Cate at I don't Know What to Say has a post about technologies and children - in particular ipodtouches and youtube. I totally understand her concerns. Phil and I are at the moment trying to decide what are reasonable boundaries to set for the twins with regards to all this technology. Hannah loves her ipod - especially in the car or if she is out visiting. She makes cakes on it or watches Hi5 videos. Other than that she doesn't seem to want to go on the computer much - she used to go to dora games and Daniel Cook but hasn't asked for them much since I moved the computers into the spare room and out of the living area. She got gov't funding for an ipad but mostly watches dvds on it and not often (school term hasn't started here yet!). I write notes on it - a record of the 'lessons' Hannah and I do together over the holiday break.
Kit got a DSi when han got her ipodtouch (twins and birthdays can get very expensive!). He didn't seem to use it too much. Mostly he made flipnotes on it rather than play games. He got a couple more games and has had friends and relatives with theirs so is playing more games on it now (plus it's holidays here..so he has more free time than usual.)
Christmas brought him a Wii - he was using it for what I would consider a 'reasonable amount' given our holiday at home status - maybe an hour a day? He only has 2 games - Mariokart and Wiisports - he plays Wii sports with Hannah or his father or friends if they call over. But then Phil hired a Ben 10 Wii thing - the bane of our existence - he is obsessed with moving up levels on it - and it isn't easy for him so he cajoles his father into helping and then I have 2 badtempered males to deal with!(lol). I'll be glad when it goes back to the video shop - not one I'm in ahurry to buy - but who knows what 'party dad' will do...
Anyway - last week we had a great day up at Pearl Beach - the only time the brats had technology was on the drive home (it takes a bit over an hour) - the photoes above are from that journey - and for Cate. Cate - when you come up with a prototype for handling this one - I'd love some tips!
Just today a friend visited with her 2 kids (who also got a Wii for Christmas) - and one of them had lost their new DSi over the past couple of weeks - I'd be ropable - but at the same time - you give a 6 year old the technology but we wouldn't give the the key to their house would we?
It is one of the issues I am a bit concerned about with Hannah's ipad at school too - I don't want the teacher to have to take on an extra responsibility for the piece of equipment but of course she will have to won't she? after all Hannah is only 6...We will have a meeting where we discuss the rules of it's usage and how to keep it safe - but still with the benefits of these gadgets comes responsibilities and new problems...
2 comments:
wow, thank you! we have the wii as well, and we made it a "weekends-only" thing. just worked better that way. My kids watch a fair amount of television, too, my standards are all over the place.
I'm curious about the ipad - did you have to apply for it? are all kids with DS allowed one? should i move to Australia? :)
Cate - we had to apply for it - we had our case manager (an OT) write a supporting application and then 3 teachers at Hannah's school wrote a letter outlining their support and use for it. I do think a lot of applications for ipads have been received and have been granted but the funding is a bit of a lottery it seems.
I wouldn't rush down under yet - except for a holiday(!) and not in QLD at the moment cos it is flooded. Our government restricts/prohibits immigration of people with DS and this year Hannah gets no gov't funding for education - if I had a choice I'd prefer ongoing funding to an ipad - as it is the ipad is all we get...
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