TO APP or NOT to APP, That is the Question??

As I sit here watching Frozen for the 80 millionth time, I hum the words and think about when Disney will do me a solid and come out with another singing cartoon that my son will obsessively watch. Aladdin, Lion King & almost all the other classics were a miserable fail, but I haven't given up! (Please comment if you know of one that I might have overlooked!)

We watch Frozen for breakfast & for nighttime wind down, but generally I TRY to keep him actively occupied. I've read all the (YADA YADA) research that shows a "toddler shouldn't really have TV time before age 2," but yet I still let him watch Baby Einstein or Mother Goose Club on YouTube. 

Is this wrong? Am I a bad mom? I often wonder that myself, especially, when I recall that Family Development Psych class at the University that posed the following burning question:

What will the effect of technology be on our children?

I am still unsure of what the data will reveal, since that isn't something they can truly measure, but I do know that nothing beats human interaction! Caution!!- Any smart device (or dumb device for that matter) should NOT take the place of HUMAN INTERACTION & reading! I repeat, the IPAD is not your babysitter! There are slight exemptions to this rule such as: those 10 minute showers you need after 3 days, or when you just need a moment to sit down and relax, you qualify for the IPAD pass, but supervised, timed and in a safe location!

So with that being said, I would like to talk about some of the shows that he watches & some of the apps that I've downloaded, in hopes that my son will be the next child savant- LOL

1. Endless 1,2,3 --> It's an interactive app that allows him to select the numbers and place them on top of their shadow. Not only are the numbers super adorable, they also sound out the number and as long as his finger is touching it, he is repetitively hearing the number. #3 CRACKS HIM UP!  [ here ]

2. Tony the Truck --> The most boring game to watch, but it seems to engage him, he is learning how to swipe on the IPAD, and basically its a truck and a hole that has chunks of dirt in it, that needs to be put into the truck and dumped somewhere else. It's free (probably because it's so boring) but my son seems to feel very accomplished after he successfully loads the dirt and dumps it! [ Tony the Truck App HERE ]

3. Little Baby Bum on YouTube --> This collection of nursery rhymes and visual stimulation, is equal parts entertaining and informative! I catch myself knowing all the songs, and after watching the videos with him, I see him mimicking his favorites. I have to say, my favorite is definitely the Itsy, Bitsy, Spider song, because that spider is so clever, he created a blueprint and engineered a way to get back UP the water spout! It is so cute that even if it offers 0% educational material, it's still worth watching for fun, laughs and silly characters! Little Baby Bum Channel HERE

I'll continue the hunt for some more apps that could be worthy of his time, and I'll keep you all posted! Have you tried any fun or engaging apps that you think are worth sharing!?

Enquiring Mommas Wanna Know ©2014

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