Please tell me this is a joke? I came across this article online Hi-tech tablet strollers rolled out at Edmonton mall

Here is a screen shot of their article showing the product they are talking about.

Screen shot of the article by http://technology.canoe.ca

My first thought was that this had to be a joke. This is such a stupid idea. I’m sorry, but it is.

I have 3 kids. My 2 boys are 13 months apart. I fully know the challenges of taking small children to the mall with me. I remember the days very well of meltdowns, tantrums, and outings cut short. I also remember fun days out. Fun days walking around the mall, shopping, and eating out. I remember them looking around and asking countless questions about everything they saw. Question after question. No tablet can replace the learning that can take place while out, yes learning even out at the mall.

Do we not have enough screens around our children? DVD players in the car, Flat screens in the food courts of the mall, TV screens in waiting rooms, TV screens in the dentist office and on and on…
I really have to wonder sometimes if parents don’t remember what it was like growing up. We didn’t have anything like that. My family of 5 would drive to Florida and back (2 days trip each way) with no screens or DVD players and guess what? We survived. My doctor’s office when I was a child never had a tv, and guess what, I survived. I had braces in grade 6, my dentist did not have any TVs around at all, and I survived.

Now, back to the article.

I hate this idea. I think it is stupid. I think it is a waste of money.

I understand the appeal, I will be honest. Being a mom is hard. And sometimes it can be hard to get out of the house, especially on your own. I understand that sometimes you just want to go out and have a minute to breathe.
However I don’t think the answer is to put your child in a stroller with a tablet in their face.

Outings should be fun. Outings can be a great chance to make memories. Yes, even outings to the mall. They can also be great learning opportunities, and not by staring at a screen, by asking questions and observing the world around them.

Just because it is easy to do, doesn’t mean we should. Easy isn’t always best.

~ Michelle