How Do You Handle An i-Paddy?
I love the new research around children and tech and how parents are using tech bans to discipline their kids. I also love the new term i-Paddy which refers to the resulting meltdown as a tablet/device is forcibly disconnected from a child.
Six out of ten parents say they have experienced an ‘iPaddy’ when they try and forcibly end their kids’ gadget game time and researchers have found that restricting the use of gadgets is now the preferred form of punishment for 79% of parents in the UK. Common symptoms of the iPaddy include tears, tantrums, sulking and the silent treatment. Interestingly while we all happily buy our kids gadgets and let them play on ours three quarters of parents believe children are too attached to gadgets.
The study by Pixmania also found that while the educational value of products such as tablets and laptops was a key factor for many parents, the average child now spends nearly two hours a day playing with tech products and over a quarter of children use gadgets for 4+ hours per day, which let’s be honest is for more than educational purposes.
Of course part of the problem is keeping up with what your kids are doing and why. In my own house my 6 year old often has to show the 3 year old how to play a game on a tablet due to the fact I am clueless to what they’re playing, and I’m pretty tech savvy. It’s one reason why I love the new parenting and technology site Quib.ly. Aside from giving your kids a head start in an ever increasing connected world, it’s a great place to find answers to some of those tricky parenting tech questions like Should you limit tech time with kids? and Are iPhones and iPads better babysitters than TV? All the questions are answered by other parents and experts so you get a really good clear picture of the latest information alongside the best parenting advice.
In the meantime we’re looking for suggestions on how you handle an iPaddy? Let us know.