re: Technology vs Old School

Quoting That one mom.:" Contemplating buying my DD the leap pad 2.Do you think it's just as stimulating for a Child to learn ... [snip!] ... with technology. (nook,leap pad,innotab...etc.) What do you think of the way things are now vs the way you learned growing up?"

I'm sure it can be helpful and educational. Personally though.. I'm not huge into technology.. I like my son learning through books and all that, so that's how I do it with him..and I let other fam members know this aswell (some want to get him an Ipad.. he's only 3.. lol). We are very strict with technology.. he didn't get tv till he turned 2 and even then he only gets tv on weekends... he's gets no tv on weekdays.
I bought him this hooked on phonics program we read together and learn to write together and then afterwords they have a quick letter game on the internet. That's the closest to letting him learn with technology I get. Most of it I do old school and I like it better that way.

It just depends on what the parents are comfortable with IMO.  

Link about Ipads and young kids
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thinking-about-kids/201110/is-it-okay-let-your-toddler-play-the-ipad

I think the fact that video games make kids lazy is bs. Give your child a time limit on the video games. Video games have been around for years it didn't just come out. I played video games and still played outside and did other things. I think it's good to have a balance of reading actual books and using educational computers to learn and read. Children need a balance because they're going to be using computers in the future for education weather you like it or not.

Quoting MysticWitchKat:" If you allow unrestricted access sure."

her dad buys them for her..We have split custody. When she is with me, she has no video games and she is allowed 1 hour on the computer. She plays outside ordoes her drawings.

<blockquote><b>Quoting MysticWitchKat:</b>" My one friend is like this in that she wouldn't allow her *now 6 year old* access to a computer,non physical ... [snip!] ... class, and she is behind because she has no idea about the basics. The fact is in an ever changing world non tech is vanishing."</blockquote>


That's exactly it. The last statement. People are afraid of change and I am so so sick of seeing "well I did this and I played outside and blah blah, no technology for my children, anyone who uses technology is a lazy piece of crap."

Um, no. IT is one of the highest paying careers and you're pretty smart if you understand the ins and outs of computers and other gadgets. I won't hold my kids back from that just because "I didn't have an iPad when I was 10."

You know why we didn't have iPads when we were 10? Because they didn't exist.... but I'm sure most people (at least in their mid 20's now) who say that were just being introduced to computers and the Internet, maybe had an old school gaming system or something.

The fact is, unless you are like 100 years old, most people on here would have grown up with some form of technology, it's just evolving a lot quicker nowadays.

Obviously I'm all for technology. My almost 5 year old knows his way around a desktop computer (it has helped him learn spelling so fast, with using the keyboard), he can use any Apple or Android device (I have iPhone, SO has Samsung Galaxy), he can play any game console new or old (SO has a collection from Xbox, Nintendo to Sega etc).

Does that mean we never talk to each other? Hell no, you can't shut this kid up, he is just so keen for knowledge and understanding of how everything work.

Is that all he does 24/7? definitely not... he loves getting outside and being physical (SO has turned into a bit of a gym junkie so he mimics exercise)... but of course we do embrace that technology is his strongest interest and it only enhances his learning further.

In saying that, I'm not ragging on anyone who chooses to go the "old school" way... but I definitely feel judged more often as a technology mum. I don't care what people think of me and mine because I know my kids are thriving but it just bugs me that people can't open their minds... you don't want that for your kid fine, I accept that but you just need to accept that your way isn't the only way and stop trying to make others out to be bad parents because they choose something different.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Misty Walls:</b>" my 6 year old can work my phone better than me. lol I recently asked my 15 yr old to look up something in the phone book DD- What. why. I dont even know how to do that. Cant i just google it?"</blockquote>


LOL we are the same way! We were at my older cousins house and SO needed a number and asked me to look it up on my phone and she's like here's the phone book, look it up. We were just like "that still exists?"

I have never walked out my front door to pay a bill, I wouldn't know how honestly. I do everything over the Internet. I have never done my banking at an actual branch. We even get groceries online and delivered. Cuts out the stress of taking 2 crazy kids to the shopping centre & leaves more time to go off and do fun things.

<blockquote><b>Quoting mamaluvsher4babies:</b>" I like both...However I refuse to buy my 11 year old video games. They are making kids lazy"</blockquote>


Not really, parents who don't set boundaries are allowing kids to be lazy.

<blockquote><b>Quoting EnnaBennaBanana:</b>" Link about Ipads and young kids http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thinking-about-kids/201110/is-it-okay-let-your-toddler-play-the-ipad"</blockquote>


Okay, here I go again!   I just have so much to say about this topic. lol.

