I’m a Gen Z Mom and I Regret Raising an iPad Baby, He’s Now 4 and a Total Nightmare
A mother reveals the horrifying reality of raising an iPad baby.
While most of us spend hours on our phones or other devices, it turns out that’s not so good for kids.
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Brittany Nolte took to social media to talk about the issues she’s experiencing with her four-year-old.
She said, “We did everything we could to not give him his game and his iPad.”
But Brittany admitted it wasn’t as easy as she first thought.
The mother said she gave birth in 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and with nothing else to do, she started getting him an iPad.
But now, despite everything being open again, her son was addicted to the device and wouldn’t let go.
She added, “Our 2020 babies are iPad babies,” as she banged her head in frustration.
The mother said her son had a tooth pulled and was in pain, so she wanted to give him the iPad, but she admitted that it drives him crazy every time she does it.
Brittany continued, “Now that he’s four, he goes absolutely crazy about that game.”
If they try to give him the game now, it will ‘bite them in the ass’ because he becomes obsessed.
“Let me be the first to say I regret the iPad,” she captioned the post.
The clip quickly went viral on her TikTok account @britneynolte with more than 1.5 million views and 74,000 likes.
People were quick to respond to the comments, sharing similar stories and how they broke the iPad cycle.
Someone wrote: “Preschool teacher here, iPad babies don’t know how to play with others or with toys. Slowly the time he got it back. Introducing him to the world.”
Another noted, “It feels counterintuitive – but kids are meant to be bored. Boredom breeds creativity, imagination, curiosity, and problem solving. As a teacher, I struggle to reach the iPad kids.”
When can children use an iPad?
Recommendations for giving children iPads or other tablet devices can vary by healthcare professional, but there are some general guidelines supported by pediatric associations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Here are some key points:
- Age suitability:
- Younger than 18 months: The AAP advises against using screen media other than video chatting.
- 18-24 months: If parents want to introduce digital media, they should choose high-quality programs/apps and use the media together with their children so that they better understand what they see.
- 2-5 years: Limit screen time to one hour of quality programming per day. Parents should watch media with their children so they can better understand and apply the content they see.
- 6 years and older: Set consistent limits on the time and types of media used. Don’t let media take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity, and other health-critical behaviors.
Sometimes it’s a parenting battle, especially on long car rides. I think, “He could be just like the rest of us! What did we do when we were kids? LOOK OUT THE WINDOW!” Lol,” Brittany responded.
“I think the answer is very clear,” wrote a third.
A fourth said: “Parents realising their children are behind screens and not parenting face consequences.”
“I’m cold turkey took mine away because my son made me CRY. He was so mean. I stopped taking breaks and took him away completely,” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “We did it cold turkey in January!! It took about 2 weeks for them to stop asking! (2&5) the tantrums stopped, the posturing stopped, the fighting decreased tremendously. You can do this mommy!!”
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