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iPad for my baby

L

lundehund

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 3, 2010
10
0
Hey guys,

I've seen some quite interesting Apps for the iPad which are especially designed for children.(http://www.ikidapps.com/2011/05/ipad-games-for-kids.html)

I'd like to educate my son in a way which involves constant studying and hard work in order to become successful and wealthy, people don't get successful without effort.

As a result, I'm thinking about getting an iPad2 and install apps like MathBingo etc. Do you have any suggestions how early I should start this training? My son is one year old, should I wait?
Also, how safe is the iPad? Are there "childproof" cases and does the glass release dangerous splinters when broken?

If you have any experience with that I'd be pleased if you could give some advice.
 
I couldn't see buying such an expensive breakable object for a child. Why not get some of those leap frog learning systems / games. They make plenty of electronic games / systems that are designed for children...
 
I don't know about using it as an educational tool, but I know a friend who would let his 3 year old play a writing game on the iPad occasionally. He seemed to pick it up pretty easily.
 
I bought a referb iPad 1 and en decided to buy an ipad2 (long story). But instead of returning the iPad 1 I gave it to my grandkids (3 and 7).

Two things:
1) put a good protector on it. I had Ghost Armor installed to protect it. Kids are hard on things and they invariably have grungy fingers. I feel very comfortable with the Ghost Armor installed all over.
2) both learned very quickly to be pretty careful. However a 1year-old will have to be helped and sat with pretty much al the time. For a wail at least.

I found several games for then. The 3 year old loves the Dora writing game and several of the drawing games. The numbers gamens do not interest her. You can find a lot and many are free. One thing I do like about using the iPad is to read to them. Since the books are in color they love to help me read.

Just do a search on children's games and you will find plenty that will interest your child. However, he's pretty young so don't expect a long attention span. And we do limit the kids to 30 mins or so a day. At their age imagination and empty boxes seem to be more interesting, although my 7 year old grandson does love the mazes and math logic puzzles.
 
Obviously people can do what they want, but as a parent of a one year old then I'll throw in my opinion and say I find it to be unnecessary to spend so much on a baby in the name of "education".

In defense of giving a kid their own iPad, there's no "kid mode" on the iPad So if i were to try making it an education tool then id want my data protected from those peanut butter fingers and an entirely separate device would be ideal.

But reality is different. Its not practical to give a baby an iPad and while i do allow my daughter to use it and "try" to teach on it, for the most part she just swipes to unlock, deletes apps, constantly swipes out of books we're reading and then never really "learns" anything that isn't better taught with paper books and "real" objects rather than metaphors.

To me, since at that age they don't really have the concept of "mine" and "yours" (everything is "theirs") then its better to save those big milestone gifts for moments when they "earn it" and don't end up growing up entitled to niceties. Because when kids get nice things for free then they're more likely to wreck it or lend it to friends as opposed to when they work hard and earn that new gadget or car.


Back to the "kid mode" thing. Ive always felt there should be user profiles. Keep the wife, kid, guests separate, lock the digitizer so kids don't keep switching the movie they're watching or restrict certain sites/apps. Until they do this then Tablets aren't necessarily a "for everyone" device.
 
I've umed and ared about whether to reply to this thread because the approach that parents take to educating their children is a very personal thing. But for what it's worth, I think you should relax. MathBingo for a one year old is crazy, as is putting too much emphasis on things like iPads and computers. A kid of that age will learn more by messing around with some bricks that by playing with a screen. Young children need to play with toys. They need to experiment with physical things to develop motor skills and build their understanding of how the world works. They're programmed to teach themselves and will do so very effectively if provided with a stimulating environment. Playing with an iPad is fine, but it should just be one of range of 'toys'.

Talking about constant studying and hard work in relation to a small child genuinely sends a shiver down my spine. Let children be children and leave the hard work until they begin formal education. Some of the countries that have the highest educational standards don't begin to teach things like maths to children until the age of six or seven!

Just my opinion of course, but I work with young kids and have spent years studying child development so this isn't just 'off the top of my head' stuff.
 
Just a tip but you can remove the install/delete app permissions, and you can also hide things like web browsers and you tube, it's under settings.
 
lundehund said:
...I'd like to educate my son in a way which involves constant studying and hard work in order to become successful and wealthy, people don't get successful without effort...
Click to expand...

I don't get involved in telling other people how to raise their kids. I have enough questions about raising my own. Having said that, though, I hope the statement above is hyperbole. If it's not, I hope you'll be prepared for the possibility that a childhood that involves "constant studying and hard work" doesn't necessarily produce the outcome you've set out to achieve. That's especially true if you've decided to impose that regimen on a one year old.

