My wonderful wife brought home an iPad back in late October. She didn’t buy one either but won one at a work-related event. As a graphic designer I’m basically bred on Apple products. I’m a very cynical person but Apple is one of the few companies I trust [products-wise]. I’m on my second iPod and second Apple home computer. If I was working full time I’d have an iPhone believe me [I’ll get one soon I WILL!]. We’re even thinking of trying out Apple TV but they don’t support Hulu but once they do we may check it out. I was very ecstatic about the iPad when it was announced thinking it was a very unique product. It had a very broad potential to many different walks of life and people and fields of expertise as well as great for entertainment purposes. When my wife won one I nearly hit the roof. I never thought I’d see one soon much less use it personally.

My first idea behind the iPad was that I can totally utilize checking my mail and surf the web without running to the home office and leaving my daughter alone for a few moments in the living room. For the first month or two that’s what I did until she got curious and wanted to check out my new toy. I then realized that there were a ton of Apps geared toward toddlers and pre-schoolers for educational as well as entertainment purposes. From learning her ABCs and numbers, shapes and colors to identifying animals and animal noises and even some audio quiz apps teaching for instance what sound is the clanking of glasses versus plates banging against one another, my Maddie is addicted to the iPad now. ADDICTED! As of this writing she uses the iPad more than I do. No joke. Not only do we use the apps but she watches her own playlist on YouTube [mostly a mix of Sesame Street, Yo Gabba Gabba and other Nick Jr. and their ilk] but she knows how to turn it on and navigate through the different options. When she watches a video on YouTube she knows how to push play, raise the volume and when she wants to stop the video press the DONE key! She knows more about the iPad than both my parents and my in-laws. She actually calls it by name since December. She will say “iPad” and when she doesn’t see it in the room she will turn to me and request it by name. A month or so back I used the iPad to console her when she was re-adjusting to her mother going back to work from the long xmas break that she was off from work. It was and still is a life-saver. My wife even got me an awesome xmas gift of an iPad holder for the rear of my car’s headrest so it will basically act as a video player for Mads for long car trips. We used it once so far for a long drive [over an hour] and she watched Peppa Pig with no fussing and was happy as a little clam.

But getting back to the great Apps the iPad offers. For all you moms and dads out there looking to maybe enhance the learning capabilities or even to broaden the options of what to do education-wise. Look into maybe investing in an iPad. Even though we were lucky and won one, if this one were to break tomorrow I would seriously buy a new one within a week. It is a very useful mini-computer for the home. Truth be told I use the iPad way more daily than my spiffy new iMac. From the news to weather to games, cooking and even reading books I am totally sold on this little gadget. But more for my daughter’s sake would I rush out and purchase this glorious little gizmo if mine were to break tomorrow. She totally loves learning on it. And me and my wife think she is smarter [for her age anyway] because of it. She’s not even two and she knows all the basic colors and alphabet and shapes. She’s working on her numbers now but is also great with identifying animals. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think its all because of the iPad–She may just be a very fast learner but I see how the apps interact with her and how it makes it fun to learn. There’s also a ton of childrens’ books that read and interact with the reader. I do see the irony of “reading” on a computer tablet instead of actually the printed word but so what! If this little gadget could make kids learn faster and better than I don’t care. Heck, she’s already learning basic computer skills too. I didn’t touch a computer’s keyboard until I was in middle school in the early 90s. Kids of this generation are born with the modern computer skills whereas our parents still struggle with the basics. Maddie will have an email address by the time she’s 3 or 4 probably and a Facebook page shortly thereafter. It’s crazy but it’s going to be a fact. I was actually thinking of getting Maddie her own iPad as her personal computer when she’s in elementary school instead of a desktop or laptop because what’s the point really, the iPad is really the only computer she’ll need before high school/college.

So in conclusion, Thank you Steve Jobs and the geniuses over at Apple. I look forward to the next wave of innovative and unique [as well as can’t-live-without] products.

Went to Toys R Us today. I don’t think I will ever complain about going to a toy store and now that I have a daughter I still get a kick out forwardly-thinking what toys we’ll get her in the future for her birthdays and Christmases. But today I went to return something from the Babies R Us side of the store but made it a point to venture over to the TRU side to check what they got. Without going too much into a confession but I still from time to time buy toys for myself. I don’t play with toys, they are mostly for show as collectors items so to speak. I grew up a huge Star Wars fan so I always check out the latest action figures and if the mood and luck is right I’ll pick up a new Boba Fett “collectors item.” What can I say I’m still a kid at heart. Which is why, I cannot wait until Maddie actually plays with toys and dolls instead what she does now which is basically observe them and throw them. I will play toys with her I know it in my soul. Even if it’s Barbie I will play along if she wants me to. Hell I was excited a few years back when a very close friend of mine had his first son and he like me was a huge Star Wars fan and for the kid’s first birthday I bought him like 4 action figures; all non-age appropriate. My friend was nothing but pleased and grateful. I had a ball buying those figures in the store especially without the added guilt that I’m now buying them for a real kid other than the one still caged in my heart. 
Now I’m sure Maddie will not be a huge Star Wars or Spiderman fan as me so I fully understand and expect she’ll play with other toys more topical to her generation and gender related but I’d be lying if I didn’t out hope that she will like the stuff I like as well. I’m not going to push it (although for her first Christmas I did buy her a Boba Fett and R2-D2 figures, in time she’ll appreciate why) because I feel what a child gets into or likes should come naturally but seeing my hobby room with all these action figures, movie posters and other collectibles she may get curious enough. When she makes the honor roll and I take her to pick out a new toy I may pick one out for myself as well. 
So I’m wondering if I’m going to the toy store more for her or for me? I sometimes have to stop myself from getting her all these new toys. Not so much to not spoil her or that she isn’t old enough for some of these toys but I want to get her new toys so I can play with them, to stimulate me while I watch her day-in, day-out. While she may be happy with her blocks or Melissa & Doug puzzles I need something to build or create. She recently got Mega Bloks and that is a step in the right direction. I was a Lego Maniac and I’m the one now building the towers for her to destroy. She also got Play-Doh but isn’t into that right now. But I look at the toys in the store at stuff I would want to play with or play with her with I should say.
I don’t think women think like this at all. I would hate to sound sexist but from my experience and own observations I never saw a girl be into toys as much as my boy  peers growing up. It didn’t help that most girl toys were lame and hardly what I call role-playable. How exactly do you play with a My Little Pony? He-Man had swords and guns and could do battle with a legion of interesting villains but Strawberry Shortcake had delicious-smelling friends. It’s a shame to me really because I would want Maddie to be stimulated and creative with her toys not just dress them up and brush their hair. But back to my point which is a SAHD is the perfect playtime companion when it comes to toys. My aforementioned friend was grateful for the action figures I bought for his son because he too was going to play with them with his young boy. I’m not the only 30-something man still buying toys and action figures. Most of my friends still get collectibles or memorabilia which bother their wives. You ladies don’t get it and probably never will.
So I may not be playing with Star Wars or the Incredible Hulk with Maddie but there will be something she and I will play with together. It’s a fact. And I will have fun too!