The toddler years are far from terrible! In fact, toddlerhood can be one of the most awe-inspiring and magical times in the lives of both parent and child. All a parent needs is a little direction to change these often trying years into terrific memories. Today’s toddlers grow up in a world entirely different from the one their parents grew up in, and certainly more different from their grandparents’ world. Your eighteen-month- to three-year-old child observes people using cell phones every day and learns from observation that interesting things happen when a finger touches the screen. Life happens faster when surrounded by digital technology.
The cashier at the fast food restaurant notes the order on a touch screen and instantly the meal appears. Touch a particular spot on the phone and you can talk to Grandma. Anything you want to know you can look up on the Internet. For months you have been sending digital photos of your baby to friends and family over the phone or Internet. Everything seems to happen at the flick of a finger.
It is clear that your toddler will grow up comfortable with media of all sorts. You undoubtedly have one to four televisions in your home, one or two computers, and mostly likely cable or satellite TV. You have a cell phone and numerous other electronic devices. How can you mix all this with being a parent? This guide will help you find a middle ground between the past child-rearing methods and the new. You won’t have to completely reinvent the wheel, but you can enjoy your toddler with a modern flourish and flair.
You are raising your toddler in an explosion of electronic media. Software and hardware are available for infants even as young as nine months. Your toddler may have already graduated from Baby Mozart and Baby Einstein. The avalanche of software and devices are here to stay. How can you best determine what is good for your toddler and how to use it? What is normal for a toddler anyway? You realize that you definitely cannot refer to Dr. Spock, your grandmother, or in some cases, even your parents, as times have definitely changed. Older relatives and friends may be able to remember at what age toddlers walk and talk, and that is a reassuring help. But no one in past generations will have a clue about recommended apps for your toddler’s iPad.
Media is a part of your life, every day. It is part and parcel of the fabric of your being, and you honestly cannot imagine existence without all your gadgets and instant access to anything and everything in your world. How do you raise a toddler in the context of such an instant digital world? How much of it is okay for your little one, and where can you find help with making decisions about your toddler?
Some of the tried-and-true information about toddlers does not change over time, and this book will help you get grounded with some of that. Some things change as generations change, and this book will help you get current on those topics. And some aspects of parenting a toddler are brand new with your generation! You get to be at the forefront of exploring digital life with a small one. This book will help you make some decisions about that, too, that is if your little tyke isn’t already showing you the latest applications!
Your toddler will be in the enviable position of being completely comfortable with many forms of technology throughout her life. It is up to you to help her navigate the way. This book will help you. Consider it your GPS for the years between eighteen months and three years old.