Reports in the UK show that dads are using technology in order to bond with their children. Some are even finding unique ways of parenting by using mobile phones or tablets. Is this the next generation of parenting? Would you use your tablet or mobile phone to spend quality time with your kid?

According to the report, just under a quarter of dads surveyed in the UK said that they use their tablet to play games with their children in order to bond. One in ten said they would watch Youtube videos together with their children and that they consider that to be spending quality time with one another.

Moms on the other hand prefer the traditional texting method of communication. Almost half of the parents said they have pretended to call the police on their phones to stop their children from acting up. Some even go as far as filming their children’s tantrums and then showing it back to their kids.

With technology at our fingertips, maybe it’s better to embrace the new resources? At least now, helping kids with homework has become much easier do to massive search engines like Google!

Joe Parker, Director of Online at Three, who conducted the research, says, “British families and dads in particular have embraced mobile technology in a bid to facilitate everyday Parenting. From being able to connect to your child at the touch of a button, to helping to answer difficult questions and taking photos to share with friends and family both here and abroad.

“Our research has also found that the mobile internet is allowing parents across the UK to boast about their child’s talent. One in 10 dads has posted a funny video of their child to YouTube in the hope that it will go viral like ‘Charlie Bit My Finger’. Being a fan of the silly stuff, we’re hoping to see more mini YouTube sensations making it big thanks to their digital savvy dads and mums.”

Read more: http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/parenting/parenting-news-dads-are-using-technology-to-bond-with-their-kids-297743.html#ixzz2WwkLxQud

A national study from the Center on Media and Human Development Northwestern University sheds light on the ways digital technologies have changed parenting practices in the United States. With so many new gadgets, some parents are using mobile phones and tablets in different ways. Sometimes, mobile devices are used for learning, to calm a child down or even as a reward. The days of playing music and dancing around the room, or using educational learning toys are long gone. Or are they?

The new study looks at the ways digital technologies have changed parenting practices. What part do interactive and mobile technologies play in 21st century parenting?

Alexis R. Lauricella, one of the study’s authors, wrote in a Joan Ganz Cooney Center blog post,:

In contrast to thepopular pressimage that mobile technology is the new pacifier used to calm and quiet down children, our survey shows that parents today have a range of tools at their disposal and other tools are used more often than mobile technologies.  Parents are more likely to use toys or activities (88%), books (79%), and TV (78%) when they need to keep children occupied than mobile media devices like smartphones or iPads (37% among those who have one).

A few other interesting findings:

• Sibling rivalry and parental bouts: 78% of parents “disagree with the statement ‘negotiating media use causes conflict in our home.’” And most spouses (83%) agree with each other around questions of parenting with media.
• The income gap:  65% of high-income households ($100,000+ per year) own tablets, only 19% of low-income (less than $25,000). Smartphones: 80% (high-income), 61% (low-income).
• There’s still a video game stigma: “more parents rate video games as having a negative effect on children’s reading, math, speaking skills, attention span, creativity, social skills, behavior, physical activity, and sleep than any other activity.”
• Weaning from the new coviewing: joint media engagement among parents and their children decreases substantially above the age of six.
• Like parent, like child: the amount of media consumed by the parents is directly correlative to the amount media consumed by the children. 23% of “media-centric parents,” (who spend 11 hours per day, on average, engaged with TV, computer, smartphones, and video games) use media as a way to connect with their children.

What methods do you use or plan to use with your children? Do you think the use of digital technologies within parenting is going to continue to evolve?

Adapted from Forbes.com