Technology in childhood

This can be a bit of a taboo subject and I think that you are on either on one side or the other, there’s not really an in between. Personally I like technology (well actually I love it), I am a firm believer that if you don’t use it then you lose it and that people need to keep up with the advances of technology otherwise you just get left behind – and this includes children too.

It is important for children to use technology for numerous reasons and you probably know how crucial it is and I am not saying that they should be parked up on the sofa with their ipad all day, I am saying that children need to be exposed to technology and learn the basics.

What job can you think of today where you don’t need even basic computer/technology skills? We all know that we will be less favourable if our CV says that we can’t use a computer.

Technology is even recognised within the EYFS curriculum as a crucial area of learning that should be addressed. Therefore children are already learning about technology in the 0-5 year age range. So that means that if your children attend a nursery, childminder or even school then they are already learning how to use ipads and computers.

Many parents look at technology as ‘ruining childhood’ but the truth is, is that it is just really enhancing it. I love technology and for me I see it is an important part of learning. There are so many apps out these days which provide exposure to colours, shapes, numbers, letters etc and these can be used to our advantage.

When someone touches on the area of technology people automatically assume that children are sat there all day watching videos on youtube, that’s not necessarily the case in a large proportion of children. My eldest who is now 3 got his first tablet when he was 18 months old, most people will judge me for that but Leo has learnt an awful lot from it. Leo isn’t stuck inside playing on his ipad day in and day out, it isn’t ‘watch whatever you want, whenever you want to and for how long you want’ no no no. We play. We play a lot; messy play is our favourite though by far! Technology doesn’t replace our time together playing, it merely offers some much needed quiet time when/if we need it.

Leo has just been upgraded to an ipad and he’s got multiple apps on there, majority of which contain effective learning tools for example; learning colours and shapes through songs and games or learning about numbers and letters through interactive apps. Leo has his time on his ipad limited to when he first wakes up so he isn’t running around like a mad man if Mylo is still asleep and when he’s eaten all of his tea and got his pjs on he can have an hour on it before it’s bedtime

If we are at home and Mylo is having a nap then we have a bit of quiet time and he can: have his ipad, or we will watch a film, or play a game and read. I am generally interested in how other people use technology in their homes with their own children, so do leave a comment.

You might have heard all these horror stories where children buy products inside of the app and it’s charged to their parents card, but there is such thing called a ‘password’. You know the one, you enter it so that people can’t get into your account.. put purchases as password protected so nothing can be bought without inputting the password first!