Mac To The Rescue

Feel free to file this under Over Indulged kids and ignore, but...

Sterling has an iPad. We originally got it as a "mommy sanity aid" and "healthy alternative to TV" while I was recovering from having the second baby, but she quickly learned how to find Caillou on YouTube and it became all Caillou, all the time.

Which was great until she discovered White Power Caillou. And Anger Management Caillou. And Gangster Caillou. Yeah, these are real things. Evidently whining is NOT the worst thing your kid can learn from Caillou.

She hears plenty of colorful language from me. The last thing I need is for her to learn is how to "beat a bitch down" from Caillou.

So the iPad went away. Which was actually a relief because although I loved it occupying her on those moments when I did something crazy like use the bathroom, I was always terrified of our investment getting busted no matter how robust the protective case was. And HOURS of Caillou at full volume was a little more than my sleep deprived body could handle.

But I always kind of missed it when we were in a situation where I needed a few minutes of "mayhem free time".

Then Nana introduced us to the iPod Touch. And angels sang.

Here's why:

First, it's small. Perfect for little hands to hold on to more easily. And less weight with a smaller screen decreases the chance of it breaking when it drops.

Plus it's quiet. It's loud enough for her to hear, but not loud enough to irritate the entire doctor's office. Or restaurant.

And it's pocket sized. Which means its easy to throw into your bag and have on hand for emergencies. Like flights. Or grocery shopping. Or "mommaisgoingtoloseitifyouclimbthatagain" day.

For a few bucks my mom downloaded some episodes of Caillou and then we turned off the Internet connection.

Perfect solution. Sterling gets her Caillou fix. And with less variety in episodes, she plays with her educational games more. I get an extra free hand when I need it most.

Special Bonus Perk: I don't have to explain the complexities of race relations and why there are certain words we don't use to my toddler before she turns two.

See the two photos in this post? Both of those are thanks to the iPod Touch because otherwise, there is no chance in hell her little body would stay in one place long enough for me to catch not one but TWO different shots of her laying down.

Oh, and I got a new iPad for myself out of the deal! That's the ultimate perk in my book ;-)