You’d think five-year-olds would spend their time playing with teddies and toys, rather than technology.
But according to a recent Government report, a third of all children aged three to five have their own tablet, while separate research suggests one in three spend two hours a day online.
While it might give parents an easy life — at least until they try to take the tablet away from their little darlings at bedtime — experts fear this shift could hinder children’s development, limiting their social interactions.
So, how do parents feel about the rise of the toddler tablet, and how is it really affecting their children? To find out, we asked the mothers of three five-year-olds to keep a diary for their tiny tech addicts for a week…
TED IS ABSORBED BY EDUCATIONAL APPS
Kim Yardley, 35, works in catering. She is separated and lives in Nottinghamshire with her four children Isabella, 14, George, 11, Ted, five (pictured) and Matilda, four.
Kim Yardley, 35, works in catering. She is separated and lives in Nottinghamshire with her four children Isabella, 14, George, 11, Ted, five and Matilda, four.
She says: Ted’s dad gave him an iPad for his fifth birthday last July. He’s so proud of it that he takes it everywhere except school, where it’s not allowed — but they occasionally use school iPads in the classroom.
When he’s not watching it, he’ll still clutch it, even at the dinner table. But the rule is he stops without any fuss when I ask him to and at night it stays by his bed on charge. Although it’s a bit of a shock to see how many hours he clocks up, I’m not too concerned. All my children have screens — Isabella has a MacBook, George has an Xbox, and Matilda has an iPad.
Ted still gets lots of opportunity to play with his siblings and run around outdoors at school. And on the iPad, much of his time is spent using educational apps. He also watches YouTube and he’s allowed to play Minecraft occasionally.
I monitor what he’s doing and have a few strict rules, such as that he cannot use it in the morning until he has dressed. He also has to put it down when he’s brushing his teeth.
After school, it buys me time to cook and help the others with homework. I can’t watch him all the time, but I’ve got parental control settings on all the kids’ screens and on our internet connection.
I never offer the iPad as a reward and I take it away from him if he’s naughty or doesn’t eat his tea.
MONDAY: Two hours 15 minutes
7am-8am: Ted gets dressed, then plays educational iPad games until breakfast. He clutches it all the way to school, but leaves it with me without a fuss.
4pm-5pm: After school, he watches Minecraft tips for an hour.
6.45pm-7pm: Ted watches his iPad in bed while I bath Matilda.
TUESDAY: Two hours 30 minutes
7.15am-8.15am: Watches YouTube until breakfast.
4pm-5pm: We own horses and we all go to the stables. Ted loves to ride, but he’s often happy just to take iPad photos or use apps instead. Today it’s very cold so he decides to play on his iPad for a while in the car while we tend to the horses.
5.30pm-6.30pm: Everyone does their homework — the older children are using screens for this.
6.30pm-7pm: Another half-hour play before bedtime.
Kim says she’s not too concerned about her sons screentime all her children have screens. He racked up 22 hours 55 minutes in total
WEDNESDAY: Three hours 35 minutes
7am-8.15am: Ted is dressed and watching YouTube videos.
3.30pm-5pm: After school he’s on it again, using a learning app while the rest of us ride the horses.
5.30pm-6pm: Watches YouTube while I make tea.
6.40pm-7pm: 20 mins before bed.
THURSDAY: One hour 50 minutes
7am: Ted wakes feeling unwell. He doesn’t use the iPad — but still wants to hold it.
4pm-4.20pm: At the doctor’s and we play a tablet game in the waiting room together.
5pm-6pm: Ted uses a learning app until tea.
6.45pm-7.15pm: Ted asks to listen to music through headphones while I read Matilda a story. But when I take it from him, he’s watching YouTube.
FRIDAY: Two hours 45 minutes
5.30am-7am: Ted climbs into bed with me at 5.30am — with his iPad already on. We cuddle while he watches YouTube.
7.30am-7.45am: I catch Ted watching his iPad when he’s supposed to be getting dressed, and confiscate it until the afternoon.
4pm-5pm: George’s birthday. Ted uses the iPad to take photos before joining in.
Kim says that Ted still gets lots of opportunity to play with his siblings and run around outdoors at school
SATURDAY: Five hours
8am-9.30am: We play on the iPad together.
10.30am-11.15am: I help Ted practise his phonics on the iPad.
6pm-6.15pm: Ted asks to play an iPad game. His hand-to-eye co-ordination is very quick!
SUNDAY: Five hours
8am-10am: Ted plays on the iPad while it is charging, sitting by the socket where it’s plugged in.
10.30am: At the supermarket Ted shows Matilda a Barbie iPad game which keeps her amused.
11.30am: An hour on his iPad before lunch.
3pm-4.30pm: At the stables, Ted has a quick ride but then reverts to his iPad. Later, he plays on it again while I make tea.
