M's Favorite iPad Apps: Fall 2012

Let me preface this list by saying that M is really into all things Disney, especially all things Minnie or Princess, so you will see a recurring theme in her latest list of favorite apps...so here are the latest app obsessions of my little drama queen (in no particular order)!

1. Disney Junior - this is simply an application that allows you to watch shows that air on Disney Junior. Word or caution - only use when WiFi is connected, not 3G, as watching on episode will suck up most of your cellular data. Since M is obsessed with all things Disney, this gets a lot of use nowadays.

2. Fancy Nancy Dress Up - My girly girl M loves most things dress-up, sparkly, shiny, beaded, fancy, magic... you get the picture. She will spend long periods of time with this application, dressing up Nancy in her fanciest of outfits and changing the beautifully illustrated backgrounds. My only problem with this app is that I cannot stand the Nancy voiceover that says things like, "That's posh! Posh is a fancy word for fancy!" over and over. The last thing I want my already over dramatic toddler to start saying is "that's posh!"

3. Grimm's Rapunzel - Between pages heavy with words (which your toddler can have read aloud to them) are fun interactive pop-up pages that your kid will love. You plant a garden and pick flowers, put vegetables into soup to make dinner, you feed and rock a baby, you pack items into a suitcase, collect musical notes, etc.. And the illustrations are adorable.

4. Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Pirate School - This one is fun for kids of all ages. Play music with Sharky and Bones, fly through a maze with Izzy, play eye spy with Cubby...if your kid knows and loves Jake and the Never Land Pirates, this will be a big hit.

5. Minnies' Bow-tique: M is obsessed with all things Minnie Bow-Tique. We have watched every mini episode online about 100 times, she has books, we make bows for her hair "like Minnie," and she adores this application. You pick out every aspect of the bow, put it into the bow maker and out pops a bow that you can actually place on a photo of yourself, or give to Minnie to wear in a fashion show. Big fun for all budding fashionistas!

6. Mickey's Road Rally - This app is one big interactive episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. My problem is that it is the same thing every time you play it, but M doesn't seem to mind choosing the same Mouseketool ten times over. She loves interacting with her favorite cast of characters and being part of their fun!

7 . Monster Soup - So this is actually one of my applications that M got her finger on, but she loves to play and "pop the shapes" as she calls it. She isn't technically playing it the right way, but it does help her with her matching skills.

8. Princess Fairy Tale Maker by Duck Duck Moose - My favorite application designers have hit a home run with their latest creation. First you pick a background, then you add on top your favorite little characters from the tool bar below, which features about 50 different little people and even more little animals and accessories that you can make any size and place anywhere. After you set up multiple scenes you then record your own fairy tale to play over the images you created. It really is ingenious, and children 4+ will really get a kick out of it, but for now M loves to create little scenes using all the "pretty princesses." I look forward to the days where she can actually create her own interactive fairy tale with this app.

M's Favorite iPad Apps - Spring 2012

When I can get M to do something on the iPad other than watching episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, these are her favorite applications (in no particular order):

1. Monkey Math School - this app, from the creators of Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, is M's fave. It has taught her to recognize numbers, patterns and even simple equations like 1+1=2. There are a few levels that I have to help her with, but she can spend a good 10 minutes with this app and not get bored. It has also helped her understand how to actually count. Get this app now, as I can't say enough good things about it!

2. Another Monster at the End of this Book - the sequel to everyone's favorite Monster at the End of this Book, features everyone's favorite monster Elmo, along with his pal Grover. Your kid will listen (or read) along while Grover reads the text, and help Grover and Elmo get to the end of the book by performing simple tasks.

3. Monster Coloring - With this simple app your kids can color in outlines of hipster monsters.

4. Count the Animals - Another very simple idea - when you touch the animals on the screen it counts them aloud. The cool thing about this is that you can do it in 15 different languages. For some reason M always sets it to Japanese.

5. Old MacDonald by Duck Duck Moose - This app makes me laugh out loud whenever I see her play it. You can sing along to the classic Old MacDonald song, while touching the animals on the screen, which makes them do silly things - like the cow who is wearing Ray Bans and reading "Moo Yorker."

6. Peekaboo Barn - What kills me about this app is that the kid that says all the animal names sounds exactly like M. I mean exactly. You simply have to touch the barn and the doors open, revealing an animal that makes a noise, then the child says what type of animal it is, and your kid repeats it.

7. It's a Small World - So I like this app a lot more than M does. It is visually beautiful, and I of course have a soft spot in my heart for anything old school Disney. For each line of the classic song you are taken to an illustrated part of the world, where little kids (that of course all look alike) move about and dance and whatnot. It is really well done, and worth the space it takes up on the iPad.

For the past list of favorite iPad apps click here, or here.

Travelling with Toddler

Yesterday M and I completed our 16th flight together in the last 23 months. It was pretty much as smooth as could be, and I wanted to share with you some of my tips for travel so that your next flight experience with your toddler can be just as easy!

Well, I think "easy" is the wrong word choice there, because when you are traveling by yourself with your child it is never easy. Let's use the word "manageable."

