I’ll be the first to admit it: I’ve handed my child my iPhone so that I could finish dinner or send off one last email. We’re busy and without full time help, sometimes a tablet or smartphone is the only way to actually get something done.

But here’s the hard truth about toddlers and technology, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):

“The chief factor that facilitates toddlers’ learning from commercial media (starting around 15 months of age) is parents watching with them and reteaching the content.”

That means if you’re letting your toddler play with an iPad completely unattended, you’re making a mistake. Children at this young age primarily learn from “hands-on exploration and social interaction” with the adults in their life. That doesn’t mean your little one can’t play with educational games and apps on a tablet, but he/she shouldn’t be playing them alone. You should be sitting right there reinforcing what’s happening and being taught on the game.

Click here to read the AAP’s full statement on media and young minds.

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