Digital Pioneers

Today’s babies are the first generation who will grow up immersed in a world of electronic gadgets, tools, and devices. And their parents are digital pioneers, increasingly confronted with conflicting advice about the benefits and drawbacks of the use of such technology by very young children.

It’s clear to tech-savvy parents that there is an inviting array of apps and devices to entertain and possibly educate babies and toddlers. There are animated book apps for iPads, apps that promise to teach very young children how to play music, draw, and practice the very digital technology skills they’ll need to use in school. When you can get Elmo covers for your iPhone, you know that baby technology is here to stay.

In the face of this, a recent policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics cites research confirming that “young children learn best from--and need--interaction with humans, not screens” and that babies and toddlers who are exposed to heavy media use may suffer delays in language development by the time they reach school age. The National Association for the Education of Young Children, too, will release an updated policy statement this fall on the use of digital media.

As professional organizations struggle to come up with guidelines, the fact remains that today’s parents are the true pioneers. And it’s never easy being a pioneer, even a digital one. Parents are the ones confronted on a daily basis with deciding whether electronic devices are valuable educational platforms for babies or, instead, are time-eaters gobbling up critical real-life learning and play opportunities--while the rest of society watches and judges. 

At BABYBUG, we know such choices aren’t easy. If you are among those who have access to digital technology in your everyday life, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• After playing a game or watching an animated book on a screen, is my child refreshed or depleted? Watching your child’s responses can be of great help in knowing how technology use is affecting him or her.
• Is my child developing strong language, physical, and social skills? Be sure that screen time isn’t replacing opportunities for active play or face-to-face interaction.
• Is my child getting sufficient real-life play time to understand the meaning of concepts presented on screens?

Clearly, TV, computers, video games, and mobile digital media aren’t going away.

Fortunately, neither are the rich experiences shown in this issue of BABYBUG. Pretending, dancing with mommy or daddy, making toys out of boxes, picking apples, making footprints in the snow, and exploring a book with a beloved grown-up--all are here to stay. They’re valuable whether or not your child is plugged into the digital world.

And if your baby or toddler does spend time with electronic media, keep in mind that at this age, real experiences are what make screen experiences graspable. 

Playing Together

Playing with cardboard cartons can not only help your child understand size, shape, weight, and space, they’re fun, recyclable, and—hooray!—free. 

Here are a few ideas to begin with. We think you and your child will come up with many more.

• Tie a short string on a shoebox and make a pull toy like Kim’s.
• Give your child a large carton. He can climb in and out and he might even enjoy taking a ride around the room in it. 
• Play a simple hiding game by putting a toy inside and showing your child how to open and close the flaps. “Where’s your teddy bear? There he is!”
• Turn a large box over to make a table. Put toy dishes on it and have a pretend meal together. Afterwards, you might read “Baby’s Drinking Song” from this issue of BABYBUG.
• Open both ends to make a tunnel for your baby to crawl through.
• When the carton begins to wear out, flatten it and lean it up against a couch or chair to make a racing ramp for toy cars and trucks.
• Another day, put the flattened carton on the floor and draw roads and train tracks on it for toy vehicles.
• Eventually, make a floor puzzle out of the flattened carton by cutting large circles, triangles, and squares out of it and showing your toddler how to fit the pieces in again. She might like decorating the shapes with crayons or markers.