iPads and digital tech

I've mentioned about my concerns with this before, but am fully aware that I am apportioned my fair share of blame for it. I am referring to the use of tech equipment with our boys.

A while back, we had a nursery report about Jack saying that his hand-to-eye co-ordination was poor, meaning that his ability to control a mouse on a PC was rubbish. And yes, this was slapping me in the face with a wet fish as, being the resident IT geek, his tech skills were non-existent, mainly due to my deliberate efforts to steer him away from computers and stuff as I spend all day working on them, instead favouring to encourage him to play with non-geek toys ad games.

Since then, I've stepped up efforts to align his hand-to-eye coordination, and he now has (limited) access to a desktop PC and his typing is getting better. At this point, probably on-par with my dad's typing speeds! (Sorry Pa!)

So. Yes, iPads, and the term being plural.

My iPad seemed to be taken over by Oliver during meal times, as it is actually difficult to distract two boys in hitting and kicking proximity from each other - we know how important it is for the boys eat properly and eat good meals, which is why Claire spends an amazing amount of time cooking in bulk for them, and why we've got about 25 fridges and freezers running, in order to store them. By distracting them with TV and/or tablet-based motion, we're able to shovel food into them, and this being the good food described above, there's a lot less wastage than without them.

So, either way, good or bad, we've sort of painted ourselves into this corner of them liking to watch something whilst dining. They’re kids anyway, so conversation is quite limited at meal times. But, on the flip side, they eat great meals, with a large portion of fruit within their breakfasts and desserts, so, whatever.

Previously, Oliver would have CBeebies-based TV shows on the iPad, whilst Jack watched CITV or CBBC on the TV, as these were aimed at an older audience. Not so much of a problem.

But as Oliver has very recently taken an interest in Jack's content of choice, it's become a little more difficult. As Oli is watching something that Jack would normally, Jack's attention would be caught and subsequently, he'd frequently reach across and 'assist' Oliver in his choice of viewing material. Obviously, Oliver is delighted at this and gladly lets him… NOT.

Arguments would kick off and our normally peaceful meal times are turned into a slapping match for two young nippers.

So, we decided that we'd keep an eye out for a bargain deal on iPads, such that we'd get another one to ease the tension, but a keen-eyed-Claire spotted a considerable pile of Nectar points sitting idle, as to be honest, I've seen these as pointless in the past, and noticed that we could use them as part payment towards one. So, a pile of now-not-useless Nectar points and £100 later, and we've got a second iPads. As you do.

The iPads are not ownership of the boys - they are reminded that it's not "Jack's iPad", or "Oliver's iPad", but each is customised accordingly.

So, back to my original point after a longer than anticipated description of how we got here: Kids and tech.

What are our children (collectively, not just mine, but in general) going to be like when they're older? They have never not had a time in their lives without the ability to go online to watch videos instantly online of pretty much whatever they want, and even to be able to choose from a wide range of digital videos streamed in-house from my NAS (Network Attached Storage) as and when they want to. In fact, during a recent car trip, we had to explain why the Wi-Fi wasn't available!!

Will they ever need to sit in a communal room in the same house, and watch something together like we did when we were young? We were lucky enough to have a variety of VHS-based movies to watch as kids, and we'd have to settle arguments as to which one we watched, due to having only one VHS machine. Now, there are TVs, phones, tablets, laptops and desktops in my house that can get online.

There's even an internet connected PC in my car!

I know we're not helping this, and me being a geek at work and at home is compounding the problem. But at least I am aware of what the problem is, and that I know I need to understand the situation fully in order to come up with a solution, as opposed to being ignorant and carrying on regardless.

And not that I feel I need to explain myself to anyone, but for the record, the boys aren't allowed full and unfettered access to any of these devices - they are allowed to use them when we let them, but each is taken away to encourage proper children's playtime.

Jack thinks he's 'Bad'

A while back, Jack had a liking of Elvis Presley's music, particularly the Suspicious Minds song. In an attempt to divert him away from the crooner's tunes, I told Jack about Michael Jackson, thinking that I must have an album laying around somewhere.

Or at least I thought I did. Turns out, the 'Bad' album I thought I had probably perished ages ago when the cassette tape dried up or something, as we'd expect in the age of digital downloads.

Anyway, a couple of quid and a day's delivery later, and a CD of Michael Jackson's Bad album was delivered by those delightful chums at eBay. Since then, it's been the number one CD in the mini-CD player in Jack's bedroom.

The track of choice was 'Bad', as we had watched the YouTube video whilst waiting for delivery, but had soon introduced him to the 'Smooth Criminal' track too, as well as its video, as I remember watching that as a child too.

He likes it so much, that he even danced to them during a recent street party, where the karaoke man was presented with the CD by Jack!

"Hello, Cousin!"

I don't know where it came from, but for weeks now, young Oliver has been repeating this actually-quite-pleasant phrase, in relation to his cousins, my sisters' boys.

He raises his hand in very delicate way, as if to say hello, but waves it in a semi-circular motion, whilst saying 'hello, cousins' in a silly-yet-still-lovingly way.

Probably couldn't describe it as well as he does it, but it makes us all smile and giggle when he does it, so I wanted to make a note here to remember it when he's a monstrous teenager and throwing his weight around!