Parents: When did your toddler start being able to unlock your iPhone?

[SwisströM]

I'm the last generation but I want to share my experiences too:

My mother is able to unlock the family iPads and maybe even my iPhone, she can open the mail app too and read the email on the current folder.

My father knows moderately well how to use his iPad 3, I just can't stand him when he uses it to take pictures.

My grandfather (very active businessman at over 75yo) knows how to handle his iPad 3, but he has no apps other than the default ones and two or three others. He also uses the back of his iPad to attach Post-Its, some of them with username and passwords (like the Apple login)

 

[steve knight]

My son has been able to slide to unlock since he was about 1. He is 2 1/2 and he can now unlock even if it has a passcode and slide to the pages that has his games on it. He is autistic so I have found the iPad specifically to be a good tool for him and he has a page on it for his games only. Only problem is he has taken over my iPad. Won't be a problem too much longer though since his grandpa has decided to get him his own (likely the mini).

I have heard there are some very good apps that can really help out with communication and such. have you noticed them helping?

 

[lelisa13p]

For all of you parents who are allowing your children early access to electronic resources, I hope that you are also incorporating into their daily lives the tried & true developmental resources. Building blocks. puzzles, hardboard books that little hands can manipulate for themselves and a lot of reading together & talking to your children with all of the parent/child interaction that entails will do more to develop your child's mental capabilities than all of the electronics available.

Just a reminder that electronic resources are merely newer tools and shouldn't replace the others.

Read to your kids every nite; the bonus is that it comes with hugs.

And in case anyone's wondering, I'm extremely computer literate and also in the grandparent demographic.

 

[Kealohilani]

I have heard there are some very good apps that can really help out with communication and such. have you noticed them helping?

He has actually made tremendous strides in his communications. He still does not speak however his sign language and verbalizations have gotten much better. We do have therapists that work with him and we incorporate blocks, figures, and other toys/tools into his therapy. And I teach middle school so that helps a little. So everything together has helped him progress immensely.

 

[lelisa13p]

He has actually made tremendous strides in his communications. He still does not speak however his sign language and verbalizations have gotten much better. We do have therapists that work with him and we incorporate blocks, figures, and other toys/tools into his therapy. And I teach middle school so that helps a little. So everything together has helped him progress immensely.

Your experience is demonstrative of what I was referring to. In the case of your son's special circumstances, every useful tool can be of great benefit. So it is with all kids. I'm glad for your family's progress (because it is a family journey.)

 

[erratikmind]

Our 4 year old grandson started to use our idevices at the age of 2. However, he knew better to handle them without permission.

Since he turned 4, he has full access to my iPad2 with my or his grandmother's consent. The educational apps are stellar for a preschooler.

 

[Kealohilani]

Your experience is demonstrative of what I was referring to. In the case of your son's special circumstances, every useful tool can be of great benefit. So it is with all kids. I'm glad for your family's progress (because it is a family journey.)

Thank you. I am a firm believer in using anything that can be even a little bit useful. And you are right, it is a family journey. I also have 2 daughters (10 and 6 yrs old) and they practice his signing with him and use his calming techniques just as much as anyone else.

 

[lovetamarav]

For all of you parents who are allowing your children early access to electronic resources, I hope that you are also incorporating into their daily lives the tried & true developmental resources. Building blocks. puzzles, hardboard books that little hands can manipulate for themselves and a lot of reading together & talking to your children with all of the parent/child interaction that entails will do more to develop your child's mental capabilities than all of the electronics available.

We definitely would never allow it to replace learning fundamentals. My daughter is allowed 30 minutes of screen time a day. I would say she uses the full 30 minutes 4-5 days a week. She's more into art right now.

 

[PNutts]

Even if you put a passcode on it... They'll figure it out sooner or later Hehe...

Just make sure you don't set it to wipe after 10 attempts. Those little buggers are persistent.

I have watched too many parents that allow babies and toddlers to play with their iphone. And heard too many stories of lost files, contacts, etc. Then there are the broken phones.

There is an easy answer. This is NOT a toy. You do not play with it. End of discussion.

Angry Birds are angry. At you.

 

[redman042]

My grandfather (very active businessman at over 75yo) knows how to handle his iPad 3, but he has no apps other than the default ones and two or three others. He also uses the back of his iPad to attach Post-Its, some of them with username and passwords (like the Apple login)

What changes your grandfather has seen in his lifetime. He's holding in his hands something that would have been considered "magic" not all that long ago.

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My 4 year old became an iOS expert before 2, and now she has her own iPad! It's an iPad 1 that became a hand-me-down after my wife and I upgraded. It's in a sturdy case and we have taught her over time to respect the device and not be rough with it. She has done very well with that, and I think those lessons will translate to less broken items around the house.

The advantages of her having her own iPad are (1) she can't mess up our apps/settings; (2) she's free to launch anything she wants on the device; (3) we can fill it with her movies and shows for long drives or flights; and (4) a few scratches here and there are no big deal.

She is very balanced with how she spends her time and gets plenty of outdoor play, plenty of real books, and plenty of real toys. She doesn't crave an excessive amount of time with the iPad.

But it sure is great to have when we need to keep her entertained (restaurants, waiting rooms, travel, etc.). And she's learning a lot.

 

[fruitpunch.ben]

For all of you parents who are allowing your children early access to electronic resources, I hope that you are also incorporating into their daily lives the tried & true developmental resources. Building blocks. puzzles, hardboard books that little hands can manipulate for themselves and a lot of reading together & talking to your children with all of the parent/child interaction that entails will do more to develop your child's mental capabilities than all of the electronics available.

Just a reminder that electronic resources are merely newer tools and shouldn't replace the others.

