Boogers and iPods don't mix.

If your iPhone and your child were hanging over a cliff and you could only save one, which would you choose?  Okay, that’s an easy one (hopefully).  Every day your gear comes dangerously close to its demise at the hands of the ones you love the most; your kids.  Kids are drawn to the glow of the iPod and iPhone screen like a moth to light.  They are mesmerized and must touch the magical devices.  Unfortunately, their sweet little digits are usually covered in some sort of food, boogers, or other unsavory substance that will inevitably leave a smear of goo across your screen.  Gives new meaning to finger gestures.  Ewww.  Kids don’t come with instruction manuals, but your Apple toys do and they do not recommend that type of screen treatment.  With Apple stores no longer carrying film-based protection it appears the company believes their screens don’t require a barrier.  Jimmy’s post-PB&J hands beg to differ.

With a shiny new iPad in your posession or sadly on back-order, you are likely devising a plan for how to keep the sacred device under lock and key for fear of Jim-Jim using it as a coloring book - not a cool coloring app, with actual crayons and markers. Just like any other lesson in life, children will learn what they are shown.  When was the last time you carelessly tossed your iPod/iPhone on the counter?  (gulp) Dropped it on the floor?   Accidents happen of course, but that’s what AppleCare and third party accidental damage protection (ADP) plans are for (and when will Apple offer ADP as an extension to their Protection Plans?)  Don’t set the bar too low for your kids by thinking they can’t handle the responsibility.  Explain proper use and care, and show them how to do it.  Limit use and supervise them.  If you let your three year old carry your iPod into the bathroom chances are pretty good it will end up in the toilet.  Can you really blame your little darling?  He just wanted to see the bowl light up.  Thankfully, it doesn’t look like protective screen manufacturers will go away quietly.  When your best parenting efforts fail, shop the web and invest in some really good gear-friendly shields and cleaning wipes like those from ZAGG.  If invisibleSHIELD (available for iPod, iPhone, and iPad too) is strong enough to protect military helicopter blades it had better withstand your boogery offspring.

Keeping up with the KidTECHians

“Santa brought me an iPod!” exclaimed my two and a half year old son James on Christmas morning.  Either Santa’s toy shop has become increasingly advanced over the years, or I splurged a little.  Some might question giving technology to a toddler, however I’ve only delayed giving it to him in order to wait for the holidays.  Truth is, he was ready for it at two.  Technology is as much a part of my child’s life as his daddy and me.

I am a Gen Xer who considers myself an honorary member of Gen Y (given my very late in the year birthday in, gulp, 1978).  I vividly remember playing Reader Rabbit on our first computer, a Commodor 64 with cartridges and 5 1/2-inch floppy disks.  We had a “Go Phone”, a microwave, and remote controls.  As I went through my education, my use of technology extended to a dial-up connection in my dorm room to download music from Napster.  Revolutionary!  I remember getting my first cell phone like it was my first time at prom.

Fast forward to the world my child is living in.  He knows how to open the DVD player and insert a disc, turn on the TV and phone, play on the computer, listen to music on an iPod - all before he’s fully potty trained!  Tech is completely engrained into the world around him and it scares the crap out of me.  Sure there are parental controls and being involved is the best prevention, but therein lies the problem - the rate at which new technologies enter our world and become ubiquitous seems overwhelming even for a “technophile” like me. 

How is it possible to keep up on technology and protect our children when we don’t know what to protect them from?  As parents we have to do our best to embrace technology ourselves and leverage it to ensure our kids’ safety.  Stay informed, and stay connected.  There are several sites available - get an RSS reader  and subscribe to them.  Do some research and do it daily.  Check out Safe Kids.com - a site dedicated to internet safety and civility and, if you’re considering a Mac for your home computer have your local Apple Store employee show you the built-in parental controls, or watch a short video online.


While it seems overwhelming, know that the President is working to ensure our kids' safety online too - the Online Safety and Technology Group (OSTG) was established in April, 2009 as part of the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act.  However, you have to be an active participant too.  What steps do you take to ensure you’re kids’ safety online and while using other technologies?