When most people hear the word addiction, they think narcotics, sex, gambling and outright vices.

However, an addiction is basically compulsive engagement in an activity for rewarding stimuli despite the adverse consequences.

All addictions work the same way. Cocaine works by flooding your brain's pleasure centers with dopamine, a happy hormone and stimulating a sense of false euphoria. When you pick up your phone to watch IG videos 100 times a day, you're stimulating the same reaction.

Smartphones aren't outrightly harmful like narcotics (although they emit radioactive energy that may be harmful in the long run), but for toddlers, they are easily destructive.



Most parents are in the habit of giving their little children smart phones to keep them busy or occupied. You're training that child in such a way that when you take away the phone, they spiral into withdrawal and begin to lash out.

According to top addiction expert and researcher Mandy Salagri, giving your child a smartphone is like "giving the a gram of coke."

I'm a digital person and I love tech gadgets. I'm not against children using tech devices but you see smartphones can be really destructive parenting.


I know this because, I'm guilty of it.


,..............................



When my son was about a year and six months old, I started giving him my phone to keep him distracted when I was busy. He was always crawling all over me, seeking attention and it really slowed me down. He became so addicted to phones that by the time he was two, uncle will not eat or poop or do anything without a smartphone.


He'd download all the games in the world and play all day long. I guess he was watching me the few times I used the phone to go to playstore Games section to download ABCD games for him (and he never liked those ones). Sometimes I'll be hearing gunshots coming the phone. Na the kind violent game he dey play. I remember the day my father-in-law came over unannounced to see his grandson. He saw this boy sitting on his pottie, pooping while totally engrossed in his father's phone. Grandpa had to scream his name several times before he looked up.

You need to see the scolding my husband and I received that day for being irresponsible parents grin

Another incident was when we went to my friend's child dedication. I brought rice and tried to feed my son but he refused to eat because he was too engrossed in the game he was playing. I took the phone from him and this Uncle launched into a terrible tantrum and seriously embarrassed me there. I had to kuku give it back to him.

Sometimes, he'll go to school and bring back his lunch untouched because there was no phone to press while eating.


When he turned 3, we decided enough was enough. We stopped giving him phones entirely and he only got to use his kiddies tablet a couple of hours a day. The first time I removed a phone from his hand, he cried for hours and refused to eat. I hardened my heart and ignored him. He later came by himself and asked for the food.

He gradually began to get the idea and even his dad stopped giving him phones. He began to read all the children's books we'd been buying for him and he watched cartoons more. After about six months, uncle forgot all about phones and turned over a new leaf.


He's four now and is growing into a responsible kid. He loves story books and can read a book 50 times, memorizing all the words before moving on to another.


,..............


I turned my son into a brat because I was raising him with the smartphone distraction strategy. It's more destructive than it may seem. The way little children use phones these days eh, e dey fear me. My friend caught her 7-year-old girl watching p*rn the other day. We no even fit talk sef.


Smartphones won't help your toddlers. Buy them books and kids educational tablets instead. Yes, kids in the modern world are inventing stuff and being innovative because of early exposure to technology, but there are now modern devices that make these things suitable for kids. Even the most renowned tech gurus in the world will restrict their children's internet access and phone usage. A smartphone is not what will make your child become an innovative tech genius. Buy them used, old computers and let them learn how to dismantle and re-assemble. Show them videos of tech guys building stuff on YouTube. Don't give them phones to go and start learning how to snap the perfect snap chat selfies at age 5.



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Children press phone a lot these days na.

You are right.

Kids shouldn't be allowed to use mobile phones that have access to internet until they are at least 18.

Social media is rewiring the mental makeup of youngsters. I won't even mention the electromagnetic signals emitted by the GSM.

Please keep mobile phones away from your kids if you want them to have a normal childhood.

Nothing trumps introducing kids to reading books as a means of distraction. Cell phones do absolutely nothing for them, I said absolutely nothing.

