Apps R Us!

Yes, we've become those parents.  You know, the obnoxious ones that give their kids expensive electronics way before they should be given.  It all started with a free iPod Touch, sent accidentally from Amazon about 4 years ago, and has grown since then innocently enough to two iPad 2's, one for each child.  While it doesn't seem right that a 3 year old has her own iPad, while many adults (including me!) still want one, it was the best decision for us as family. Keeping peace and harmony among our kids is key.  And with all the traveling we have coming up, it made sense for the kids to have something that would have a long battery life and provide multiple ways to entertain them in one convenient package.  You really can't beat the ability to watch movies, videos, and play games/apps.

I am still in awe at how our soon-to-be-four-year old can operate the iPad with the best of them.  To her, this kind of technology has always existed and no learning curve was needed.  She plays her favorite songs while maneuvering between apps and games with a quick touch of her finger. 

Sam and Ian know all about the App Store.  It's quite scary how quickly the realized there was a whole world of new games and apps to explore.  It seemed like every 10 minutes I was being asked by one child or the other to put in my pin number and approve a download of another game.  I'd do a quick search and make sure it was age appropriate (no violence! and hopefully, educational) and let them have it.

After a few weeks of this, it was getting ridiculous and I decided to put my foot down.  No new downloads for a while.  Enjoy what you have! 

Me:  Ian and Sam, really, you both have tons of games and apps.  Stop looking for something new to get.  Let's give it a rest for a few weeks, at least.

Sam:  Oh, I don't want anything new.  I am very happy with what I have.  I REALLY don't need a new game.

Me:  Good for you, Sam.

Sam:  I am just going to see what is in the app store.  But I don't need anything.

Me:  Ok, Sam.  Fine.

Sam (bringing the App store up on her iPad):  Mom, do you think you could put in the word "girls" in the search and see what comes up?  I just want to see what is there.  I don't need anything.

Me:  sigh, Ok.

Sam:  Oh, this one looks good.  And this one looks interesting.  Ohhhh, I like the way this one looks.   I bet this one is fun.

Really, Sam!?!?!  Why are you tempting yourself like this?  But, believe it or not, she didn't ask me for one single game.  :)

One reason that Jeff and I aren't very concerned about the kids having their own iPads is because the majority of what they do on it is very educational.  Whether giving them life skills like thinking through strategies or learning math, geography or reading, it is much better than them watching tv.

A favorite game Ian and Sam both like to play is "Stack the States".  While Sam can't read what the question is, she is getting ridiculously good at identifying the different states (either by name or shape) and getting a sense of how big the state is relative to the rest of the country.   I was watching over her shoulder one day and observing Sam playing.

The game asks a question about a particular state and will give you 4 choices to chose from.  If you get the question wrong, the other 3 stares will disappear and the correct state will stay on the screen for an extra couple of seconds so that you can learn the right answer.  Sam, unable to read the question, picked what she thought was the right answer.  When she got it wrong, the correct state was still on the screen.  Sam, with an exasperated tone to her voice said, "OOOOOOOH, KENTUCKY".  And yes, the answer was Kentucky.  It was so adorable. 

Yes, I am in awe how much these kids know at such a young age.  It is a much different world that I had growing up.