CONNECTED KIDS

Every day I seem to find something new geared toward my kids, your kids — just kids. Generation Connected – I like to think of them as that. Our kids are going to grow up a lot different than we did. I question myself on a daily basis if I am doing the right thing. How can I know if this right? If I don’t do this they’ll be left behind (school, peers) in so many areas. I try to find a happy medium but I’m awash in gadgets and being a bit of a tech-head-geek-mom is my “happy medium” or really a “happy high”?

Both of my kids have an iPad. Before you choke on your morning coffee — let me add: I have two children with varying special needs and medical diagnoses. They use it for therapies and fun. It’s used to occupy one while another is going through a plethora of tests. So before you judge or exclaim “holy bat light, Robin!” give me a little ‘benefit of the doubt’.

My kids, no matter what, being ‘my kids’ are still fascinated with my PC (I wish it were a Mac, I wish it were a Mac … if I say that three times and tap my flip flops together it doesn’t change but I still try — daily). I love my PC. My PC has a name and it is not b.o.l.o …you get the idea. My PC has seen me on my bad days and my all nighters. Something magical happens when my fingers set upon a ‘keyboard’. Oh, that keyboard. That click-click sound makes me happy. The mouse fits comfortably into my palm. I want to hug my PC. I want to lick the screen — okay, that is a JOKE but my kids have tried it (they have sensory issues and thank goodness it is NOT a touchscreen or I’m sure my son’s ‘faux hawk’ would stand on its own without dippity-do)!

Today, there are more and more laptops for kids. I’m not talking about a kiddie one — that only has a screen size of 2×2, NOT in color, looks worse than my still playable Atari games! No, I’m talking about a ‘real’ laptop. One that connects to wi-fi with bigger specs than my PC!

I know you can purchase a keyboard for an iPad or a tablet. Flash on an iPad? — NOT unless you change browsers (download that is). Kids have iCloud and drop box accounts. My kids want a laptop. Maybe Santa (yes, I still believe so don’t dash my hopes and tell me he’s not real — he is! I have proof; a picture from the mall last year and the reindeer ate all of the reindeer food we put out too! So take that you naysayers) will check his list and if my kids have been good and I mean really good (eeerrrkkkk .. erase.erase.erase that won’t be happening in our household; sorry kiddos). *HO-HO-NO*

However, some of you may have kids that make the “nice list” and if so take a gander (that’s “look-see”) at these:

 Photo courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carenet/4838905640/