IPad's and children...... ugh the parents ultimate dilema

As a parent of a 6 year old, i have recently been introduced to the major Ipad fanatic obsession my daughter has with the Ipad and technology in general. Children have a complete infatuation with technology these days.
Not so long ago, i was six years old and there was no such contraption as an ipad, as a six year old, we played outside, played with our barbies and tonka trucks. We played hide and go seek, spot light, double dutch and hopscotch, with no wants of staying inside playing when we had the option to go outside to play.
So now I'm having this dilemma with my six year old who is addicted to the Ipad, She is completely infatuated with Mine craft, if she isn't designing and building things on mine craft, she is watching your tube videos of other people designing things on mine craft so she can try and make them the next time she is allowed to play mine craft.

I know this isn't 20 years ago, but am i overacting about how much my kid wants to be playing on technology? I'm all about the learning and her using her imagination and creativity to build her skills, but i feel like that's all she wants to do now, since she started school. They have technology Tuesdays at school, where they have BYOD (bring your own device) day, this sounds so futuristic to me, because i never thought it would happen this soon.

 I wasn't expecting my 6 year old to be asking Santa for an Ipad, that's what i expect from a teenager. Nope, sadly mistaken i was when i learned that my six year old has asked Santa for an Ipad and a Pink PS3 Controller or Christmas, and nothing else; no dolls, art supplies or clothes; just technology. When i asked her what else she wanted for Christmas, she told me Nothing, cause she can do everything on her Ipad.

I limit her time to ONE hour a day on technology because i want her to be creative in other ways, am i being to hard on technology, should i let her embrace it a little more? I have no idea what to do to justify my own mind and how to let her embrace technology and how to function without it. At the rate technology is becoming important, Ill have to buy her an Iphone  when she turns 8...

Technology Dilemma!!!!! And it begins!!!!

Christmas Cheer a thing of the past!

I am an extremely cheerful person at Christmas time, I love the holidays! everything from pulling out the Christmas decornations the end of November, to spending a full day, sipping on wine, decorationg my house and then a full afternoon, fluffing my tree (if I don't have a real one) adding the lights, ribbons, bows, then the ornaments. I never put the tree top on until tipsy eve (December 23rd) and that job is for my daughter. my family usually hosts a family get together and just before guest arrive, we have a few relaxing moments and place the tree topper.

I find myself being less cheerful around the holidays in the last couple years, my mood is easily altered by the people I am surrounded by. I have noticed since I have left the safety of the town I grew up, my little piece of heaven on earth, people in the city are so rushed and busy. Barely anyone has the time to be polite and no one has time to say "Merry Christmas", I don't know what "merry xmas" is.

It boils my blood right down to the core, that people have left Christ out of "Christmas". I'm not trying to give a religion rant, because everyone is titled to their own opinion, this is just mine! I'm not an avid church goer, yes I attend a service on holidays, and maybe I have wander away from the ways I grew up, being from a very small town, I went to church every sunday, was a server in the church and the Anglican Church youth group was a big part of my simple life.

I guess to some, I lived a secluded simple life, but I don't see it that way, I see my life growing up as full of life, love, faith and family. I learned from a very early age, that you get what you deserve and you treat people how you would like to be treated. I learned that holidays such as Christmas and easter were to bring families together and spread the good feelings of love, belongingness, support and most of all Joy.

Today, people are too busy to spend quality time with each other, to be happy with the simple things like friends and family. too busy competing with each other about who makes the most money, who's kids are better at sports, who's dog is cuter, and too busy buying things instead of making time for the things that matter the most.

Shopping for Christmas gifts is a joy for me, I like to walk around, browsing at the Christmas displays , buying presents that are meaningful, not worrying if something cost $5 or $50. My family and friends don't judge me buy how much their present cost, but how well it fits their personality and it shows how much I know them and how much they mean to me.  Christmas brings me great joy and it makes me so sad to see people wasting the holidays being cynical and Scrouges. Haven't they heard that if you pass a smile to someone you pass by, that person ends up passing it to someone else with out even noticing, I feel the same way about saying Merry Christmas. Who ever the dumb jerk that shortened Christmas to Xmas, needs a good dose of good faith to haul the Scrouges stick outta their A**.

