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NTV’s Jane Ngoiri reveals her struggles of raising a ‘digitally hooked’ toddler


NTV’s Swahili news anchor Jane Ngoiri has sought help from fellow parents on how to prevent her toddler from “digital addiction.”

Ngoiri narrated how her son Amir has been throwing tantrums after waking up in the hope that her tablet will be retrieved and cartoons played on it.

Apparently she has been allowing the little one to use the tablet until she noticed he was becoming addicted to the gadget.

“Now I would put cartoons for Amir on the tab… but now no more tab or phone until further notice. Talk of addiction… waking up and straight away looking for the tab and crying… how do you strike the balance?” she asked.

Parents advised her to limit screen time and allow her son to indulge his creativity and entertain himself.

Vincent Erege Haraka advised, “Avoid too much of those gadgets. Create a rhythm of the day and eventually it will stick in the child’s mind. Let the child use his limbs through playing. Touch the child’s feelings through stories ,songs and poems and you will see a change. Minimize TV watching and use of phones and computers. Read a story to the child everyday before they sleep and that rhythm will never fail you.”

BREAKING RULES

Charles Mwangi added, “Replace with another activity once you take it away. Have TV/tablet time; actually parents break their own rules more than the kids. If we (parents) are consistent and firm, they get into a routine.”

Norah Rain wrote, “I have the same issue with my 16 month old. The tantrums afterwards and the addictive behaviour have made me stop giving him my phone or tablet. That said I am aware we can’t completely forbid these gadgets but I think especially for the younger kids they really do not add value as such.”

Bui Bui commented, “Avoid electronic time and put a limit on it. My general rule with E in our household. NO TV/Phone/iPad Monday to Friday. Only on weekends. & even then it’s limited. When he wakes up saturday n Sunday . No electronics in the morning. Only from 12pm until 6pm…. It’s been proven that too much screen time for kids at that age interferes with their concentration / creative thinking.”