Here are my tips for a manageable travel experience with your toddler:

1. Try to book a flight during nap/sleep times. This doesn't always work, but if you can get your kid to sleep on the plane you will be one lucky mama (or dada).

2. Fly JetBlue.

• They have more legroom than any other airline. This is huge when you are using a car seat, and your toddler has crazy long legs. This is also great because you can let your kid stand up and move around a bit in front of your seat. 
• If you can afford the Extra Legroom, jump on it! Not only do you get to board first (there is no pre-boarding on JetBlue, so if you don't have extra legroom you board when your row is called), but now you actually get to go through security in a separate line! It is amazing - and such a pleasant surprise when I got to bypass the huge security line at Logan. 
• They have TVs. M wasn't truly taking advantage of them, but if you have slightly older kids that can use headphones (and will keep them on) this is huge, especially when you can't use electronics for take off and landing (more on this in a sec)
• They have more room in the overhead cabin. This may not be true, but with my experience on Delta last month, this is totally true. The overhead cabin on our Delta flight was miniscule (as was the legroom - not good for 7 foot tall dad!). I am sure this depends on the type of plane, but all Jetblue planes I have been on have tons of overhead space. 
• They give you snacks, which a lot of airlines don't do anymore. And they have animal crackers, which are M's favorites. 
• You can check one bag per person for free, and you can check strollers and car seats without them counting as an actual checked bag. 

I want an Ooopa Loompa now Daddy!!

I have created a Monster.

I want an iPad now Daddy!!

M is obsessed with the iPad. It has gotten to the point where I have to hide it from her. She knows where it charges in my bedroom and will make a beeline for it when we go upstairs. She will go over to the diaper bag and say "Mama's bag! iPad inside?" I have a fancy gold frame case on it, and when I was cleaning up some stuff in our basement, I came across a sparkly frame the size of the iPad and she said "ohhhh! iPad!"

The problem is that when she thinks the iPad is within her reach, and doesn't actually get to use it, all hell breaks loose. It is even worse when she is using it, and I need to take it away from her (see the post below for a kicking the dog incident).

It is totally my fault too. I wanted an iPad to enjoy with M, to download apps and play games with her on it. I introduced it to her when she was just 12 months, and would put it in front of her to show her things before she even knew what it/she was capable of. But then she started realizing how much fun it was to use, and she started craving that feeling of excitement of making things on the screen move with a touch of the finger (I know how she feels!)

And then in June we put Toy Story 3 on there, and she learned that she could watch her boyfriend Woody basically wherever, whenever, and instead of putting up a fight, I would just let her. She spent an entire 6 hour drive back from Syracuse with the iPad on her lap, watching TS3 over and over. I didn't care, she seemed happy and she was quiet...but little did I know that I was feeding the hungry monster growing inside of her. I then put on a few of her favorite TV show episodes (Sid the Science Kid, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Yo Gabba Gabba and Sesame Street) so she knew she could have those "on demand" as well...big mistake.

My husband and I got in the habit of bringing it with us out to dinner to use as a worst case scenario form of entertainment, which of course was immediate because at this point she had iPad-dar and was able to spot it at 100 yards...in a closed bag...in the car. I think she might actually be able to smell the iPad from afar.

This morning's behavior has brought me to a breaking point though. I had to go to the docs early, with M in tow, so I got myself ready and put the iPad outside her room on the railing so that I remembered to grab it on the way down. I dress M, pick her up and start to bring her into my bedroom to say goodbye to Dada. She spots the iPad out of the corner of her eye and starts with the usual "iPad! iPad Mama!" and I say no and bring her into the bedroom. Queue the drama...

Hands flailing, whining, fake crying, screams of iPad!! iPad now! And this was after being out of her crib for a total of 5 minutes, tops. She wouldn't even give my husband a hug and kiss goodbye until I had to bribe her with talks of watching the iPad in the car in 5 minutes.

Of course I gave her the iPad in the car, because I can't stand the drama (don't save it for your mama please...I hate that saying), but then when I took it away from her to let the valet take the car, the hysterics began...and this time with that crazy high pitched scream that I detest. The poor valet guy was just staring at her as I struggled to get her out of the carseat and said "is she ok?"

"Yes, she has just become a spoiled brat that can't be without her $700 electronic device, that was actually intended for me, but I don't even get to use it until she is asleep anymore, and there is hardly any room on it for anything I want to do, as I have spent a small fortune paying for applications that I wanted her to use to broaden her language skills, but she just wants to watch movies and TV shows on it now and it drives me crazy, but the alternative is a screaming hysterical child, so I just give in and let her use it 10 times more than I would like her to use it, and now I don't know what to do because I hate that I have become one of those parents who sticks their kids in front of an electronic device for peace and quiet, but I totally have, and I hate the looks that I get from people when I am pushing her in the stroller and she has this expensive device on her lap like she is a teenager and not a 20 month old, and I totally feel like I am being judged by everyone around me, so I am thinking about not letting her use it anymore, but then there will be so much screaming and yelling, and sometimes she uses it for good things, like to read books, and do puzzles, but most of the time it is just to watch the same 5 episodes over and over, and if I hear the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song one more time I swear to God...oh here are my keys. "

Ok, so I didn't say all of that...

