My firsthand tested solutions to combat with your iPad addicted toddler! Part II

Earlier you have read Part I of this post here to combat iPad addiction that aimed at the toddlers who have just begun to show the signs of addiction to iPad. 

If you have a toddler who is already an addict to iPad then you must continue to read this post i.e. PART II. 

Toddlers getting addicted to gadgets is common these days. What ever said and heard about the effects of over exposure to gadgets like iPad at very young age, it's not a good idea to cut on it completely. But, finding the right answers to questions Why? and How? of this problem is important. Here you go.

Why is it okay for your toddler to use iPad in a stipulated time and conditions? 

It is important for your toddler to keep up with time and grow up with confidence to face challenges that are ready to hit him/her in near future. The growth of technology is at its peak today. It is hardly possible for us to predict the kind of competition our kids might have to face. 

In such scenario, how can you and I know what is in store for them to decode! They might have to start competing in life at the age we thought would just be right for them to potty-train! 

Why is it necessary to train your toddler to stick to time table?

Discipline has no substitution

Over indulgence means worry about side-effects. Your toddler should be  thought to maintain discipline (see the HOW part below) when it comes to playing with iPad. It can be a cause for health problems like effects on eyes, hindrance in physical growth due to lack of physical activities, changes in behaviour due to games and activities on ipad that are emotionally engaging, lack of social skills due to lack of contact with their peers and aggravation of temper tantrums in toddlers.      

Therefore it is essential that your toddler is trained to do an activity at a given time slot. This implies for his play time with iPad as well. This will make him strong enough to absorb the fact that iPad time is just a part of a day's activities and it is not the only activity of the day. 

How can you curb the iPad addiction of your toddler? 

Slow and steady wins the race. Remember we are talking about a kind of rehabilitation (!) for your already addicted toddler. So do not expect the desired changes in the lightening speed. Here are some of the how's!

• First and foremost, toddlers at this age are self-centered and cannot take 'no' easily. So, you need to be patient to see the results. It is nothing like you have started taking measures today and you see the results tomorrow.  
• Your kid might be involving with a few favorite apps compared to others. Recognize and make a list of these apps. Delete one app from this list at a time but not the most favorite of all which you think your toddler will not do without. Let us give some time till you do that final job.
• Along with the apps from the favorite list, also make it a point to delete other apps one by one which you think your kid uses occasionally. This will help your kid to get accustomed to using a fewer apps gradually.
• Make a note of the number of hours your toddler uses the iPad in a day. Try to cut down the number of hours and the stretch of time in one slot. Do this by diverting your kid to other physical activities and involving yourself with your toddler for a change.
• If your toddler is too much indulging with youtube videos then you want to keep your wi-fi off (only if your kid is not aware of this or else you may want to change the password!).
• After you start observing a little change, make a time-table for your kid. Initially 2 to 3 slots a day for iPad indulgence will do. But keep the time span less for each slot. Then reduce to 2 slots a day and then one. Gradually your kid will know that only after so and so activity of the day will he get the iPad. 
• Always remind your kid before 8-10 mins that it is time to end his iPad play and get to next work on the day's list. This will prepare him to finish off his work (!) with iPad soon. 
• It is also a good idea to invest in some of your toddlers favorite toys rather than spending on virtual apps. For instance, if your toddler is more addicted to thomas the engine or tom and jerry videos, then you may consider to buy the real toys shown in videos.
• Also encourage them to play with other kids. Let them get some physical activities by playing out door games. It is helpful to drain their energy and shift their focus off from iPad. 
• Lastly, you may want to check out Part I and get some more useful tips. 

One last advice: I have said this in Part I and want to repeat this again, this is where we might fail as parents! Any apps that you feel are eating up your kid should be deleted immediately without a second thought. You must do it even if it is a paid version. Its worth losing a few bucks rather than losing your kid to a gadget.

I am one of you who is trying to combat the menace of iPad in my kid's life (though it is just the beginning for him). Let me know your ideas on dealing with it and what worked for you. I would appreciate it.