How to use the tablet with children

It can be invaluable for an interactive book. Or for useful apps to share. But remember, it's not a babysitter.

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Tablets and children: tips for parents on how to best use them with their children.

Dear parents, know that the tablet is not a babysitter. But the real question is:sI'm talking about an addictive tool for the little ones who use it?

TABLETS AND CHILDREN

Families are divided on this important piece of technology, which began to circulate in 2010: some ban it altogether, others allow it to be turned on only during The travels or at limited times. At the same time, the 40 App Stores are multiplying the offers of tablets for children, and They now begin to be used as early as 18-24 months of age.

ALSO READ: Children are the ones who teach their parents how to use tablets and smartphones.

HOW TO USE THE TABLET WITH CHILDREN

Between parental anxieties and the opportunities offered by technology, here are some tips for choosing the right path:

  • More than prohibit the use of the tablet, which becomes increasingly difficult as children grow, you have to choose another path: accompanying little ones in their discoveries of the digital world;
  • Use the same mechanism as the ancient and tried-and-tested reading of fairy talesRemember when we used to read stories to our children to put them to sleep? The proper use of the tablet follows the same path. The parent reads the text to an interactive book, for example, and children, with their touches, can make images, animations and sounds appear;
  • Set a certain number of hours during which you can play with your tablet. However, there needs to be a limit on the use of this device: too many hours in front of the screen however, they create a form of dependency;
  • Don't exclude gardens and walksThe use of the tablet should not become an exclusive source of distractions for children and should not lead to a reduction in the time spent in a playground, or walking in the park. They are complementary things and one does not exclude the other;
  • The tablet is not a babysitterDon't repeat the mistake we've made in many families with television: These tools are not babysitters to whom we can entrust our children for long hours.By not leaving them alone, we can instead better understand their reactions, follow their thought processes, and perhaps better grasp their expectations;
  • Choosing the right applicationsImagine buying a toy: how do you choose them? Often you do so based on activities that you also consider useful from an educational point of view, think of... toys that help to discover numbers and letters. With applications It's the same: it's better to choose those that, in your opinion, engage children, and don't make them passive in front of the screen.

HOW YOU SET UP A TABLET FOR CHILDREN?

There are special apps that can help you secure your tablet. One such app is Family Link, available for Android tablets, which allows you to limit both daily usage and app downloads, as well as remotely disable certain apps and monitor their activity. Other useful apps include:

  • Kids Space Parental Control (Android only)
  • Qustodio Free (also available for iOS)
  • Norton Family (also available for iOS as well as Android).

On the iPad, you can create a child account by entering the required data and, again from the settings, program time limits, disable purchases, and activate various functions.

WHEN TO GIVE THE TABLET TO THE CHILDREN?

Experts generally recommend that children avoid using electronic devices before the age of 2-3, and in any case, only under parental supervision. Even older children should limit themselves to using a shared, non-personal tablet until they are at least ten years old. This is to avoid the risk of misuse and excessive use of the device.

TO KNOW MORE: Emilia, one year after the earthquake, a book on the side of children

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