Toddlers & Technology
I imagine we ALL say it.
Before we have kids, we know what kind of parents we will be.
My kids won’t run wild in Wal-Mart. My child will only watch 30 minutes of TV a day. My son will be potty trained by the time he’s 2. My daughter will eat whatever I give her, not just mac & cheese. My child will have discipline. My life will go on as is, only there will be a little person in it.
Good luck with all that.
The truth is, I had goals like that once, too. My son Seven, now 3 1/2, doesn’t run wild in Wal-Mart, but he’s no angel there either. He knows there are toys, and as a child, he wants them. I don’t, however, buy him something every time we go. That would be ridiculous, Mommaw, to do. He can play with the toys he already has.
Potty trained by two. I hear success stories all the time, which make me feel like more of a failure. We have got him to the point that he rarely, if EVER, has an accident, pee-wise. All night long, he’s dry. All day, too. But come time to do major business? He refuses. He will hold it for 4 days if he has to, which I hate. We aren’t sure what he’s frightened of, but he just. won’t. go. Tell him he’s wearing a diaper with a down arrow on it? Poop city. (Obviously, if the diaper has an UP arrow, the poop will get all in his hair. Hey, don’t judge my methods.) We’ve tried convincing him that there are gypsies waiting to steal him, because they love little boys that poop in their diapers. We’ve tried bribing him with trips, toys, candy. We’ve tried making him sit there…last night was about 30 minutes. Nothing works…and I’m at my wits end. Advice?
Food? He does eat what we give him. Sure, he’d eat mac & cheese for every meal if we let him, but we don’t. Last night we had stir fry, carrots, and potstickers. So did he. The kids will eat what you give them, if they are hungry. If you start out making 2 meals, you’ll KEEP making 2 meals. Don’t let that bad habit start now.
TV time? The TV is on a big part of the day, but honestly, he doesn’t WATCH it much. He likes Nick Jr., and its Team Umizoomi, Dora, and the Backyardigans, and I’ll catch him actually paying attention to those. I don’t mind it too much, though, as these shows aren’t just cartoons, they are learning programs. Seven can count in Spanish, as well as spout off a few abajo and arribas from time to time. Same with Ni Hao Kai Lan – he learns a bit of Chinese, as well as how to get along with his friends. Umizoomi is great for shapes and counting, and Backyardigans? He gets to learn about using his imagination and sing fun songs. These cartoons aren’t like the ones I grew up watching – Smurfs, Scooby Doo, Tom & Jerry. Mindless TV. In fact, I LIKE for him to watch his shows, as he is learning in ways I can’t teach him. It’s fun, and entertaining, and he picks up on things on his own. I think when a child can learn independently, it sticks with them. And so far, it seems to be holding true.
When it comes to other forms of learning, we do have the old standards: puzzles, toy time, drawing, finger-paints, coloring. Outside time with balls and bats and hopscotch. But today’s child is not the same as a child of another decade. Kids today need exposure to technology. Now. If they wait until they are in school, it may be too late, as they will be behind. Here are things we are exposing Seven to right now that we encourage, and he absolutely LOVES.
1. The Computer. My dad builds computers, so I was lucky in this respect. Dad built Seven a computer of his own, and we have it set up on one of our office desks for him. On the desktop are a few links to Pre-school Internet games, and each day, he takes himself in there, starts the computer, and clicks on the games to get them going. Our favorites – PBS Kids has a game site that is fantastic. He plays whatever games he wants, flipping from one to the next, and all are educational. The Berenstein Bears have a game where Mother Bear and Brother Bear are making things in the kitchen, and Mother will ask for specific amounts of ingredients. Using the assorted measuring cups, it’s up to Seven to figure out how much to pour in the bowl. Great math skills and reasoning, and it’s similar to what we do in our real kitchen, when I am making cookies or cakes, and he helps me there.
Another great little game is Curious George, using ladders to rescue cats from trees. He has various sized ladders he need to add together to reach the cat. Calliou is one of his favorite characters, and coloring online and puzzles and matching games are available with Caillou. So that’s a bonus.We also like many of the Sprout Online Games, where Nina and Star are his favorites. Again, lots of puzzles, word and alphabet games, matching, songs…all things to keep his mind busy.
Same thing over at Nick Jr., where he can learn along with Moose and Zee, the Backyardigans, Kai-Lan and all the others. Hours upon hours of puzzles and educational play. I have only tried the free games, which keep him super busy, but they also have a paid game service, called Nick Jr. Boost. It looks great, and offers parent worksheets to keep track of what your child is learning, how they’ve improved, and more. They are also offering a free 7 day trial, but again, I have yet to try it. If you pay for 1 year, you can get it for $4.95 per month, or, on a month to month basis it is $9.95. Quarterly it’s $6.95 per month. Again, I’ve not tried the paid version, though I think I might. Apparently there are coupon codes out there somewhere, so if anyone knows a code, or has tried this service, please weigh in. I’m certainly interested, and I know several other Mom readers would be too.
2. MobiGo by VTech . We love this handheld gaming system for Seven. It comes in so handy in the car for long trips, and it’s very educational. He has practically every game for it, but he especially loves the Toy Story game. However, the game that comes with it is perfect for kids, with lots of educational options installed. Not a bad investment at $49. The touchscreen really appeals to kids as well, as they see US on our mobile phones, and it’s cheaper and more kid-friendly than an iPhone. However…
3. iPhone or iTouch. Seven is obsessed with the iPhone. We each had one, Jon and I. And once upon a time, I downloaded a few kid friendly apps for him, to keep him occupied in the car. A few games turned into a page full, and eventually, I lost possession of my phone to the Kid. Lucky for me, it was time to upgrade to the iPhone 4, so I gave Seven (yes, I know) my old iPhone. All of the games stayed put, of course, and it functions as an iTouch now. We’ve enjoyed most of the games, and the most I have ever paid for an app is .99. However, many of the Pre-School games are free, or have trial versions. My favorite, by far, is Giraffe’s Preschool Playground, where there is a Safari Game, an Alphabet Game, a Matching Game and more. He also has several puzzle games, Dr. Seuss stories, Battleship, and Memory games. Honestly though, he’s just as adept at some of the adult games, like Angry Birds, Cut The Rope, and The Moron Test. He can get farther on that game than my Dad. 🙂
4. Wii. We got one of these gaming systems for Christmas, and it has been a LOT of fun. I enjoy playing my games as much as Seven enjoys his. He boxes with Jon (and wins!), he bowls, he tried advanced step class, and he does terrible yoga positions. The best game for him has GOT to be Nickelodeon Wii Fit. It’s fantastic! It comes in especially handy during these cold winter days, when outside play isn’t much fun. There are so many different games, from canoeing with Diego, to balancing with the Backyardigans, to racing with Kai-Lan. Here’s a little clip of him Hula-Hooping with Dora and Boots. Watch him shake that little butt!
Seven Hula Hoops with Dora & Boots on his Nickelodeon Fit fro Wii
All in all, I just wanted to post a few of the things we are doing here to keep Seven on the edge of learning. Computers aren’t going anywhere, so I want him to be on top of it. I don’t push it – he loves it. And when he wants to play something else, we do. Of course, football and golf aren’t going anywhere either, so we play those things as well, and my goal is to have a well rounded, adept child.
That uses the bathroom.
Without the threat of gypsies.
What technology are you exposing YOUR children to? Is there something I ought to know about, a game that I didn’t mention, a show that you find useful or educational? I am all ears!
