We're very lucky.
Jack is the sort of child
we all assume we'll have
when we decide to have children,
and the sort of child
less experienced parents
congratulate themselves for.January and February 2004
March and April 2004
May and June 2004
July and August 2004
September and October 2004
November and December 2004
Blogs we read:
Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2004 - (Mamma)
The Jack-mac
This has to be quick, because the guys are on their way to get me from work ... but, I just had to marvel.
This is definitely the 21st century!
And Jack is definitely spoiled.
I just got a call from Rod. Jack has a new computer. His very own computer. At 17 months, my youngest son has his very own computer! Gads!
Now mind you, Rod spotted this computer at UM Proprty Disposition yesterday when he was in looking for something else. It was only $100, and even more important from the point of view of belonging to a toddler, it's an all-in-one Mac all enclosed in one case. And there are no outside buttons that do *anything* except turn it off and on. And he did run it by me first, and I agreed that it was a good idea. (The main reason Jack needs his own computer is so that we can use our computers -- and so that he won't keep pushing buttons he oughtn't and crashing and reformatting our computers.)
None-the-less, I am gobsmacked.
Just in case you were wondering what a 17-month-old needs a computer for, the only software he has on his computer is BabyWow! a software program developed for children between 9 and 36 months. This is the only software I've found that I can approve of for him. It has no "merchandised" characers, it is educational (it speaks 8 languages!), attractive photographs are used to teach vocabulary, shapes, colours, and counting and number concepts, and more through 12 different games. All the "games" respond to any key press, and a few of the more advanced ones also respond to mouse clicks, but little or no fine motor control is required -- it's as simple as one would expect the software for a 9 month old to be.
He really loves BabyWow!, and Rod says it seems pretty clear that he understand that this is *his very own* computer, because he has been enjoying the software this afternoon far more than usual. (And that's hard for me to imagine! Except that I heard him talking to it when I was on the phone with Rod -- not something he has done a lot of before.)
But computers are a part of his world. He will have to work with them, and with different kinds of software all his life. So, although I refuse to expose him to television, video games, movies, and "merchandising opportunities", I think it makes sense for him to have and use a computer.
Oh, and well, Dad will be borrowing it from time to time when he has a public gig like next weekend's "Festival of Lights", where he will be selling readings to all-comers to get his name and talent known in the community.
So, it makes sense.
Right?
