Mom Accused Of ‘Lazy Parenting’ For Letting 2-Year-Old Toddler Have Hours Of Screen Time Each Day

Jul 26, 2023

Parenting in the age of technological advancement has taken a path many parents can consider engaging for their children. However, it has both positive and negative effects. When kids gain access to tech gadgets, they can be tech-savvy. This could also boost their cognitive ability. On the flip side, one might want to reconsider exposing kids to technology for an extended period of time. A mom found herself in quite a dilemma when she opened up on her daughter's extensive screen time on her iPad. 

The mom with the handle MelroseGrainger took to the AIBU community on Mumsnet on July 16, 2023, and asked if she was being unreasonable for letting her toddler be on her iPad for long, despite noticing significant progress in brain development. The woman started off by noting that she was "expecting some flame"' for broaching the topic, but she would pay rapt attention. She indicated that she was "curious if people have judgmental views about iPad use?"

The original poster (OP) stated that she was mom to a 2 and 1/2-year-old daughter who "watched A LOT of iPad every day." OP noted that her daughter's go-to was the iPad when her "present, engaging, loving and affectionate father" was not around. 

She explained that besides it being for recreation, she noticed that her toddler made significant progress in brain development. OP revealed that her daughter advanced in language and the use of numerals. She mentioned that the little child knew all but four letters of the alphabet and was able to count. 

She stated that although she and her spouse taught her the basics, their daughter mostly gained more knowledge from YouTube. The mom further explained that her daughter knew "three colours in Spanish," although they never taught her that. OP continued:

"She can also now independently type in the first two or three letters of something specific she's looking for and choose the correct auto-suggested word from the search list."

The mom clarified that her toddler does other activities, including enjoying outdoor time and spending quality time with her parents. However, she wanted to know if the extended time on the iPad would affect her social activities. Many parents took to the comment section to share their opinions. OP's dilemma elicited criticism as some thought her daughter's screen time was outrageous. 

One parent mentioned: "Yes. Screentime (ipad and tv) does something weird to young children. If mine have more than an hr a day they become bad tempered, rude and over-emotional…" Another lashed out: "This is absolutely unacceptable. Why would you allow this? Because it keeps her quieter so you have an easier life? What ever happened to books?"

A third user chipped in. Someone added: "Sorry but my view is that this is lazy parenting and is probably affecting your child's development. I'm astounded by the amount of kids I see on their devices in all sorts of scenarios, not interacting or playing. Just sat staring at a screen." 

One person acknowledged the toddler's development, noting that "learning alphabets isn't important at this age." They added that the child needed healthy brain growth and emotional development," which can't be learned from screen time. More parents joined in the conversation, all echoing the opinion that the little girl's screen time needed to be curtailed as she progressed in her formative years.

Do you think the mom should curtail her daughter's screen time on her iPad? Where do you draw the line on using gadgets for kids' mental development? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to others.