|
I think it's a good idea to clean their hands first.
Other than that? Sure! You can't leave a young child unsupervised with an iPad anyhow, because it'll be broken or dumped in the toilet or fed to the dog in very short order. Engage, limit, balance, enjoy. My kid's had his own iPod Touch for a good while now, and access to my iPad. Any non-educational iGames are included in his daily 30 minute videogame limit, we've used educational software for vocab, spelling, maths, geography, and other things; he now uses Safari/Wikipanion/National Geographic/Google Maps for homework reference help. Now that he's progressed to YA novels he's about to get his first e-ink reader sometime this year (as soon as a non-Nook frontlit device comes out for me...) and is also looking forward to that. Despite media alarmism about electronics, this doesn't seem to have limited his development in other areas - two sports, two instruments and choir, good academic progress, and a busy social life.
These days I think it's quite important for kids to be exposed to electronics and to become proficient in their use. Things like typing and UI navigation are skills as basic as handwriting, if not more so nowadays, and the earlier you start the easier it is.
|