I recently switched from a Blackberry to an iphone and before I did, I checked the memo section of my Blackberry to see if there was anything I needed to clear out or transfer.
It was packed. Not with memos. And, not by me.
The memo section was wall to wall with songs and poems written by my 7 year old daughter. Granted, she’s a bit of a hacker in training, but it revealed to me something really interesting.
When you hear about the impact of smart phones on family time, it’s usually in the form of complaints about how these devices tether us to work and steal away treasured family time. Often to the point of near-addiction.
No doubt, these can be valid criticisms. Many people do have trouble drawing the line between work and personal time and smart phones can taunt us past that line ever more easily.
But, what I discovered, through my daughter’s Blackberry bardhood, was that they can also be tapped to inspire kids to engage in creative activities they’d normally never explore without that technology. Because adding technology or gadgets to an activity adds a fun/coolness factor that, for many, wasn’t there before.
So, while my daughter doesn’t generally write songs or poems and she doesn’t journal on paper, put a Blackberry or iPhone in front of her and she becomes a possessed Shakespeare in training. Plus, because she actually has fun trying to figure out how to use the smart phone on her own, it teaches her problem solving and troubleshooting skills, too.
All of which makes me wonder, how else might us dads be able to turn perceived technological weapons of family destruction into devices that inspire creativity and problem-solving in our kids?
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Since getting my iPhone, my 3-year-old daughter and 18-month-old son are fascinated with the touch screen and simple buttons, but it’s the different apps that are getting them even more excited. They regularly play with the Bubbles app (touch the screen to create and pop bubbles), and my daughter loves the “drinking one”, where the app pours a virtual liquid into the iPhone, and then you can tilt it back to pretend you’re guzzling (she does a fake burp at the end that’s hilarious). A colleague has downloaded several Paint-like drawing apps and music creation ones, and lets his 3-year-old use it.
The market for creativity- and problem-solving apps on the iPhone (and future devices that allow for easy app creation) seems infinite, and we should embrace their use of these devices (as long as they don’t have sticky fingers or use it to chat all day) with our kids.
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Since getting my iPhone, my 3-year-old daughter and 18-month-old son are fascinated with the touch screen and simple buttons, but it’s the different apps that are getting them even more excited. They regularly play with the Bubbles app (touch the screen to create and pop bubbles), and my daughter loves the “drinking one”, where the app pours a virtual liquid into the iPhone, and then you can tilt it back to pretend you’re guzzling (she does a fake burp at the end that’s hilarious). A colleague has downloaded several Paint-like drawing apps and music creation ones, and lets his 3-year-old use it.
The market for creativity- and problem-solving apps on the iPhone (and future devices that allow for easy app creation) seems infinite, and we should embrace their use of these devices (as long as they don’t have sticky fingers or use it to chat all day) with our kids.
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@ Keith – No doubt, my daughter had fun with the Blackberry, but, like your kids, she’s been going to town with my iphone now.
It took her all of 5 minutes to figure out how to access the app-store, browse for fun stuff, download (always with permission, well, almost always), then start having fun. She actually probably spends more time on my iPhone now than she does on her DS.
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@ Keith – No doubt, my daughter had fun with the Blackberry, but, like your kids, she’s been going to town with my iphone now.
It took her all of 5 minutes to figure out how to access the app-store, browse for fun stuff, download (always with permission, well, almost always), then start having fun. She actually probably spends more time on my iPhone now than she does on her DS.
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One thing I’ve learned as a parent…. almost ANYTHING can be a toy at some point in a child’s life! Last year it was the wrapping paper. This year it’s the boxes…. LOL
Momma @ Engineer a Debt Free Life
http://www.engineeradebtfreelife.com/
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One thing I’ve learned as a parent…. almost ANYTHING can be a toy at some point in a child’s life! Last year it was the wrapping paper. This year it’s the boxes…. LOL
Momma @ Engineer a Debt Free Life
http://www.engineeradebtfreelife.com/
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Technology, its a double edge sword. I know my baby girl will need it more than I ever have. Her life will revolve around technology I’ve never heard of. BUT, do I really want her glued to a screen either small or large? I guess as a dad, I’ll need to get used to the fact she will spend more time with technology than I have or ever will!