The problem is that most adults don't even read - browsing internet articles and reading pdf books online don't count.
More people ought to grow a library collection of hard-copy books for themselves. This makes it easier to pass the same habit to the kids.

You people should help me and beg Lalasticlala (papa Favour) to put the post back on Front page

computergeek:
Thanks for the library suggestion. I've been thinking in that direction too. We're in the digital age but when it comes to books, I don't do soft copy things, as computer geeky as I may be.

I actually dabbled into this one time with the presumption that it was a good alternative in making out time to read on-the-go. It wasn't very long before I realized that I had never finished any book I have on pdf, not one, yet I had done cover-to-cover more than once on some of my hard-copy books.

Try out the library thing, you don't necessarily have to build a shelf or dedicate a space yet - that's putting the cart before the horse.
Just buying a book whenever you see one that catches your fancy is a great idea and before you know it, you're having so much that you will need a shelf for them.

Kids who see their parents doing more reading than texting/watching TV subconsciously begin taking after them, it's an acquired habit.

I also agree till they're 18 of age, but remember you have a big tax ahead

FrLukas:
You are right.

Kids shouldn't be allowed to use mobile phones that have access to internet until they are at least 18.

Social media is rewiring the mental makeup of youngsters. I won't even mention the electromagnetic signals emitted by the GSM.

Please keep mobile phones away from your kids if you want them to have a normal childhood.

Nah not until 18. At least 13.

Totally agree...
But my son throw tantrums? Nah
My eyes alone fixed on him will make him behave
If he doesn't concur small igbarun issa goal
Hard reset

Even the smart tabs sef gaan I no give again
Good old books men.
Buy board
Buy marker
Buy rubic cube
Buy toys
Buy legos

It makes them smart.
My three year old son can solve the rubic cube in a few hours. Something I haven't managed to do all my life

100% Correct.

computergeek:
I'm a digital person and I love tech gadgets. I'm not against children using tech devices but you see smartphones can be really destructive parenting.


I know this because, I'm guilty of it.


,..............................



When my son was about a year and six months old, I started giving him my phone to keep him distracted when I was busy. He was always crawling all over me, seeking attention and it really slowed me down. He became so addicted to phones that by the time he was two, uncle will not eat or poop or do anything without a smartphone.


He'd download all the games in the world and play all day long. I remember the day my father-in-law came over unannounced to see his grandson. He saw this boy sitting on his pottie, pooping while totally engrossed in his father's phone. Grandpa had to scream his name several times before he looked up.

You need to see the scolding my husband and I received that day for being irresponsible parents

Another incident was when we went to my friend's child dedication. I brought rice and tried to feed my son but he refused to eat because he was too engrossed in the game he was playing. I took the phone from him and this Uncle launched into a terrible tantrum and seriously embarrassed me there. I had to kuku give it back to him.

Sometimes, he'll go to school and bring back his lunch untouched because there was no phone to press while eating.


When he turned 3, we decided enough was enough. We stopped giving him phones entirely and he only got to use his kiddies tablet a couple of hours a day. The first time I removed a phone from his hand, he cried for hours and refused to eat. I hardened my heart and ignored him. He later came by himself and asked for the food.

He gradually began to get the idea and even his dad stopped giving him phones. He began to read all the children's books we'd been buying for him and he watched cartoons more. After about six months, uncle forgot all about phones and turned over a new leaf.


He's four now and is growing into a responsible kid. He loves story books and can read a book 50 times, memorizing all the words before moving on to another.


,..............


I turned my son into a brat because I was raising him with the smartphone distraction strategy. It's more destructive than it may seem. The way little children use phones these days eh, e dey fear me. My friend caught her 7-year-old girl watching p*rn the other day. We no even fit talk sef.


Smartphones won't help your toddlers. Buy them books and kids educational tablets instead.



Parenting is difficult, but it's one step at time.