Read to your kids every nite; the bonus is that it comes with hugs.

And in case anyone's wondering, I'm extremely computer literate and also in the grandparent demographic.

Yep totally agree. Although my son loves playing with my iGadgets he also loves playing with his toys and especially being read to. He probably makes my wife or I read to him 10+ times per day. He's pretty persistent. If I say no but am on the couch reading/on my iPad then he'll climb onto my lap and force the book into my hands

 

[lelisa13p]

I want to thank you parents who responded favorably to my post. I was initially worried that I might appear a little heavy-handed or preachy but ultimately my personal mission is to encourage balance in early learning experiences in a time when there are a multitude of choices, many of which are sometimes misused (i.e. TV as an electronic babysitter.)

To me, there is nothing more wonderful than the look of pure joy on a child's face when he/she is engaged in learning or experiencing something new, particularly when a parent or grandparent can also be an active participant.

I wish you all many years of those lovely moments. Time passes quickly.

 

[inselstudent]

All my seven months old daughter does with my iPhone is put it in her mouth. I've stopped giving it to her.

 

[quietloud]

I want to thank you parents who responded favorably to my post. I was initially worried that I might appear a little heavy-handed or preachy but ultimately my personal mission is to encourage balance in early learning experiences in a time when there are a multitude of choices, many of which are sometimes misused (i.e. TV as an electronic babysitter.)

I think that parents tend to be a group that has come to appreciate and value the wisdom found in the 'grandparent demographic'. And are also less likely to be Internet trolls.

 

[redman042]

All my seven months old daughter does with my iPhone is put it in her mouth. I've stopped giving it to her.

Too young. Everything goes in the mouth at that age. But what you can do is launch a really simple app like Bubbles or Bloom and let her poke at the screen while you hold the phone. I used to do that sometimes with my daughter.

 

[ajcadoo]

Slide to unlock, 11 months... Now at 2 years she goes into YouTube and knows what to type to get to her videos...
My 6 year old has an iPod touch, the 2 year old is asking for one...

That is absurd.

 

[POLBOSS]

That is absurd.

I know, right? But I figured that instead of getting them toy after toy I would just spend $200 and from there on Christmas or birthdays get them an app or two... Believe it or not there are lots of helpful kids apps that help a lot with education...
BTW, the purchase of the iPod touch covered Christmas and her birthday gifts, but on her birthday I bought her an app of her choice...

 

[erftbll81]

my daughter is 11 months and for the last 2 months or so i cant get it away from here. She Loves pressing the home button and seeing my wallpaper (a picture of her.)

 

[Blakjack]

14/15 months

 

[LWP777]

I have watched too many parents that allow babies and toddlers to play with their iphone. And heard too many stories of lost files, contacts, etc. Then there are the broken phones.

There is an easy answer. This is NOT a toy. You do not play with it. End of discussion.

Good God. Lighten up. IT'S JUST A PHONE.

 

[SHirsch999]

I don't want to go on some long-winded rant here, but people should not be so critical of how others let kids use their things (phones, computers, whatever). There are many educational apps as well as games that are educational as a secondary intent. Even a game like angry birds or where's my water force you to think before making a move. This is to not even mention how a toddler might benefit from being able to tap just the right icon to get a reward. After all, they are unable to feel the tap point so they have to put their finger at just the right place to make what they want happen. Maybe I'm not saying that right, but I have to think there is some benefit to improving hand-eye coordination when using these devices. These are just a few of the many benefits of allowing kids to use these devices. They are not evil as some people would lead you to believe, but just like everything else in life, need to be enjoyed in moderation.

 

[Maverick713]

Just out of curiosity, when did your infant / toddler start being able to 'slide to unlock'?

I have a 14 month old daughter who loves to go for my phone, mainly because I rarely let her have it. Currently she is still enamored with the single button (thanks Steve) and is content with activating Siri and occasionally pulling up the camera or starting a song.

However, I do feel that the day is near when she will unlock her potential to unlock my phone, and I feel nervous about this. I try hard not to let her see me unlock it. So parents, what has been your experience?

My oldest Son, who turns 6 today started unlocking my original iPhone at like 18 months I think, and thats cause I didn't have it right away, he erased it twice, and one time for good measure coorupted my laptop so I couldn't restore it, that prior to me having any macs so I couldn't just go and restore from a backup.

 

[LoloBond]

My 2 year started to slide to unlock around 14 months (no password). Now she goes to netflix search and play her shows, read (visual) her Elmo books and check photos.

 

[redman042]

I don't want to go on some long-winded rant here, but people should not be so critical of how others let kids use their things (phones, computers, whatever). There are many educational apps as well as games that are educational as a secondary intent. Even a game like angry birds or where's my water force you to think before making a move. This is to not even mention how a toddler might benefit from being able to tap just the right icon to get a reward. After all, they are unable to feel the tap point so they have to put their finger at just the right place to make what they want happen. Maybe I'm not saying that right, but I have to think there is some benefit to improving hand-eye coordination when using these devices. These are just a few of the many benefits of allowing kids to use these devices. They are not evil as some people would lead you to believe, but just like everything else in life, need to be enjoyed in moderation.

I completely agree. But it's pretty much standard practice for EVERY thread that discusses kids using iOS devices to include at least one post from a hardline parent that thinks letting a child touch a tablet or phone is completely reprehensible. Happens every time.

I suppose some parents have children that treat everything in the house harshly, and if mine were that way I'd probably ban the devices too. But thankfully my daughter is not like that and I partially attribute it to letting her use a delicate device at a young age and at the same time setting firm boundaries on how she treats it. She has learned that if she breaks it, it will be gone, and that has taught her restraint.