The New Swiss Army Knife of Parenthood

My hubby J absolutely wanted to be a guest blogger on this topic.

A single innovation has fundamentally shifted on how we raise our son. No, scientists did not invent an odor-eliminating diaper. Sesame Street is not in 3-D. There’s no robot that cleans up spilt milk. It’s much more profound. Soon we’ll wonder how we ever got along without it as parenting is forever changed.

You see, like other mamas and papas across the country, my wife has succumbed to the allure of the fancy, shiny iphone. Who can blame her? After 5 years of wielding a do-nothing-fabulous flip phone, she knew she was missing something essential in her arsenal of tricks. When the little guy is in need, she always has milk and crackers, wipes and diapers, a sweatshirt and shoes, and sun-block and toys. Lately, it has not been enough.

I got an iPhone for work over a year ago and ever since Ly has taken every chance to swipe her finger across the small of the rectangular screen to unleash the power of the Internet and Apple’s endless applications. On Saturday morning errand runs, she’ll research swim lesson times, restaurant menus and playground locations. On our way to the city, she’ll check traffic, confirm directions and check for email updates. With the little guy, we’ll shoot video on his favorite train ride at the Oakland Zoo or playback last night’s impromptu concert performance complete with makeshift microphone. Of course, the grandparents have the latest photos zipped to them and occasionally get to exchange words on speakerphone.

Now my wife has loaded her 4G model with baby flashcards, the Pandora Internet radio app and the Koi pond app. My son has no qualms unlocking my phone or asking to watch train videos on YouTube. With over 50 million iphones sold since its release in 2007, I know this is not NEW news. Instead, this is “what the hell did we do before iphones” kind of news. It’s addictive and convenient for the whole family. Set a reminder to set it aside and ponder life without it.
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And I might add that I can also blog on the go!