Follow my latest diary for regular, enticing updates. Chronicles of a Career Mama - In my Feelings:

https://www.nairaland.com/5511482/chronicles-career-mama-feelings

Lala you are a now daddy of a VIP lady. Biko move to front page so other parents can see the gist too.

Fake News.

Your son sounds like an intelligent person. Don't hamper him or he'll hate you.

No

We are in the 21st century, everybody needs a smartphone

Naija self. the day we hear that a kid produced an app worth millions cos he got a smartphone at a young age, Everyone will now start saying giving em a phone at a tender age is the best.

Oya, contact me for your graphic works. But today I am advertising my 3D rendering skills. Not Video oh. You can convert that your 2D logo to an extruded image that you can use for your social media accounts for just 1k.

Gig 2: Are you a blogger, motivational speaker or preacher? Do you get tired of writing out your works that you want to publish?
Then this one is for you. We have got pretty good typists here and we'd get convert that your audio or video into typed words that you can use for your books or blogs.

Send us a message today.

Glad you reversed it.

Oga bless you for posting this OP. I will take heed

FrLukas:
You are right.

Kids shouldn't be allowed to use mobile phones that have access to internet until they are at least 18.

Social media is rewiring the mental makeup of youngsters. I won't even mention the electromagnetic signals emitted by the GSM.

Please keep mobile phones away from your kids if you want them to have a normal childhood.

we have 12yrs old adults these days. a better approach will be to teach the child a good way to use the phone.
you can't keep the phone away forever or is it okay if he get spoil after 18?

Madam that is not true,the fact you did not raise your son in his early days does not mean same for everyone.
There is what you call moderations and again parents of these days DO NOT SPANK THEIR KIDS,believe it or not.spanking resets brain.
I am a mother of three girls,
My first is 6 now,I give them phones,educational toys and books,it's all balanced.
I was once a teacher and things I saw in lol kids as young as 4 in Benin shocked me.
I started teaching them sex education at an early age,they use kiddies YouTube when using phone.my daughter of 6 has a Nokia torch light cos I leave them to go out when they are home,
My kids and I are besties.i am plain with my kids,I don't hide the TRUTH ,cos kids of these days it's just God.they mix with class mates and u are not there when they discuss.
my kids has asked me how are kids born I told her vaginal and C's,i told her about period,sex education,I tell them why marriage is scared and your body should be kept,how they can tell me anything, nothing is dirty for me to hear,I encourage them,I spank them lots when necessary,my kids are well co ordinated,I am not boasting cos I see display of kids outside.my kids wake-up and greet good morning ma and good morning sir which a 15 years find difficult To do.
We show them love Welland so they don't go looking for it else where.
There was a cartoon of lady bug,my girl brought it and told me they were kissing which I have told her it was wrong for young people,I was not there.she brought it her self
We gist,we have gone to cold stone and they saw a youngsters feeding themselves ice cream and my kid said daddy those people are playing love,I hope they are married.my dear it is training,discipline,friendship above all prayers.ur son simply got used to always having his way for anything whenever he asked shikena.
Train your kid well and be friends with them
Have a bond.
If my kids bring a birthday pack I give them if I feel like after 3 to four days when they must have forgotten,how many parents do that.onve the kids come the kids will be crying for it,rubbish!when u are not hungry.they know me they just keep it in the fridge.if after some days I forgot they seek permission.
Tell the truth,let them know u love them unconditionally hug them,show them love,love,love,allow them to be expressive no matter how tired u feel else when the bigger things come they will not tell u,have conversations with them.my dear when they grow the kids themselves will not want to disappoint you cos they know you are proud of them.they know Ur sacrifices .never make them less inferior,compare them or use insultive words.raise Ur kid right

They pay neuro-psychologists millions to help design those games to do exactly what you described there

If you see Mark Zuckerberg or any of their kids, they will seriously restrict or even ban phone-time even though they're the ones selling that stuff. It works the same brain circuits as drugs

If you download educational games/stories and use childlocks it might do some damage control

I remember as a kid playing those funny "bubble" games and we used consoles a lot. But I also played maths games, chess with other kids across the world, read up on science and things that interested me.