TOTAL: 22 hours 55 minutes
IT DISTRACTS EMMA WHILE I DO CHORES
Becca Masters, 34, is a revenue protection officer who lives in London with her husband Daniel, also 34, and daughter Emma, five.
Becca Masters, 34, is a revenue protection officer who lives in London with her husband Daniel, also 34, and daughter Emma, five (pictured)
She says: Left to her own devices, Emma would watch her Amazon Fire tablet 24 hours a day. We bought it as a Christmas present when she was three — she was constantly using our phones and we wanted them back!
The tablet’s controls mean she can’t watch any adult content. She used to be absorbed in episodes of Peppa Pig, but now it’s mostly games or YouTube videos about toys.
When she wakes up she asks for it — I keep it in our room overnight — and as soon as she gets home from school she switches it on. There have been tantrums when we say she’s had enough time on it, but the prospect of it being taken away altogether usually stops her in her tracks.
Thankfully she’s getting easier to reason with. We encourage her to ride her bike and to draw. Daniel bans it at the dinner table and thinks she should spend more time outside. But if I need to do chores, I’ll give it to her.
MONDAY: No tablet
Off school with a fever, and wants cuddles rather than her tablet.
TUESDAY: Two hours 20 minutes
3.30pm-5.30pm: Emma grabs her tablet when she gets home to watch Lego Friends on YouTube.
6.15pm-6.35pm: We have dinner — no tablets — then I agree to an extra 20 minutes of YouTube before bedtime.
Becca says, if left to her own devices, Emma would watch her Amazon Fire tablet 24 hours a day. She racked up a total of 17 hours and 45 minutes on the tablet’
WEDNESDAY: Two hours
3.30pm-5.30pm: After school Emma watches her tablet solidly until teatime.
THURSDAY: One hour 45 minutes
7.15am – 8.30am: When I came out of the shower Emma was already on her tablet.
3.30pm: Emma had a friend over and they watched toy unboxing videos for 30 minutes, then used a Nintendo Switch games console.
FRIDAY: Two hours 25 minutes
3.30pm-5.10pm: After school, she watches toy reviews on YouTube while I tidy and cook dinner.
7pm-7.45pm: 45 minutes watching YouTube before bed.
SATURDAY: Three hours 45 minutes
8.30am-10am: Emma played on her tablet from when she woke up until her swimming lesson. She never takes it in the car.
12.30pm-1.30pm: She used the tablet while eating her sandwiches.
6pm: Another 30-minute play before bedtime.
SUNDAY: Five hours 30 minutes
5.30am-11am: Emma woke at 5.30am feeling poorly and watched YouTube non-stop till 11am.
TOTAL: 17 HOURS 45 MINUTES
I WISH EVA WOULD PLAY WITH DOLLS
Eva, who got her iPad from Santa last Christmas, used it for a total of 12 hours 25 minutes
Tracey Cook, 38, works in PR and lives in Oxford with husband Lee, 37, and daughters Georgia, eight, and Eva, five.
She says: Santa brought iPads for both girls last Christmas. They were banned from playing with my phone because I use it for work. Also, we’re going to Florida this year so Lee and I suggested asking Santa for iPads for the flight.
But we weren’t prepared for how quickly they’d gravitate towards their tablets instead of playing games and dolls together like they used to.
We accepted it because it was the holidays, but told them when they were back at school — where they don’t use screens — they could only have iPads at weekends.
That’s been a bit hit and miss — there have been times during the week when we’ve found Eva using her iPad. I seem to say, ‘No, Eva, no more iPad’ a lot these days.
Ordinarily during the week the girls are busy with swimming and gymnastics. Their iPads never leave the house with us, but when we’re at home it’s their favourite thing now.
I’m shocked that Eva has clocked up so many hours.
Tracey says, if left to her own devices, Eva would watch her Amazon Fire tablet 24 hours a day. She racked up a total of 17 hours and 45 minutes on the tablet
MONDAY: No tablet
Our weekday ban is in force.
TUESDAY: One hour
6.30pm: I arrive home to find the girls on their iPads after school. Lee’s working from home and says this gave him an extra hour to focus.
WEDNESDAY: No tablet
Eva asks if it’s the weekend yet so she can play with her iPad.
THURSDAY: Ten minutes
7.30am: I catch Eva watching her iPad and take it away.
FRIDAY: Two hours
2.30pm-4.30pm: School is closed for snow. The girls play outdoors all morning, but in the afternoon I give Eva her iPad and she watches Disney’s Moana. Her dad and I needed some peace to research and book our family holiday!
SATURDAY: Four hours
7am-11am: Eva watches Moana on her iPad, then plays on the CBeebies app until we go swimming.
SUNDAY: Five hours 15 minutes
7am-11.30am: Eva gets up before us. She and Georgia watch their iPads until lunch.
5.45pm-6.30pm: Eva asks for her tablet so we allow her 45 minutes of CBeebies before bathtime.
TOTAL: 12 hours 25 minutes