Screentime will never be an adequate substitute for parenting.

For moms and dads today, the lure of technology is an almost unavoidable temptation. With the challenges that come with raising kids, it is an understandable one. When you have work to get done, a chore list to get through, or simply need an hour to relax, there is no easier way to make a child shut up than by planting them in front of a screen and leaving them to it. It is the most accessible babysitter available.

At the same time, it is not a wise idea to become overly reliant on the iPad when it comes to raising children. Not only can it stunt their development, but it can also produce a dependency that is hard to break. Many parents defend giving their kids tablets as a way of keeping them quiet and not annoying other people, but that is not always the case. In fact, a kid who is used to being occupied by near-constant screentime can end up having problematic behaviors that are not pleasant for them or anybody else around them. If they are not given proper boundaries around technology, the ramifications can be serious.