I personally think when we do our research, we tend to be biased. So we go to google and we search "is technology bad for children" so of course you're going to get a majority of the links telling you why it is bad. Then you google "is technology good for kids" and well it's going to bring up a majority of the links for the keyword: good.

It's not hard to find something to back up your opinion, kwim?

Doing a quick google search looking for the information I want to read, to back up my thoughts, I'm finding information about studies where kids picked up so and so, so much % quicker by using the iPad or about how having the ability to carry all your text books around on one little device saves you from chronic back pain and bad posture etc etc.

You also have to wonder about the researchers conducting studies, can everyone really just stay neutral? I mean, we don't know if they had their own opinions and focused more on proving what they thought was right and wrong. Also, my interpretation of information could be a lot different than your interpretation.

I just think that we're always going to look more for what we want to believe is the right way, but there's actually no right or wrong with these sorts of things that have so much conflicting information. It's just like breast feeding vs formula, circumcised vs foreskin, vaccinating vs not etc etc.

<blockquote><b>Quoting mamaluvsher4babies:</b>" her dad buys them for her..We have split custody. When she is with me, she has no video games and she is allowed 1 hour on the computer. She plays outside ordoes her drawings."</blockquote>


And all she does at her dads is play video games?

Video games are not going to kill her... I don't believe they'll make her lazy or violent (but that's a whole other issue) or anything else anti gamers want to claim.

You have control over not letting her play them at your house and he lets her play at his house. At least you know there's a balance for her.

Quoting Ryloonjimama:" <blockquote><b>Quoting mamaluvsher4babies:</b>" her dad buys them for her..We have ... [snip!] ... over not letting her play them at your house and he lets her play at his house. At least you know there's a balance for her."

actually ya she does..I tell him how I feel..doesnt do much though. she has a DS..Wii , new X Box..and then plays on the PC ughh but not much I can do about it. Summer isnt to bad..its when it gets winter time when it get sbad

Quoting Ryloonjimama:" <blockquote><b>Quoting EnnaBennaBanana:</b>" Link about Ipads and young kids http: ... [snip!] ... so much conflicting information. It's just like breast feeding vs formula, circumcised vs foreskin, vaccinating vs not etc etc."

It depends on parents view.. I don't think either is right or wrong. I just do what I feel is right for my son. Personally for me, I don't allow my son to play on Ipads or any of that (he's only 3)
I do a hooked on phonics program with him, I sit with him we read our lesson and all that and then practice writing together. And after he does his lesson with me, hooked on phonics has a computer game he can play that had to do with his lesson. That's the closest I go to learning with technology right now for him. He learned how to write all his uppercase letters at age 2 and a half. He just turned 3 and is learning how to write all his lower case.

I just feel the way we do things in our house works.. and I don't feel comfortable letting him have an Ipad and play on that. He can learn with me and he is.. he's doing great.
I don't judge parents who do choose to do things differently though.

Quoting Ryloonjimama:" <blockquote><b>Quoting mamaluvsher4babies:</b>" her dad buys them for her..We have ... [snip!] ... over not letting her play them at your house and he lets her play at his house. At least you know there's a balance for her."

Lol my husband is a HUGE gamer.. I mean HUGE.
And he won't touch games around our son. He doesn't turn them on till our sons in bed or nap, and then he goes all gamer on them. We are defanitly not anti-gaming and when our son is older we will allow him to play some games with a time limit. But now at 3.. theres no reason for him to be around that.. esp around my husbands games. It won't do anything productive for him.. so we just don't do it.

Quoting Just Niki:" I prefer old school. I refuse to get a Nook or Kindle because I love my books! I don't think sitting ... [snip!] ... don't think sitting around playing glorified video games promotes better or faster learning. It does promote laziness tho, imo."

I would have to agree. I will let my daughter play games on my phone when we are grocery shopping or at the doctors, but I don't see the need for her to have her own (at least not yet...she's only 2!) I also think that it does limit their use of their imagination..

I think it really depends on the childs age though, and of course putting limits on it. Everything in moderation is what I live by

<blockquote><b>Quoting Freespirit:</b>" I would have to agree. I will let my daughter play games on my phone when we are grocery shopping or ... [snip!] ... it really depends on the childs age though, and of course putting limits on it. Everything in moderation is what I live by"</blockquote>


Same here! My children know how to use a Wii, smart phone, Ipod...I just prefer to sit with them and read a book rather than stick a hand held device in their hand. My kids are still young too so they don't have their own devices, but I won't rule it out in the future. Moderation is key. And the only children that I know IRL that have their own devices are incredibly lazy and anti-social. But I know that comes from bad parenting not technology itself.