Tech Savvy Toddler

Last week was my dad’s birthday.  I told Preston, age 5, and Emory, age 2, that we would call PawPaw that evening to wish him a happy birthday.  Just then Daddy walked in the room and this became the conversation:

Emory:  Daddy, we’re going to see PawPaw tonight!

Me:  No, Emory, we’re going to call PawPaw tonight.

Emory:  Nuh, uh … we’ll see him on Facetime.

And, Facetime PawPaw is what we did.

It isn’t the first time that my kids have amazed me on the technology front.

Josh’s 88-year-old grandmother has an iPad.  She lives with Josh’s parents, so we get to see her on a regular basis.  The kids love to “play iPad” with Nana.  Frankly, I’m not sure who’s teaching whom?  Emory climbs into Nana’s lap, touches “Photos” and scrolls until she finds the exact photo that she wants to look at.  She and Nana discuss that same picture every time they are together.  Preston helps Nana discover new apps and shows her how to play them.

Their gadget know how is apparent when it’s just the four of us at home too.

Preston knows that on Sunday afternoons he gets to download (often referred to in our house as “load-down”) a new app.  He carefully chooses which game he wants to play for the upcoming week.  It amazes me that he can figure out how to play the game before I can turn around twice.

I’m proud that my children are very tech savvy.  In this technically advanced world, it will prove to be a major benefit to them.  But, at the end of the day, the truth comes out:  we play with our gadgets way too much.  Our children need focused attention that has nothing to do with phones, iPads, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

And of course my daughter was the one to drive that point home to me.

Recently, Emory sweetly said to me, “Mommy, put your phone down and look at my face.  Look in my eyes, Mommy.”

Point taken, sweetheart.  Let’s go play together.

Julie Swink is a Sr. Marketing Specialist for Texas Health Resources and Mom of two.