You can, but you really shouldn’t. And here’s why: your little one is growing up and needs to fully engage all his five senses to learn and process information.

By giving your 1-year-old an iPad to play with, you are limiting the chances he has to fully learn to utilise all his five senses. Instead, look for activities that allow your curious little one to see, hear, touch, taste and smell.

Related: Help Your Baby Develop

Children Learn Through Play

Play requires active, spontaneous participation from a child. Play engages your child’s mind and helps develop his creativity as well as his language, motor, social and problem-solving skills. 

Sitting with an iPad or other electronic devices denies your child active fun and play, as it is mostly a passive activity. A sedentary lifestyle already awaits your child as he/she will have a lot of sitting to do in future at school, so why not get them moving and playing now while they still have the time to do so!

Related: Let's Go, Mummy!

More Sun, Less Screen

As adults, we know our eyes get tired when we look at the computer screen too long, and experts recommend we take a break every 45 minutes.

Mums and dads should encourage their little ones to be as active as possible from a young age. This is even more true for young children who are still developing. Instead of looking at the tablet, why not spend a few hours at the park or at the playground instead? Spending time outdoors may also help to prevent or delay the onset of myopia.

But I See So Many Games for Kids

While there are many interactive tablet apps and games for children, they are almost always recommended for children aged 2 and above. Your little one is still at an age where he will thrive best through active fun and play with daddy and mummy. So enjoy this precious time, because it might not be long before your child stays glued to a screen, instead of to you.

Visit Parent Hub, for more useful tips and guides to give your baby a healthy start.

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