But I have begun Operation iPad Out of Sight, so wish me luck. I will probably cave by lunch.

The Electronic Babysitter

M watching Wuddy on the iPad

Before I became a parent I totally judged other parents if they let their toddlers watch TV. My kid will never watch TV! I will spend every waking moment stimulating her brain with puzzles and art and books! Parents that put their kids in front of the TV are just lazy! They must not love their kids enough to spend time with them! Man do I wish I could go back in time and slap my ignorant child-less self.

Around the time M was 1, she started to really pay attention to the TV. She would dance to Yo Gabba Gabba, squeal with delight when Elmo came on the screen and say "choo choo" when the Dinosaur Train zoomed across the television. I didn't see anything wrong with letting her watch a few minutes every day...I was sitting there with her, she genuinely liked it. What was the harm?

It was at that same time (Christmas) that I received an iPad as a gift (aka the best gift ever). I loaded it with applications for toddlers and M was immediately hooked. She was learning her alphabet, her colors, and even learning to say words out loud. I was shocked by how much she picked up so quickly - by January she was even able to turn it on and unlock it, and flip right to her page of Apps. One of the first words she said perfectly clear was "iPad." We had created a monster.

Then came the infatuation with Toy Story that I told you about a couple weeks ago. (What began as a curiosity, has now blown into a full fledged obsession. There will be fits had when we are out and about if she asks, "Wuddy?" and I say, "no, Woody is at home sleeping." Cue the screaming and fake crying.) We have TS3 on the iPad as well as cued up in the living room. And we watch it twice a day practically (not always in it's entirety.)

I am will be totally honest and say that I sometimes use the television or iPad as an electronic babysitter. If I really need to clean the kitchen I will turn on Woody and let her watch a few minutes of it. I am in the next room, I can see her on the couch from where I am in the kitchen, and she doesn't move from the couch when her boyfriend is on TV (she actually sits there with her Woody doll next to her - I told you, obsessed!)

If I am totally behind with the laundry and need to do a few load, I will plop her on my bed with the iPad  for a bit.

Now, she isn't alone doing these things for hours at a time, nor is she in front of a screen for hours at a time, unless we watch a full movie, which does happen quite often, but that is never alone. But I feel totally guilty that I do this.

Yes I spend a good chunk of the time she is awake with her playing, or drawing or singing or some other brain stimulating thing, but sometimes I just need those 10 minutes to get something done. Queue the iPad or TV.

Am I a terrible mother? Are people reading this thinking, "how could you let your 19 month old watch tv? Or play with an iPad?" Do any of you do this too?
Be honest with me Mamas...

M's Favorite iPad Apps

Monster At The End Of This Book
Surprisingly I never read this book when I was little, but it was my husband's favorite book as a child. And now it is M's favorite book/iPad application in the world. She listens and watches it at least 5 times a day. This fabulous interactive story is narrated by everyone's favorite Muppet superhero, Grover, who unsuccessfully tries to stop you from turning the pages so as not to get to the aforementioned Monster at the end of the book. Your kids will love it, you will love it. Get it now.

Elmo's Monster Maker
If your kids love Elmo half as much as M does, get this app. It actually is just hosted by Elmo, not featuring him, but he does pop up to play once you make your own Muppet Monster. It does take up a shiteload of room on your iPad, so you might not want to keep it on there all the time.

Tap Tap Baby
I stumbled upon this last week and M goes straight for it now when she is on the iPad. It is simply 4 different screens that your child can tap on - a house, a monkey face, shapes and animals. With each tap comes a corresponding sound - that will drive you crazy if they are a fast tapper like M is, but it is tons of fun for kid. Be sure to look for the fireworks page hidden in the house play area.

Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, Fish School and Park Math
I cannot say enough good things about applications created by Duck Duck Moose. They are incredibly well designed, very kid (and parent) friendly and a great learning tool. Itsy Bitsy Spider and Wheels on the Bus take your child through the classic kid's songs and allow them to interact with the spider or on the bus. They are fabulous, they are fun and are a must have. Fish School teaches your child her ABCs and 123s, as well as colors. There are also other games to play within this app, that are a little advanced for M, but I know we will use this frequently when she is a little older. Park Math is for kids who understand the basics of counting and math already, which is a little beyond us so we don't use this much at all. If you kid id 3+ I am sure they will get a kick out of it though.

Talking Hippo
This free app is terribly annoying, but M loves it so I keep it on the iPad. The cool part about it is that the Hippo will actually repeat whatever you say to it, which blows M's mind every time. Other than that, you can tickle it and make it do some other things. Not my favorite as the sounds aren't easy on the ears, but it is free, and she likes it.

Baby DJ
I think I like this more than she does...this allows baby to create a song using 9 different beats. She simply taps on the record of choice and the song begins, and when she taps on another, a different beat is added to the track. It is baby school fun for the inner DJ is me, and she likes it for all of 20 seconds and then moves on, but it was free so it stays!

More to come soon!!