The EVIL devices

One of my major pet peeves as a parent now... Seeing kids glued to an electronic device (tablets and phones are the most common ones). What I find very outrageous are parents giving in to their whinning crying child. Or the child NEEDS an electronic device in front of them while they eat if not they won't eat. 

Eg: 

Child: I want to play with the iPad! 

Parent: no you need to eat finish first. 

*child starts crying and throwing tantrums*

Parent: aiya ok ok nah *hands iPad over* 

*child is happy and quiet* 

Parent: okay enough already I'm taking the iPad away 

Child: noooooo *starts crying and throwing tantrums* 

Parent: aiya okay fine another 10mins 

Why are parents/caregivers so weak these days? Why are they so easily manipulated by a crying and spoilt child? Put it blantly these parents are just lazy and in order to shut the crying child up they just shove them the iPad. Honestly it's because of such parents that these children become a terror when they are out in public. Cannot eat without the iPad and if there's no iPad they will be screaming embarrassing children in public.

All this bad habits all start from home; by weak parents/grandparents. What ever happened to the conventional way of entertaining kids at the table? We all grew up without iPads and all that evil electronic devices. I remember my mother used to pack our bags with coloring books and crayons for my sister and I. We often followed her around a lot when she went out with her friends. She could eat peacefully cause my sister and I were kept occupied with such simple tools and we were contented. So why can't we as parents who grew up with such simple tools pass this onto our children? 

My husband and I love to go to toys r us and even more fun now cause we walk through the aisles choosing what to buy for baby G when she's older. The sad thing is these toy stores are all empty now no thanks to these evil devices plaguing the minds of our children!!! Through toys like Barbie dolls, superhero figurines, toy kitchens, play doughs, that's when a child gets to tap into their creative mind and play through imaginative play which is so vital for a child's growth! A child who grows up behind a screen won't get to experience this form of play which would impend the growth of their brain (seriously I read many research papers on this during my days as a uni student studying psychology). 

So parents please please STOP being manipulated by your children and succumbing to technology! You are only doing more harm to your child. 

My husband and I are so strong and firm on not giving baby G any electronic device till she is at least 4 (my husband says 7 but since even kindergartens start introducing e-learning, we can't keep her in the "dungeon" for too long). But we definitely won't be letting her eat in front of the iPad or use it as a device to shut her up. Her bag pack will always have a coloring book, a set of crayons, a book and a doll whenever she goes out with us during her toddler years. 

All it takes is discipline... From the parents. 

I took this picture just the other day when I was watching a drama series on my laptop and left the room for a while. She was crying but as soon as she turned to the laptop and saw the image she kept quiet. I sent this picture to my husband and he went "oh no!" (But do look that there is a cloth book right next to her. I always read and sing to her which she enjoys a lot! I even spent about $100 on books for her. I'm traditional that way)