
My baby is addicted to Youtube! Oops
When I was pregnant I was so clueless. I had all of these ideas of how I wanted to raise my child. Everything would be organic. Snacks would all be homemade. He would play with educational toys and my god, never would I ever let him play with my iPhone or iPad.
I didn’t want to have a child addicted to a phone so young. To be honest I didn’t want to have a child addicted to a phone period. No matter what age. For some reason I had deluded myself in to thinking that I could raise children in the age of technology without them actually using technology. I got up on my high horse and said I wouldn’t be one of those parents. Ohhh how I have eaten my words.
I am not even sure how it happened. It just happened. Somehow my iPhone landed right into the hands of my little one. Then all of a sudden Youtube was on and was playing a string of songs and cartoons especially catered to my son. I really have no idea how this happened, honestly. All I know is that it started to happen more and more frequently than I had ever planned.

Baby Selfie 1: Pose and smile for the camera
A trip in the car where Gabriel would scream for attention, out came the iPhone. The times when mummy was trying to cook, clean, work and Gabriel just wouldn’t give me 2 minutes. Oops out came the iPhone. When nothing else would distract him, out came the iPhone. Until it started to become a problem
I was in the kitchen trying to get dinner ready which, if you know my son, is an absolute nightmare because whenever he sees any sight of food he goes mental. You would think I had been starving him for days. Anyway as usual my little one started making a fuss. Getting a little bit flustered I gave him the iPhone and he sat there happily while I continued to cook. Then I stopped in my tracks. ‘Did he just scroll through Youtube and change the video’?
I must have been imagining things. He must have changed the song by accident. He is only 1 years old. But as I continued to watch him I was horrified to see that my 1-year-old son had mastered the iPhone better than my 52-year-old mother! There he was with his tiny finger casually scrolling youtube and choosing which videos he wanted to watch.
Later that night my horror continued. I received a text message telling me I had successfully signed up to Bounce Games ( I will never get my £1.50 back), had realised that Gabriel had sent gibberish texts to 2 of my friends and found a whole bunch of baby selfies in my photos! Selfies!!!!! Heres me thinking he was just watching Tinky-winky and Lala prance around a garden. I had no idea that my 1-year-old was posing for selfies!!!!

Baby selfie 2: Lets go artistic and add a filter! How he did this I have no idea but I am impressed.
I didn’t think I would have to worry about iPhone usage until my son was at least 14 years old but here I was with a toddler who all of a sudden started demanding for it. Whenever he saw it he would point and say Ta. When he managed to get his hands on it, he would immediately come to me asking for Youtube then would proceed to roll around the floor if I said NO. It came to the point where we had to stop using phones around him because as soon as he saw one, he would make a beeline for it.
We are trying now to limit his exposure to the iPhone and Youtube. But its a tricky situation. I feel like I am trying to fight a battle I cannot win. I am torn between not wanting him to be so tech savvy at such a young age. At the same time I love the instant peace and freedom it brings.
I would love to say that I will never let him use or play with an iPhone again. That I am taking a stand against screen time for kids. That I am not a lazy mum who sold her soul to the devil that is technology. The truth is I am. I don’t have the patience nor the courage to fight it. I just want 5 minutes to myself so I can shovel that last piece of cake down my face without having to share it with him.
I can imagine a lot of mums are shaking their pretty heads at me right now. However I think we need to accept that this is the age of technology and that our kids are going to grow up a lot differently than we did. Smart phones, iPads, and social media are apart of this generation and there is nothing that anybody can do about it. All I can do is embrace this new way of life, and pray that I am not screwing them up somehow.

Baby Selfie 3 : In the car
xxx
Whats your thoughts on this? What do you do in your household?
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Shantanu Varun
Very adorable post, Made me smile all the way
Kylie Abreu
Thank you Shantanu
Beth
So glad I’m not the only one! My nearly 8 month old is so clingy with me, I can’t even go to the loo on my own without him screaming the place down. It’s amazing how quickly youtube brings peace!
I too didn’t want my baby growing up around tech, eating processed food, etc. but I’m not super Mum and I break down if I don’t get anytime to myself. He doesn’t sit infront of the screen all day, half an hour here and there throughout the day and I can nip to the loo, make breakfast, wash up, hoover all in silence it’s bliss.
Although he hasn’t mastered the art of using a phone yet… phew!
We’re having a bad day today (teething grumpy baby and a grumpy Mummy) and seeing this post has really cheered me up! 🙂
Kylie Abreu
Aw I’m glad it made you feel better. We all have bad days and teething is a nightmare! As you say being super mum is impossible but I am sure you are doing great though 👍🏽
ladymyx | myxilog.blogspot.com
The system now is very alarming. But when kids had their hands into gadgets, they are really into their focus and that is somehow a pro for us, then Mom’s can do things they need to do. XD
Kylie Abreu
Thanks Ladymyx
Andreea (@greenzenfit)
Does he just want Youtube or the phone itself? I heard quite a few parent that have this battle – don’t want the child with a phone but enjoy some quiet time when they can get things done. Don’t feel bad about it, children change their habits all the time. We do it too.
Kylie Abreu
It seems to be YouTube on the phone. If I put it on the tv he still wants the phone. Haha im glad I am not the only one doing this 😂
Ankita
Aww.. nice it is.. 🙂
Rachel Erazo
My daughter is 7 months and watches YouTube with us all day long since we don’t have cable. ERB and Elmo are her favorite lol
Kylie Abreu
My boy is starting to love Elmo too. Especially The Furchester Hotel 😊
Ndumi
I don’t have children but I don’t blame you. Today it’s as if children are born with the ability to operate smart phones. You’re a great mommy❤️
Kylie Abreu
Aw thank you!
fitasamamabear33
This is perfect! I think there are far worse things you’re little one could be addicted too 🙂 My daughter makes me a hypocrite every day lol
Maharshi Kushwaha
wow! nice it 🙂
herlittleloves
My life! It’s so easy to parent when you have no children.. Now that i had two the iPad is my savour! Especially whilst my second was a newborn, kept him occupied while I was busy with my baby. It’s nice that we aren’t alone!
Geneva | Making Money Add Up
Oh yes! The age of technology… I still reminisce with my friends of how we grew up so differently than the youth of today. Don’t feel bad, it is almost impossible to keep technology away from children. Most kids these days know how to work my gadgets better than I can—that’s the age we live in.
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