My 2 year old needs help

So over a year ago, before my daughter was a year old, she learned how to unlock an iPhone.  We thought it was funny and super neat... kind of like a cool party trick.  We took videos of this and encouraged her to do it.  If we would have known then what we know now, we might have thought different about teaching her that. 

She started off just wanting to just look at different things on your phone... pictures, videos, your text messages... nothing really big.  She would call random people (ask Lake Worth 911) and sometimes send crazy text messages but on the whole she just wanted to hold the phone.  Then she started wanting to play games and actually do things with your apps.  We started downloading 'baby apps' on our phones to keep her interested.  My mom downloaded this awesome app on her phone (my favorite apps for toddlers is an upcoming blog post) and she loved watching that app.  This was like a gateway drug - she wanted more and more time with your phone and would throw fits if you took it away and didn't distract her.   

When Corry and I got upgrades on our iPhones last year, we decided that we should give Isabella Corry's old iPhone to be 'Isabella's phone'.  It effectively works as an iPod Touch.  She can do all of the normal functions on her phone that you and I can do but she can't make phone calls or send text messages.  We downloaded a bunch of toddler apps, removed all of the important information (in case she lost it) and put a cover on it to make it harder for her to break it or damage it in water.   

A 2 year old with an iPhone... is this the best idea?  Definitely not.  Do I regret it?  Sometimes... there are some days when it is super helpful to have a way to distract her when we are on long car rides, or when she is acting up.  There are other days when I get tired of hearing "where's my shone (phone)?" 

As much as I regret giving her their own phone, there are a lot of pluses that have come from our decision.  We download mostly educational apps on her phone, so while she is playing she is actually learning.  She has apps that reinforce the ABC's, animals, colors, shapes, etc.  She does have a few apps that will stream cartoon shows from Disney Jr, or PBS but the majority of those teach good lessons for children so I don't feel as bad about them - it's not like Spongebob or anything like that. 

She uses her phone, I think, more than I use my phone.  And probably better than I use my phone.  She can put the phone in Airplane mode, she can change the ring tone and turn the sound up or down in settings.  She can change the background picture of the phone, take pictures and videos, play pictures and videos, lock the phone and shut it down.  She tells you when her phone is dead, that it needs to be charged and she can plug it in (supervised). 

Some people are upset by this because she is too involved with electronics.  Most people are amused by it because she is so little and such a good user of a phone.  I think that it's still cute and funny.  We use it as a learning tool now for her.  It has helped her in more ways than hurt her so we are willing to continue to let her have it.  If you think that it's bad just take a look at the cutest picture ever taken by my sister Jessica at our most recent Creecy Christmas - Isabella and her cousins Raquel (left) and Addison (right) and tell me it isn't the cutest thing you have ever seen. 

 

 

- Sara