Real talk: I used to give my kids all of the iPads. They were kind of amazing. Need a quiet minute? iPad. Waiting for your food at a restaurant? iPad. Want to catch an extra hour of Saturday morning sleep? iPad. That little black rectangle worked beautifully. Like a pacifier for preschoolers.

Well, it worked until the kids turned into zombie rage machines.

Details.

Oh, did you think your kids were the only ones who went from peaceful angel to Walking Dead: Kinder Edition after the screen timer dinged? No, ma’am.

If you’re deciding whether or not to get your little darling a tablet, or if you’re debating banishing the one she already has, here are three reasons I advocate for parents to stop giving kids iPads.

1. Tablets are addictive. Tech geniuses have baked addiction points into their games and apps. Not because they’re evil, but because their job is to maximize profit. Yours job to raise thriving kids. They do not care about your kids. The longer your kids scroll, click, play, the more money they make. That’s why the most technologically-restrictive parents are the very people who make the technology. The people who know the most about our kids’ devices have described it as “electronic cocaine.” Not something I want to hand to my child.

2. Tablets present a tremendous opportunity cost. Kids are wired to create, explore, to be bored. The more we entertain our kids, the more they will require us to. Our kids need to practice boredom negotiation. Where do their minds wander during down time? What are their talents and interests? An entire generation isn’t developing and creating, learning and exploring. They aren’t practicing back and forth conversation, deepening their capacities for relationship. These are all things that combat anxiety and lead to a flourishing life.

3. Worldview formation. Something is informing your child’s worldview. Is it you? Does the entertainment your child consumes support the worldview you wish to impart? If you want to teach your kids delayed gratification, selfless sacrifice, grit, endurance—mindless digital entertainment via personal device on demand is hindering your ability to do so.

Certainly technology can bless and benefit us in many ways. But iPads for young kids is not one of them.

Look, we all need a minute (or 30) to get stuff done or take a well-deserved break. The really great news is that you can radically rewire your child’s interests so that he can learn how to entertain himself with more beneficial options. Check out my free list of 100+ free and screen free play ideas.

For more, including how we freed our kids from device obsession, and exchanged the iPads for real-life connection, check out Digital Detox: The Two-Week Tech Reset for Kids.

Photo credit: Brad Flickinger, Flickr.