Why I Gave My 8 Year Old an Ipod for Christmas

It's been a debate for years, do you or do you not give your young child electronic gadgets?  Since she was 2, my daughter has had some form of an electronic device.  She had an iPod, a Nintendo DS, a Kindle Fire, some sort of Samsung tablet....she handles them all fairly well, for her age and ability.  I monitor her usage, I don't let her get on to the internet.  I don't put apps on the devices that allow her to chat with strangers.  It's all very safe.

I bought her a newer (used) iPod for Christmas and I feel it was one of the best investments yet.  Here are my reasons why and you can give me your opinions, good or bad. 

My daughter has downloaded books slightly above her reading level.  She's on a 2nd grade reading level and asked me to download some books that are on a 3rd and 4th grade level.  I did, she read and understood them.  When she was tested in school, her level has gone up greatly.

She has some math games on her iPod and plays them frequently.  Her math scores have increased in school.

She loves playing card games like solitaire.  Again, her math grades are improving.

She plays Trivia Crack with me.  She knows some of the answers! 

She learned how to text me via imessage.  She is quiet and shy and often won't talk to even me, when things are really bothering her.  She will text me every night to tell me she loves me and what happened that day.  Her spelling in school has improved.

When I'm out of town on business and she misses me...when the house is quiet and she can't sleep, we facetime.  shhhh, don't tell dad.  She calls me and tells me she loves me and misses me then she goes to sleep.  Before the purchase of the iPod, sometimes Dad or big brother would forget to facetime me before she fell asleep and by the time I'd call, she'd miss being able to talk to me.  Now, it's on her terms.  Her phone skills have improved.  Oh, and she now has memorized my cell phone number, the one we use as our home phone number. 

In the mornings, on those days I'm out of town, I get a facetime of her showing me her outfit and hair...just to make me feel better.  I didn't get that reassurance before. 

I'm not promoting a phone at this age, unless your child is home alone for great lengths of time and like us, you don't have a land line.

I do think that technology is great and we shouldn't be afraid to let our children use it.  I mean really use it, get into it, not just own it.