As a parent, I have experienced the joys and challenges of using an iPad to keep my child entertained during long journeys or when waiting in a queue. However, recently, I had an experience that made me question the wisdom of relying too much on technology to keep my child occupied.
It was a typical weekday afternoon, and my son and I were on our way home from his piano lesson. We had a long journey ahead of us on the MRT, and I knew that it would be a challenge to keep him entertained for the duration of the trip. So, I brought along his iPad and loaded with his favourite games and videos.
For the first half of the journey, everything went smoothly. My son was happily engrossed in his iPad, and I was able to catch up on some reading. However, as we approached the midway point of the journey, I noticed that my son’s iPad battery was running low. I reminded him to save his game and switch off the device, but he refused. He begged me to let him play a little longer, promising that he would switch it off as soon as the battery ran out.
I hesitated for a moment, but then I gave in to his pleas. I figured that a few more minutes of screen time wouldn’t hurt, and it would keep him calm for the remainder of the journey. However, as soon as the iPad ran out of battery, my son’s mood changed dramatically. He threw a tantrum, screaming at the top of his lungs and kicking the metal pole in front of him.
I was mortified, and I could feel the disapproving glares of the other passengers on the train. I tried to reason with my son, telling him that he had already had plenty of screen time and that he needed to learn to entertain himself without technology. However, my words fell on deaf ears, and he continued to scream and cry.
In that moment, I felt like the worst parent in the world. I had relied too heavily on the iPad to keep my child calm, and I had failed to prepare him for the possibility of a low battery or technical malfunction. I realized that I needed to make some changes to my parenting approach and find a better balance between technology and other forms of entertainment.