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The original Supernanny, Jo Frost, has put electric toothbrushes on the naughty step this week, claiming they’re one of the ways we’re ‘disabling our children’.
In a controversial Instagram post, the parenting expert shared a number of ‘convenience gadgets’ – including electric bikes, scooters and skateboards – which she believes contribute to ‘sluggish, overweight’ children.
‘It seems to me that at times parents choose when it suits them to not be accountable,’ wrote Jo in the caption. ‘I hear a lot of comparison between today’s parents and other generations but some things back then don’t need to be fixed.’
Although tech usage is a hot topic among parents, many were confused by some of the items to the list: most notably, electric toothbrushes.
‘Electric toothbrushes ensure a better clean than manual for all ages,’ commented @jodieshideaway. ‘That was a weird thing to add.’
‘I don’t think anyone is addicted to electric toothbrushes or would crumble if a situation arose and we only had manual toothbrushes,’ added another, another, @karin_a_h.
When asked what’s wrong with electric brushes, the Channel 4 star replied, ‘Everything if your child hasn’t mastered the art of handling one manually first, which is normally around age 7yrs,’ clarifying her point by saying: ‘It’s the principle of just not doing the ground work first.’
According to Happy Kids Dental, toothbrushing helps children build manual dexterity, requiring ‘precision, control, and the ability to perform specific movements smoothly.’
The jury’s out on whether that means you need to use a manual brush. Some say electric options can make learning this essential task more fun while offering equal (if not better) plaque removal, but others claim the different technique may stop them developing the motor skills to brush properly on their own.
Commenters also queried whether skateboards were relevant in Jo’s post, including @sarakala who said: ‘Skateboards shouldn’t be in there. It’s a tough sport/hobby where all muscles are needed. And not to mention a great social community.’
However, it seems Jo was specifically referring to the electric versions of bikes, scooters and skateboards, to which @pitjad chimed in: ‘I do think electric scooters both have high risk of severe accidents and take away important physical exercise from kids.’
Whether or not you agree with the specifics of the parenting guru’s statement, research does back up the theory that excessive use of tech correlates with obesity, reduced attention span, impaired executive function and poor mental health in children
Heidi Skudder, parenting expert at The Baby Show and founder of Positively Parenthood tells Metro: ‘Ultimately, as painful as it is, as parents we are responsible for creating our children’s environment and what they spend their time on. And gadgets have a huge impact on how bored our children are (or aren’t if on a screen) and therefore how much they play and get outdoors…
‘When it comes to giving children gadgets or screens, an uncomfortable question but a very powerful question to ask yourself is “why?” Is it because they need the screen time? Or is it because it’s making life easier for us? Sometimes, by making life easier in the short term, actually we are taking away critical social and emotional skills that they need to grow and learn.’
That said, it’s important not to demonise technology or dismiss its benefits altogether.
Offering an alternative opinion under Jo’s post, @playfulwonders wrote: ‘If some gadgets can make tasks quicker and easier, giving us more time to focus on what truly matters, is that such a bad thing, as long as there’s balance?
‘Finding a middle ground that incorporates technology responsibly while fostering resilience, self-reliance, and physical activity is the real challenge. But with the world’s increasing pressure and relentless demands, I don’t think tech is going away anytime soon, so maybe we should embrace it and focus on its positive potential.’
Lucy Shrimpton, Baby Show parenting expert and founder of The Sleep Nanny agrees, but tells Metro, ‘we’ve got to teach our children how to use it as leverage alongside not getting lazy.’
‘For example, if you’re going to use an electric scooter or bike, ask yourself, what else can you do that’s also going to move your child’s body and increase muscle tone and take care of their health and fitness,’ she tells explains.
‘I think it’s about making sure we parent through a lens of maintaining a healthy use of our brains and bodies whilst embracing how we can use technology to enhance and assist that – not replace it.’
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