Monday, September 16, 2013

Lesson Three: Technology

What a world we live in these days! The age of the ever-improving iPhone, tablets galore, handheld everything!



     I'm one of those that can remember when we first got a computer (huge box screen and all) and how it took f.o.r.e.v.e.r. for it to "dial" into the Internet, and twice as long to download anything! I remember my dad's first cell phone. It came in a bag...with a shoulder strap and HAD to be plugged into his car to work. Not to mention, it still had a cord! I had a pager. A what? A pager! A small device that buzzed and dinged with a number across the screen then you had to find a phone (like a pay phone {GASP!} I know) and call the number back. I grew up having to remember phone numbers of my family and friends. I didn't have a device that I store them all in. Unless I carried around a notepad or an actual phone book. What nonsense!

Ok, I'm not really that old or anything. But all this technology sort of swept us off our feet, right?

This toddler of mine has been born in a time where everything we want or need can be found at our fingertips. He plays on both of his parents iPhones. He has his own set of apps on all our devices. He knows how to swipe to unlock them, find the app he wants, adjust the volume. You name it.
{He has a tendency to play, unbeknownst to me, with my alarms. I've woken up a few nights to the blaring of my alarm at 2:42am, only to find the other 12 alarms set for the next 10 minutes, consecutively, as well. It's a good time...for those who like to be totally confounded in the middle of the night.}
He tries to touch the screen on the laptop because as of now, the idea of a "mouse" is nothing more than a squeaky animal. We're working on it. :)



But there is good to all this technology, if you don't let it run you over. For example, we have apps for him to practice his writing, learn his numbers, letters, colors, work on his languages, matching, seek and finds. Of course, he's also into Plants vs. Zombies but we all need a little fun, right?

All I'm saying is, don't balk at the idea of your little one playing on your phone, tablet, laptop, or whatever you have. They want to be like you. They want to learn and play like you. Just give it to them within reason. Give them a game that they can learn something from (remember that repetition is key and games can be very helpful in that area) and watch their little minds expand. If you keep an eye on how long they are on these new-fangled contraptions and what they are doing with their time on them, it can be used to an advantage and not a mind-numbing hindrance.

{Remember to take them outside too! Don't rely on these to do your job (not that you would! Not that I do either!). But, if I didn't put that disclaimer, who knows what people would say about me.}

Enjoy all the ways you get to learn with your little one. Enjoy every moment.

2 comments:

  1. I remember our first computer too - boy they have come a long way! We still struggle with the internet where we are and my husband and I often joke about how our kids will tease us about waiting for pages to load when they are older.

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    1. I remember a project I did in middle school that required my mom and I to download pictures off the internet. We would start a download and then go eat dinner. It took FOREVER! We have internet problems out here in Italy too, surprisingly. We always say we won't know what to do once we are back in the states with the good internet!

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