Uncle Tells Dad That His 4, 6, and 8-Year-Old's Behavioral Issues Can Be Explained By Their Unlimited iPad Access

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Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jul 7, 2026 7:45 AM EDT

He asked him for advice, and got mad when he was honest!

Before you become a parent, you have a lot of pie-in-the-sky ideas about how you'll raise your future children. Those ideas might include eliminating screen time entirely or not allowing them to access social media until they're 18. However, once you actually have kids, you realize why parents let them play on their iPads for 8-hour car rides. It's not easy to keep a kid entertained for 14 hours a day every day, and sometimes you have to do things that make everything easier for you as a parent.

Many parents use an iPad to occupy their kids, allowing them to step away from supervising for 20 minutes a day while they do the dishes. Some purists might not think that's acceptable, but it's certainly better than letting your kid spend every moment on an iPad when they're bored. Kids need the skills that come from playing with objects with their hands, and using a tablet for hours on end doesn't allow them to be creative or ingenious. Considering how easy it is for anyone, child or adult, to become addicted to their devices, parents should be grateful if their little tykes choose to forgo the technology for something more hands-on.

Another reason not to let your kids use an iPad 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is that it can lead to behavioral issues. Much like TV before it, kids who have unlimited access to their own devices get pretty cranky when they have to do something they don't necessarily want to do, like attend their cousin's high school graduation or sit still at the dinner table for 30 minutes. The kids in this story are struggling because their dad won't take their iPad away from them, and their uncle is the one person who is willing to be honest about it. 

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  • Three young kids are playing on their iPads instead of playing with each other.
    via Brooke Cagle (Unsplash+)

    Three young kids are playing on their iPads instead of playing with each other.

    The photo is a representation. 

  • Am I the bad guy for telling my brother his kids unlimited screen time is an issue after he specifically asked me for advice?

    My (34M) brother (36M) has 3 children (8F, 6F, 4M). My brothers children have their own ipads and they have unlimited screen time. My brother and his wife's (36F) view is that they want to neutralise ipads so they
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • don't restrict their kids screen time in hopes that their kids manage their own screen time. Spoiler alert, the kids don't manage their screen time, which isn't their fault because they are kids. They spend all day on their
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • ipads when they are not at school and very rarely get off of the ipads. His kids always argue with each other, like they are really ride to one another. They always throw insane tantrums when they are asked to do any
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • basic task that involves them getting off the ipad. They can't eat without watching a screen. Going out to the park or anything like that is considered boring and they want to go home and play on their ipads.
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • A little boy is playing with his tablet after getting home from a boring day at the park.
    via Brooke Cagle (Unsplash+)

    A little boy is playing with his tablet after getting home from a boring day at the park.

    Boy is a model, not the boy in the story.

  • The kids always yell at my brother and my sister-in-law. My brother constantly tries to shame me for my parenting decision not to buy my kids (7F, 3M) any personal devices, he says I'm not preparing them for
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • the modern world. I'm not anti screen time, but I do not think kids need their own personal devices. But we do watch TV sometimes. And I have an ipad. that I give my kids for plane rides and really long car rides.
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • Kids playing on an iPad on a long road trip instead of during their day-to-day life.
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Kids playing on an iPad on a long road trip instead of during their day-to-day life.

    Photo is a representation of the situation depicted. 

  • I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I agree with kids having personal devices. There is so much research about why children do not need ipads (Obviously I'm not talking about kids who need ipads to
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • communicate, that is an exception) So no I'm not going to lie about my views. But if you choose to give your child an ipad, that is your buisness and I'm not going to outwardly judge you to your face no
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  • matter what my opinion is. Cause it is never my place to tell people how to parent their children unless their children are in actual danger. No matter what I actually think, it would be really wrong of me to start
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • giving my opinions to parents who did not ask my opinions. This logic applies to my brother, I've never said anything about what I think about his kids having ipads cause he's never asked me and frankly that's
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • none of my buisness. But yesterday we were at a family event and he was venting to me about his kids behaviour. He asked me for my advice. I
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • asked him "Do you want my actual, honest advice? Cause I'm going to be brutally honest if you say yes." He said yes. So I told him that I THINK the ipads are impacting his kids behaviour. Maybe try limiting screen time
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • and see if that helps. I told him there is so much research about how ipads link to behaviour. That made him get defensive fast. He started ranting about how the ipads are not the issue and he said I'm calling him a
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • terrible parent, then he insulted my parenting and said I just got lucky that my kids don't throw mega tantrums over screen time. Then again, I will never
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288
  • outwardly judge another parent to their face. But he asked for my brutally honest advice, I wasn't going to lie to him. AITA?
    via u/Legitimate-Jump9288

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behavior ipad kids brother parenting advice dad uncle
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