It only take one person to start the epidemic to bring the Cheer of Christmas back to the world, that's what I want to do. I want to be the magical elf to do that, I want to pass along the good cheer and joyfulness I have in my life and myself onto those self proclaimed Scrouge's out there... take the time to adjust your cynicism and try to say Merry Christmas to a random person everyday through the holidays, try to pass along the joyful feeling of reconizing our beautiful holiday and let go of the anger of having to spend so much money on technology, Ipads, laptops, cellphone, computers ... Relax a little and enjoy the little things that so many people are taking for granted. Embrace your family, friends, and most of all you time. Time is the best gift you can give to anyone

 

The True Meaning Of Christmas
by Brian K. Walters

In todays' day and time,
it's easy to lose sight,
of the true meaning of Christmas
and one special night.

When we go shopping,
We say "How much will it cost?"
Then the true meaning of Christmas,
Somehow becomes lost.

Amidst the tinsel, glitter
And ribbons of gold,
We forget about the child,
born on a night so cold.

The children look for Santa
In his big, red sleigh
Never thinking of the child
Whose bed was made of hay.

In reality,
When we look into the night sky,
We don't see a sleigh
But a star, burning bright and high.

A faithful reminder,
Of that night so long ago,
And of the child we call Jesus,
Whose love, the world would know.

 

I still have the Christmas Cheer ..... Do you???

How Technology Has Changed in my short 28 years

OK, so I'm not really that old, I mean I'm only 28, but technology has changed drastically since I began using it when i was little. I remember watching CBC television ( with the metal rabbit ears stuck out the back of the t.v.) and after a certain time in the night, the screen would turn to horizontal colored lines and there would be no reception until the next morning when CBC came back on the air. Television has come a very long way since then, I mean i don't ever watch live television anymore, since i got Bell Fiber Op I record every show i am interested in, and it records automatically and i never have to turn my TV on everyday and wonder if i missed my favorite show, when i do get the time to turn the television on, my shows are all there recorded and sectioned off by title and date.

Television is only the beginning; Computers, Telephones and the Internet have skyrocketed to new and almost unbelievable places. 

Computers went from a big deep square box(Monitor) with a bunch of cords that were connected to a long rectangle box (CPU) that had to be stationed in one single place and they had Floppy disc drives. Kids of today wouldn't even know what a floppy disc looked like. Floppy discs have gone to that old age place with 8 tracks and tomagachi pets. These days, we still have desktop computer systems, but we also have Laptops for every type of person to use (gamers, businesses, students) there are so many options. I mean there are even tablets that you can take anywhere that can fit in your pocket, and so many brands that its too hard to keep track. Times are changing so quick that every 6 months there is a new improved product on the line.

Telephones went from connected to a cord in the wall, where the phone cord use to be stretched so far, you could spend hours on the phone, trying to untangle the cord, then came cordless phone, i know right there was unlimited possible places you could use the phone from around your house and in the yard, it became a game, "Can ya hear me now"? House phones are almost a thing of the past. 
Cellphones: 

I was 16 years old when i bought my first cell phone, it was the size of a cordless phone and the antenna pulled up so you could get the best possible reception. Now there is this cool contraption called a Smart phone. Yes, its super smart, you can use it to call, surf the Internet, check email, write notes , keep your calendar up to date, play games, creep Facebook,Skype, there are endless possible things you can to with a cell phone. There are so many brands and providers, and the technology is changing at such a pace it could make your head spin. Well that's what it does to me. 

We all like to feel like were up on technology, but i honestly don't think any of us can say that. Technology will always be a few steps ahead of ordinary, everyday people and with it changing so frequently, before we know it we will be living in  world like the Jetsons, flying around in space crafts. Who knows maybe soon enough we will be!