The age of being technical

Of course the reason for this isn’t that our seven-year-old has had an Epiphany and decided that, after all, daddy is the font of all knowledge and that carrots are always preferable to chicken nuggets, but rather she is the proud owner of a brand new tablet. It was at the top of her list, along with a baby sister and a puppy, which meant she was always going to get her very own personal computer.

At first it seemed like a no-brainer: I would finally get my phone back and would avoid the risk of bonnet-wearing fox stickers appearing on my Facebook timeline ever again but I am now dogged by guilt that I have given in earlier than I should have. Like millions of other parents we fell foul of pester power, combined with the belief that her being online could be a force for good.

Much of her homework requires us to log on to our laptop so having her own device seems like a natural step.

So why the angst? Like the vast majority of impressionable minds, she is easily sucked into another dimension, whether it be through a handheld screen or the television.

I am as guilty as the next parent of taking advantage of the peace and quiet which a digital babysitter affords but there has to be limits. My wife and I had vowed not to pacify either of our children by plonking them in front of a screen.

The biggest compliment we have been paid as parents is how polite and articulate our eldest child is, a fact which also proves to be a drawback whenever we get drawn into negotiations over bedtime. Her vocabulary is wide not just because she is a lover of reading but because conversations are regularly held on the drive to school or at mealtimes. We don’t intend to lose that but are aware of the pressure that technology has put upon family life. The risk we could breed a generation of dead-eyed zombies is very real.

That parenting isn’t easy is the reason why getting it right from time to time is so rewarding – it seems a shame to cheat at it with the help of a small screen.