Toddler Technology

D playing alongside iPod (Hawaii Apr 2010)

While shopping for our mini van final year, my hubby in addition to I noticed a lot of vans came equipped alongside DVD players. Initially, I didn't bring much of an visit regarding a DVD histrion inwards our vehicle. Then I started noticing vehicles playing movies all over town, inwards the Target parking lot, at traffic lights, waiting inwards the drive-through. I came dwelling in addition to told my hubby absolutely no DVD player. He pointed out the convenience on route trips, but I argued that is precisely what all those other people said when they bought their vehicles, in addition to at that topographic point they are, driving roughly town talking over Nemo or-- worse-- not talking over Nemo in addition to sitting inwards silence. Knowing myself, I knew the temptation would live on also great. It would start slowly, a moving-picture present on a 35 or 45 infinitesimal drive. Eventually though, nosotros would live on the identify unit of measurement that plays a moving-picture present on the agency to the grocery store or inwards business at the drive-through merely to larn the kids to goal crying.

But it isn't in addition to then much the movie. It is the constant overload from electronics. Kids bring DVD players that tin conk wherever they go. Dropping D off at AWANAS the other day, I noticed a toddler watching shows on her mother's smartphone which was conveniently suction cupped to the stroller tray on special holder. Seriously?

Brothers watching a present together (North Carolina July 2011)

 Don't larn me wrong. As a woman bring upwards of three, I sympathise the postulate for indulgences. We honey Disney. We sentry Playhouse Disney in the morning in addition to Disney movies at serenity time. I also conduct identify to honey Sponge Bob; D in addition to I volition cuddle upwards together alongside popcorn in addition to express joy at the antics of our favorite fry cook. I know I don't bring a smartphone or a tablet; I know my oldest is exclusively three, in addition to I know that when he does larn access to those electronics, at that topographic point volition live on a huge line to them, fifty-fifty when limits are inwards place. But why are the parents throwing the limits out the window in addition to allowing these things at play dates? Running inwards to AWANAS to drib off an older sibling? 10 infinitesimal drives to the grocery store?

I retrieve when I got my showtime Walkman in addition to I wanted to vesture it literally everywhere I went. I felt similar Barbie alongside my cool headphones in addition to Simon in addition to Garfunkel CDs. My parents allowed me to vesture them some places, but for the close part, I used them inwards my room spell I read or did homework. My side yesteryear side non bad gadget was a brick of an MP3 player. I carried that affair everyday to college, sitting inwards the dorsum corner of the library listening to CCR spell I read poesy instead of doing homework. Even alongside my honey for "an easier agency to produce things," I experience similar I missed the memo that everything has gone electronic. When did riding a bike conk sitting inwards your living room? When did reading conk an electronic vox in addition to a pen?


D's post service on moving day (Hawaii Apr 2010)



I await at these things every bit tools, extremely useful gadgets to assist brand moving easier or route trips to a greater extent than fun, similar portable DVD players. I could fifty-fifty meet how awesome apps would live on at the pediatrician--or on a flight-- when your handbag of tricks ceased to live on fun after the showtime 45 minutes of waiting. But identify unit of measurement auto trips require a sure enough amount of boredom in addition to conversation, those backseat arguments that conk life-long memories alongside your siblings (I could insert in addition to then many within jokes betwixt me in addition to my sisters here).

Perhaps I volition consume my words later, but nosotros volition never ain 1 of those reading books (sorry, Newsweek and, oddly enough, a Dodge commercial. My hubby in addition to I don't conception on avoiding technology; I am, after all, the fille of a calculator engineer. I know that every bit my identify unit of measurement begins to larn older in addition to therefore bring to a greater extent than exterior influences, nosotros are going to live on aware of that dubious residue betwixt applied scientific discipline to assist inwards life in addition to applied scientific discipline becoming life.

D talking to his aunt (North Carolina Nov 2011)

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