‘I regret raising an iPad baby; I created a total monster and he’s only four’

Brittany thought that giving her son an iPad would keep him entertained. Little did she know it would “bite her in the ass”. 

If you rely on screen time to keep your child occupied, you may want to reconsider your parenting choices.

Gen Z mum, Brittany, thought that when she had her child, she could rely on devices like an iPad to keep him enteertained and busy or help calm them down when they’re cranky. 

Honestly, they can be a real lifesaver.  

But four years later, Brittany has some choice words about her past parenting. 

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“Let me be the first to say I regret the iPad”

It was during the height of the pandemic in 2020 when Brittany welcomed her son to the world, and without any other way to keep him entertained, she turned to the iPad. 

She didn’t think it would be a big deal, and that her son, who is deaf, would adjust normally once the world re-opened. 

RELATED: ‘What the f**k’: Mum’s warning about kids using an iPad while it’s charging

However, their son quickly became addicted to a game that he couldn’t stop playing, no matter how hard the parents tried. 

Now the mum is the “first to say” that she “regrets” giving her son an iPad when he was a baby, because it’s all he can think about. 

“We have tried so hard to not give him his game, his iPad,” the mum said in the TikTok, leaning towards the camera in frustration. 

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In an earlier video, she revealed her son had his first tooth extraction and was experiencing a lot of pain, so she wanted to make sure he felt comfortable. 

“His mouth hurts, his teeth hurt,” she said. But the strain was getting to her, letting out defeated sighs.  

“Our 2020 babies being iPad babies…” she said before hitting her head repeatedly. “Now that he's four, that game, makes him nuts dude.” 

And just when she thinks it’s the right time to return the iPad to their son, “it bites us in the ass”. 

RELATED: Little girl is brutal about the last person who used her iPad charger

Brittany regrets giving her son an iPad. Picture: brittneynolte/TikTok

“Show your kid it’s okay to be bored”

The video quickly went viral, proving that Brittany was far from the first parent to regret giving her child a device to keep them busy.

“My three-year-old’s iPad just broke and this is my sign not to buy a new one,” a mum wrote. 

“We are going through this with screen time,” another agreed. “Learned the hard way letting them watch kids videos on YouTube and it got out of control. It’s hard to take those things away but it’s best for them.”

The best way to help out iPad babies was to introduce new toys into the mix. 

“Preschool teacher here, iPad babies don’t know how to play with others or to play with toys,” read a comment. “Slowly back down the time he has it. Introduce him to the world.”

“Let him be bored, show your kid it’s okay to be bored (important to them because it makes them learn creativity, patience, etc.)” another suggestion read. 

“Take it away,” said another. “We pretended we lost it, and haven’t looked back.”

Originally published as ‘I regret raising an iPad baby; I created a total monster and he’s only four’