Is Technology Killing Your Kid's Brain?

Here’s an interesting observation that I’ve made when out for dinner the other night. There was a family of three dining in the table next to us and when the youngest son started crying out loud, seeking for attention, I saw his dad handing him the latest mini iPad. He then immediately stopped sobbing and sat quietly swiping away at his new gadget. It raised the question in my mind that “Are parents using gadgets such as iPad and PS3 as more than just entertainment and toys for their kids? Or as substitutes to babysitters?”

Around the world, children as young as four years of age have been identified as addicted to technology gadgets such as the iPad.

As a tech savvy working mom, I have growing concerns about the amount of time my kids spend online and on technology gadgets. So recently, I have started three house rules that I would like to share with you:

1. No more than 30 minutes to one hour of screen time a day. If I find my kids spending too much time on the computer or on PS3, I’ll read a book with them or get the crayons out to draw with them. Or better yet, I encourage my kids to do as much outdoor activities as possible. Take a look at our kids activities directory for more fun ideas!

2. Restrict Internet/PS3/iPad time to certain areas of the household. In my household, this area is the kids’ play room.

3. Encourage more educational and age-appropriate interactive games. Try to aim for something that you can enjoy with your kids. I made a delicious blueberry pancakes recipe with my daughters last weekend using the Easy Chef Recipes iPad App

Below are my top five recommendations of fun and educational Apps to keep your kids busy:

1. Red Writing - teaches children below the age of 8 to write the letters and numbers of the alphabet the same way they are taught at school

2. Maths Bingo - Kids are rewarded with a game when they answer maths questions correctly

3. Bright and Beyond - suggests interactive activities for parents to play with babies and toddlers

4. Pocket Phonics - helps children learn to read

5. Math Farm - solve a maths problem and different farm animals will emerge on screen with riddles and songs

As our technology plays an increasingly important role in our kids’ everyday lives, as parents - we must learn to embrace technology by educating ourselves about new technologies so that we’ll be able to make more informed choices for our children.