mother who raised eyebrows and ignited a firestorm of criticism as she decided to tattoo her baby.