I realise that in posting this, it’s going to sound like my children spend their whole time playing on electronic gadgets. I do force them to do other stuff too, like outings, homework and eating.
But, let’s face it, the iPad does have its uses, especially during those times when you need to get things done, like make dinner or drive.
Son 1 even takes his to school now, as part of their bring-your-own-device (BYOD) scheme. “We do research on it, Mum!” he claims. “I only use Safari.”
Just recently, Son 2’s use of the iPad has started causing me some concern, though. He’s begun collecting apps – anything from Lego apps to airplane simulators. He, somehow, knows how to find these apps (he’s only 5!), and can get as far as the password prompt.
He then cajoles me into putting the password in (he’s only allowed the free apps), and Bob’s your uncle, it starts downloading. Except he’s become very app-happy, and can’t stop at just one or two. He’s bugging me continually about new apps, to the point that it’s driving me crazy.
“Let’s go for a bike ride,” I suggest. “Your iPad will run out of memory. It might IMPLODE if you put too many apps on it.”
Dodgy photos, apps and games get rained down thousands of miles away by that clever little iCloud (beats me how it works)
Their screen time is limited, but you’d be amazed how many apps he’s got his hands on. My screen-ager intuitively knows that the iPad isn’t a toy; it’s a toy chest of apps and games, and his little fingers literally fly round the screen, leaving smeary fingerprints as they go.
Then came the email from my mum. Son 2 has her old iPad and the password is hers. “Is someone trying to reset the password?” she asked. “It’s just that I keep getting messages saying someone’s attempting to reset it.”
That someone = Son 2.
And that’s not all. It appears the cloud has been busy too.
“And the thing is,” she continued, “overnight, all the apps appear on my iPad too.”
You can imagine how over the moon Son 2 is – that his grandmother in the UK must surely be playing with his Lego Batman app over her cornflakes.
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Ha ha! I hope mum is enjoying all her new apps! 🙂
It’s a good job her iPad has more memory than the older one! 🙂 x
hehehe… your kids are more techsavvy than my husband! 🙂
They are definitely more techsavvy than me! x
*LOL* sounds like you’ve got two true app-oholics:)
They really are! Techno-crackheads! 🙂
Ha, this happens to me all the time – we have a family Apple account and I’m constantly deleting things off my iPad and iPhone. No idea how I would have handled it if there had been so much technology when #1 and #2 were small in the 90s/early 2000s. Back then, they had GameBoys and you had to actually buy the physical games to physically put into them – so tiring!
I remember our first computer, a Vic20, or something like that, and there was an adventure game that I don’t think even had graphics – just text descriptions and you could choose options. But even so, I loved it – and I guess used my imagination!