Adeline is sitting on the floor, contentedly playing with an old iPhone 3.  She loves to turn it on and off, getting a lesson in cause and effect as the screen lights up then goes dark at her command.  She manages to turn on music and open the old email folder and even run a search for “aw45h9sfa”.  Mostly, she just loves to run around with it and put it up to her ear: she wants to be like Mama and Papa.

This is her iPhone – an old one we had shoved in a box somewhere.  We pulled it out when she learned how to turn our phones on.  I was afraid she’d send someone a weird email or start updating my facebook status with nonsense (which would be terrible!).  So when she reaches for my phone she gets her own instead.  It’s a good distraction and she adores it.

But I’m conflicted.  Is this a bad idea?  Am I setting myself up for endless video watching when she enters toddlerhood?  Or for fights over the phone when the terrible twos are in full effect?  I’ve been pretty good about keeping her away from the t.v. so far.  She really only watches sports when we just have to watch a game (I love my football!).  But I know it’s unrealistic to expect to keep her away from t.v. forever.  I guess we’ll just take it one day at a time.  And on this day, she gets her very own iPhone.