Mothers now prefer handing over smartphones rather than dummies to comfort crying babies
- Ten per cent of these allow toddlers to play on phones for up to two hours
- Scottish mothers most likely to entertain babies with smartphones
- Only nine per cent of babies are given dummies by their parents
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When faced with a troublesome child, parents have traditionally turned to a toy or a dummy for help in restoring the peace.
But, in a sign of the times, they are increasingly reaching for a rather more high-tech solution . . . a smartphone.
More than one in four mothers admits to handing over a phone to a crying or bored tot when they need entertaining, research has found.
Smarty-pants: smart mums give restless babies smartphone apps to play with
And it is more common than shoving a dummy in their mouth or giving them a soft toy or even a bottle in these high tech times.
A range of apps for youngsters, including games, puzzles and educational programmes, means smartphones are now a parent’s best friend, said Asda.
The study found 27 per cent of mothers give their phones to their children to keep them entertained.
And although 40 per cent of these restrict playtime to no longer than ten minutes, 10 per cent admitted leaving their children to play with their mobile for anything up to two hours.
High-tech tots: Babies are shunning more traditional toys in favour of smartphone apps
The poll of 1,650 mums found 25 per cent stick to a bottle of milk or other drink as the main way of keeping their child entertained.
One in five (21 per cent) resort to a favourite soft toy and only nine per cent use a dummy as a pacifier.
Mother of two Louise Pearson of Bishop’s Stortford, Herts, said: 'My phone is the boys’ favourite toy, sometimes the only way to keep them quiet is to hand it over.
'I have a range of apps on it for them to play with from puzzles and games to educational programmes.'
Mothers in Scotland are most likely to use their smartphone as a child’s pacifier - 40 per cent of mums north of the border do it, said Asda.
David Fletcher, Asda’s mobile phone expert said: 'No longer are mobile phones just a device for keeping in touch.
'To see them also used as an "electronic pacifier" is no surprise with the large variety of games and entertainment now available to download for children.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2161533/Mothers-prefer-smartphones-dummies-comfort-crying-babies.html#ixzz1ycrq4FhR
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