That being said, mine loves the cell phone. I have an old Razor….I was an early adopter and still have it……(I gave up the Crackberry long ago) but she loves to call grandma/grandpa or anyone else she can think of and just talk. (she’s 6) She knows how to take pics better than me.
Mostly though, my suspicion is that she thinks she looks cool carrying it around.
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Technology, its a double edge sword. I know my baby girl will need it more than I ever have. Her life will revolve around technology I’ve never heard of. BUT, do I really want her glued to a screen either small or large? I guess as a dad, I’ll need to get used to the fact she will spend more time with technology than I have or ever will!
That being said, mine loves the cell phone. I have an old Razor….I was an early adopter and still have it……(I gave up the Crackberry long ago) but she loves to call grandma/grandpa or anyone else she can think of and just talk. (she’s 6) She knows how to take pics better than me.
Mostly though, my suspicion is that she thinks she looks cool carrying it around.
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What a great story. The benefits we usually hear about technology are speed and efficiency, rarely creativity and inspiration. I like it!
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What a great story. The benefits we usually hear about technology are speed and efficiency, rarely creativity and inspiration. I like it!
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One day I was surprised when opening my phone. My 13 year old daugher had taken a picture of a “Believe” sticker and added it as my wallpaper on my phone.
Sometimes she is annoyed with my B*A*G Lady adventure, but this wasn’t the only subtle act of encouragement from my daughter. She doesn’t completely understand my new found passion, but as I become my true self and express my creativity she does as well.
It is heart warming and reaffirms that my journey is helping to fuel her journey to discovering herself.
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One day I was surprised when opening my phone. My 13 year old daugher had taken a picture of a “Believe” sticker and added it as my wallpaper on my phone.
Sometimes she is annoyed with my B*A*G Lady adventure, but this wasn’t the only subtle act of encouragement from my daughter. She doesn’t completely understand my new found passion, but as I become my true self and express my creativity she does as well.
It is heart warming and reaffirms that my journey is helping to fuel her journey to discovering herself.
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I’d like to add that not only was she trying out the technology and learning to write – she was probably also reaching out to her daddy 🙂
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I’d like to add that not only was she trying out the technology and learning to write – she was probably also reaching out to her daddy 🙂
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@brian — while our kids’ live will revolve around technology, I think there will still be balance in their lives that we can help them with. For example, as teen-agers we talked on the phone (rotary, touch-tone, cordless, etc.), the new technology of cell phones, IM, etc., just replaced the device, not the action. As a kid, I was “scolded” for my time watching TV or playing video games, in the future I’m sure I’ll be telling my kids to go outside and get some fresh air. The thing I’d be worried about is not the technology, but the percentage of time spent with the technology — if that goes up, then we as parents need to make sure it doesn’t dominate their lives.
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@brian — while our kids’ live will revolve around technology, I think there will still be balance in their lives that we can help them with. For example, as teen-agers we talked on the phone (rotary, touch-tone, cordless, etc.), the new technology of cell phones, IM, etc., just replaced the device, not the action. As a kid, I was “scolded” for my time watching TV or playing video games, in the future I’m sure I’ll be telling my kids to go outside and get some fresh air. The thing I’d be worried about is not the technology, but the percentage of time spent with the technology — if that goes up, then we as parents need to make sure it doesn’t dominate their lives.
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I recently wrote a post on the impact of technology on our family as we slowly and reluctantly allowed more of it into our home. You might want to check it out at http://carrieanddanielle.com/the-best-gifts-for-our-children-part-two/
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I recently wrote a post on the impact of technology on our family as we slowly and reluctantly allowed more of it into our home. You might want to check it out at http://carrieanddanielle.com/the-best-gifts-for-our-children-part-two/
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What a great story! Kids are fascinating little creatures…
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What a great story! Kids are fascinating little creatures…