Yes, My 14 Month Old Has An iPad

Rule #1 of parenting: kick yourself. Kick yourself for saying post baby that your child will never do ____. Or that if you were a parent you would never allow ____. Go ahead, I'll wait...

My husband and I said our child will never be that child who needs an iPad at 3 years old at a resturaunt. And we were right, we don't have an iPad for a 3 year old instead we have it for our 1 year old. That counts as being sorta right, right?

Look, it's out of necessity. Do I feel kinda guilty for allowing my son to play Laugh & Learn games while we are on a long trip or out in public for a while? Not a damn bit. He has been playing ONLY educational games and before the iPad he would play it on my old iPhone that I gave to him. So technically our 14 month old has an iPhone and an iPad. Oops.

Here's an example of how brilliant this decision has been for us; last weekend we went on a trip to upstate New York. We were in the car for 4 hours there and 5 hours back (due to a horrific accident that we were stuck in) and do you know how hard it is to keep a baby entertained and calm in a car seat for that long? We went through our data plan in one weekend trying to play Wiggles and Sesame Street for him. Hell it was for me too, I cannot keep calm if I feel that my boy isn't Ok.

My pediatrician also recommends to keep your child occupied and entertained while eating at this age due to the fact that they now know that eating is boring as opposed to playing. By slightly combining the two, we are able to make sure our son is full and happy. It also makes it easier for others involved at a resturaunt or guest's house while eating. This has as much to do with my son's comfort as our own, I'm not going to lie.

So do I feel like a bad mom for giving my son these Apple devices? Absolutely not! Play and learn, my love! Eat and be full! Have fun in the car! Have fun! Be a child of your generation!

There is nothing wrong with using a tool to aid in keeping sanity for parents and their little ones.