How to Limit What a Toddler Can Do When You Hand Over Your iPhone or iPad

[Alexander_im]

It's amusing reading non-parents give parents a parental advice.

This. A decade of reading MacRumors every day and this is the first time I really feel ashamed of the comments.

I wonder how many of these passing judgement and promoting a zero-screen utopia are actually parents. Like everything in this life it is about balance. Try doing your day job and be a good parent during a pandemic with multiple lockdowns and self-isolations without the help of screen time… and two libraries worth of books and wooden toys and parents undivided attention etc. Some very absolutist thinking here.

Thank you. As a parent of toddler and a journalist who've spent several years traveling around hundreds of schools across the globe, talking to 3000+ teachers and students I can definitely say it's not as absolutist as a small fraction of vocal community try to present it here. And thank God there are some really helpful and professional advices out there which do not make parent's life even harder than it already is (and, let's be honest, it's already quite challenging during pandemic) and instead gives you the roadmap to find a balance. I just wish at least some of the keyboard warriors rushing to post their judgmental comments ("only an idiot would do that", etc) would pause in their desire to "make a world a better place" to see if the world (or tired parent, for that matter) really needs another toxic comment with no other goal but to show the perfection and "know-it-all" nature of the poster.

 

[RC Mike]

This. A decade of reading MacRumors every day and this is the first time I really feel ashamed of the comments.

Thank you. As a parent of toddler and a journalist who've spent several years traveling around hundreds of schools across the globe, talking to 3000+ teachers and students I can definitely say it's not as absolutist as a small fraction of vocal community try to present it here. And thank God there are some really helpful and professional advices out there which do not make parent's life even harder than it already is (and, let's be honest, it's already quite challenging during pandemic) and instead gives you the roadmap to find a balance. I just wish at least some of the keyboard warriors rushing to post their judgmental comments ("only an idiot would do that", etc) would pause in their desire to "make a world a better place" to see if the world (or tired parent, for that matter) really needs another toxic comment with no other goal but to show the perfection and "know-it-all" nature of the poster.

You’re so right. This current generation of parents is experiencing hardships that no one in history has ever had to endure. They’re doing unprecedented things like spending time with the children. It’s so, so, so hard!

Cut the crap. It’s not that hard. If it is too hard, you’re either not cut out to be a parent or you’re doing it wrong.

 

[bbeagle]

Toddlers are not that hard to entertain.

Pieces of paper and safety scissors. Hours of entertainment for toddlers.

Obviously you don't have toddlers.

Toddlers are too young for safety scissors. They'll find something like a wall socket to jam them into. They'll try to stab the dog or cat with them. They'll eat the paper. They'll take off their diapers and finger paint their paper with their poop. Don't leave them unsupervised for more than 20 seconds.

 

[MysticCow]

If you've ever handed your iPhone or iPad to a baby or toddler to entertain them while you do something else,

Don't leave them unsupervised for more than 20 seconds.

The article itself implies leaving toddlers alone with your iDevice. This is bad parenting! At least you supervise your kid, unlike what the article implies.

Toddlers can't be unsupervised, because...wait for it...this will be grand, OK?...the real tagline here is coming very soon...I understand how frustrating this is...Bob Barker would remark, "Isn't this exciting?"...BECAUSE THEY ARE TODDLERS!!!

 

[2010mini]

Obviously you don't have toddlers.

Toddlers are too young for safety scissors. They'll find something like a wall socket to jam them into. They'll try to stab the dog or cat with them. They'll eat the paper. They'll take off their diapers and finger paint their paper with their poop. Don't leave them unsupervised for more than 20 seconds.

Yes I have had kids.

What I was getting at is kids don’t need electronic devices to be entertained.

 

[normwood]

Pro tip….don’t hand them a device. Hand them a book or a toy or better yet….put down your device and interact with them.

 

[pumpkinwhite]

Everyone here is talking about not giving devices to kids but not enough comments on the feature itself. Judgement aside, I for one am glad that Apple has this feature. Though it’s not implemented well.

It works fine on the iPhone (sort of), but not well on the iPad. On the iPad once the time limit is over, the iPad simply hangs and the screen simply freezes. It doesn’t turn off. The problem with that is that if the toddler leaves the device sitting there, without giving it back to the parent, the iPad just continues to lose battery. And even worse, if there is any sound coming off the iPad when the time expires, it just keeps played half a second ‘clip’ like a stuck record. The sound will keep coming constantly. Even if you enable all the buttons in the options, you still cannot turn off the screen or the sound till you enter the password. The end result is that almost always the iPad will just stay lit and lose all battery.

On the iPhone at least the screen goes off. However, turning it back on is slightly buggy and you have to try a couple of times for the password screen to come up.

This problem exists on ALL iPads - iPad mini, iPad Air, old iPad 3. It’s a software bug. Perhaps people don’t use it much so Apple doesn’t care.

 

[Angelinoff]

Lol, this is the world that they are going to live in. Why not give them a tablet to play a game or watch a cartoon.
Sorry to spoil it for you guys, but it is 2021 ...