Edit: oops. I see I'm not alone in my reaction. Didn't mean to be redundant but perhaps repetition might be a good thing.
 
If you do get one I recommend buying a used iPad 1 because of its increased durability and metal edges surrounding the glass. The iPad 2 is more likely to shed broken glass due to its design.

I would also recommend limiting the child's usage per sitting. Prolonged exposure to lcd screens is surely not good for corneal development.
 
the vj said:
What a baby needs are parenti9ng, not an iPad, how lame.
Click to expand...

Toys, chewable things, things they can develop their imagination with as well as motor skills.
The toys theynhave for kids today are fantastic. Forego the electronics.
Just my recommendation
 
your money and your the parent! I found for my child when she was young. taking her places like the Zoo, Science Center the park and spending time with her. Also not talking down to her gave lots of brain stimulus. lots of time to learn via the electronic world.
 
These kids are getting more and more spoiled. Most would sell their child for an ipad!!
 
lundehund said:
...I'd like to educate my son in a way which involves constant studying and hard work in order to become successful and wealthy, people don't get successful without effort...
Click to expand...

So, your goal is to have your one year old child study hard to become successful and wealthy? Wow, I'm glad you weren't my parent! There is waaaaay more to life than success measured by wealth. And, that is NOT something you can get from an iPad. You need to reevaluate your priorities! Plenty of time to crack the whip over your child when he/she get's into intermediate and high school. Until then, let them be kids.
 
ilikewherethisthreadisgoing.jpg
 
lundehund said:
I'd like to educate my son in a way which involves constant studying and hard work in order to become successful and wealthy, people don't get successful without effort.
Click to expand...

At age one? ... You just convinced me to dump my Fisher Price Stock :D
 
1 year old is way too young.
Depending on the kid's pace of development, they will pick up nicely on a iOS device between 2 and 3 years old.
My 3 years old is quite iPad-savvy, she knows to be careful when she got the device in hands. I tell her to go wash her hands before I let her play. She doesn't mess up with anything (deleting apps and such...) Just as a precaution, she gets to play with iPad or iPod touch only when there's an adult around.
 
1yr might be a bit too young for an iPad, but I would be hypocrite to say don't do it ,as my I let my daughter play with an older itouch we had. She just turned 3 and uses the iPad with ease between her games, movies and streaming content. We do treat it as a privilege with her and she doesn't use it without some oberservation..

Hope that helps a bit...
 
We bought my baby brother a MacBook Pro when he was 3 years old. We installed various games and learning software as well as Mavis Beacon and others. He also uses Youtube and iTunes to watch cartoons and Safari occasionally browse online to look at airplanes, ships, etc. (with supervision). When my dad got his iPhone 4, he got the 3GS. When my dad got the iPad 2, he got the iPad 1. He is 6 now and uses the iPad and iPhone to play games mostly, but we are looking into some learning apps for it. The Macbook pro is used for learning as well as entertainment and leisure.
 
A fishprize or leapfrog computer will be fine,heck even just some chewing toys would suffice, why start spoiling somebody already at the age of 1, you will have plenty of time later for that..
 
I see the ipad as an interesting way of making learning fun without making it seem like work. What I am concerned about, however, are reports I have read that introducing visual media to children when they are too young may cause them to grow up with poor attention spans. This means that in the future, your child may find it harder to sit down quietly for an extended period of time and concentrate on tasks if it does not involve the use of computers.

I am seeing a similar issue in my school, where grade 4 pupils (or rather, their parents) have purchased their own laptops. I have problems getting them to focus on their work quietly unless it involves using their laptop in some way.

I would say go ahead, but don't let that be the only way your child learns. Show him the wonders of reading a good book, for instance.
 
Isn't there an innate hypocrisy in the concept of teaching a child to work hard to be successful and buying that child a luxury toy?

I can't offer much parenting advise as my son is only 6 months old but YOU are the one with the one year old you should be able to realize if he can or cannot do math and math type games. I don't think I'm inaccurate in saying likely not. One year olds can say, what, a handful of words? Some are not even walking? they don't have the skills at that age to do math, and play games like that.

Buy your child some puzzles or something...

(that being said my six month old loves "playing" tappy tunes on my iPhone :D he also likes to try and eat the phone...)
 
the vj said:
What a baby needs are parenti9ng, not an iPad, how lame.
Click to expand...

+1

The child should learn things in the real world by going to science parks, zoo, etc not by the electronic means, at least not at this age.
 
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