Parenting in today’s world is… a lot. On one hand, you want your child to grow up running outside, muddy knees, wind in their hair. On the other hand, you know technology isn’t going away and maybe, just maybe, it can be used for good. That’s where the whole debate around “screen time” gets interesting. Because screens don’t have to just be endless cartoons or noisy games. They can also teach. And when used the right way, they can actually become your partner in raising curious, confident little learners.
Take YouTube Kids, for example. Parents feel guilty about kids watching videos, but this platform really changes things. It’s not the wild jungle of the internet; it’s a safe corner, full of nursery rhymes, stories, science experiments, and even shows that sneak in values like kindness and teamwork. You don’t have to sit there worrying about what random video might pop up. Instead, you can sit beside your child, point at the screen, sing along, laugh, and actually make it a shared experience. That’s how screens stop being babysitters and start being bridges.
Now let’s talk about games. Not the loud, overstimulating kind—but gentle, clever ones like ABC Kids Learning Games. For a preschooler, letters are mysterious squiggles. Games like these turn those squiggles into little friends. Matching, dragging, or singing letters doesn’t feel like study; it feels like play. And when learning feels like play, kids don’t resist it. They lean into it. As educationists say, children learn best when they don’t even realize they’re “learning.”
And then there’s something as simple as a letter tracing app. You’d think tracing an “A” on a screen is nothing special. But pause for a second. That tiny finger following a line is practising focus, building motor skills, and laying the foundation for handwriting. It’s the first step towards reading bedtime stories on their own or writing “I love you” in their clumsy little handwriting. Isn’t that magical? Sometimes the small wins matter more than big flashy lessons.
What I love about these tools, whether it’s tracing apps or broader educational apps for kids, is the patience they bring. Kids can repeat a game, a puzzle, or a song over and over, without the app ever getting tired or frustrated. That’s powerful. Because repetition is how children actually master things. And while parents may lose patience after the 20th “try again,” technology doesn’t. Instead, it encourages. It celebrates. It waits.
Of course, none of this means replacing books or outdoor play. Technology is a companion, not a substitute. Run in the park. Read a picture book. Build a fort with pillows. But when you do introduce screens, choose them carefully.
So yes, technology can be your child’s best friend, but only if you, the parent, set the tone. Sit with them. Explore together. Ask questions about what they’re watching. Celebrate when they trace a perfect “B” or sing the alphabet without skipping letters. Those moments are where bonding and learning meet.
In the end, childhood is about discovery. And whether that discovery happens in the garden chasing butterflies, or on a tablet tracing letters, it’s still the same joy shining in their eyes. What matters is balance. What matters is that they know learning is fun. And if a few smart apps help make that happen, then maybe screens aren’t the enemy after all. Maybe they’re allies.