There wasn't the same addictive element then but tech will always be a source of fascination to kids

Same thing with my little nephew. Dude won't eat until phone is given to him. He smashed my phone few months back outta anger.

PrecisionFx:


Fake News.

That's one fact many many parents ignore

Giving Your Toddler A Smartphone WITHOUT PROPER SUPERVISION Is Like Giving Them Hard Drugs.
This isn't the early 2000s anymore. Technology is evolving.
No be everybody suppose to dey give advice.
Smh

You want your kid to be smart but you don't want to give him smartphone

Ehn, we Don hear. Give your own children whatever.

1kbusiness:


Naija self. the day we hear that a kid produced an app worth millions cos he got a smartphone at a young age, Everyone will now start saying giving em a phone at a tender age is the best.

Bennycollins:
Ehn, we Don hear. Give your own children whatever.

kids can use other devices and even computers but you see smartphones, especially adults' phones, e dey dey very dangerous o.

You can now borrow 1GB MTN data for 600 naira

Check out>> https://www.nairaland.com/5509889/internet-data-loaning-service-arrived

Rosarie:
Madam that is not true,the fact you did not raise your son in his early days does not mean same for everyone.
There is what you call moderations and again parents of these days DO NOT SPANK THEIR KIDS,believe it or not.spanking resets brain.
I am a mother of three girls,
My first is 6 now,I give them phones,educational toys and books,it's all balanced.
I was once a teacher and things I saw in lol kids as young as 4 in Benin shocked me.
I started teaching them sex education at an early age,they use kiddies YouTube when using phone.my daughter of 6 has a Nokia torch light cos I leave them to go out when they are home,
My kids and I are besties.i am plain with my kids,I don't hide the TRUTH ,cos kids of these days it's just God.they mix with class mates and u are not there when they discuss.
my kids has asked me how are kids born I told her vaginal and C's,i told her about period,sex education,I tell them why marriage is scared and your body should be kept,how they can tell me anything, nothing is dirty for me to hear,I encourage them,I spank them lots when necessary,my kids are well co ordinated,I am not boasting cos I see display of kids outside.my kids wake-up and greet good morning ma and good morning sir which a 15 years find difficult To do.
We show them love Welland so they don't go looking for it else where.
There was a cartoon of lady bug,my girl brought it and told me they were kissing which I have told her it was wrong for young people,I was not there.she brought it her self
We gist,we have gone to cold stone and they saw a youngsters feeding themselves ice cream and my kid said daddy those people are playing love,I hope they are married.my dear it is training,discipline,friendship above all prayers.ur son simply got used to always having his way for anything whenever he asked shikena.
Train your kid well and be friends with them
Have a bond.
If my kids bring a birthday pack I give them if I feel like after 3 to four days when they must have forgotten,how many parents do that.onve the kids come the kids will be crying for it,rubbish!when u are not hungry.they know me they just keep it in the fridge.if after some days I forgot they seek permission.
Tell the truth,let them know u love them unconditionally hug them,show them love,love,love,allow them to be expressive no matter how tired u feel else when the bigger things come they will not tell u,have conversations with them.my dear when they grow the kids themselves will not want to disappoint you cos they know you are proud of them.they know Ur sacrifices .never make them less inferior,compare them or use insultive words.raise Ur kid right

From your point of view. Well done and keep up the good work. Active parenting is difficult, but you're doing it and slaying it. However, my boy is my first child and we were still figuring out parenting with him. We are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, doesn't mean we're not training him well. He greets well and we all share a deep bond.

Thanks for the advice though, although I'm still not comfortable with my son using smartphones at such a tender age again.