As I approached the couch, the sight of my children hunched over the iPad was all too familiar. With the device nestled in its overly protective cover, they were completely engrossed, their faces illuminated by the bright screen. “Hey, I said no more videos. Step away from the device,” I commanded, trying to maintain authority.
As I reached for the iPad, my oldest son quickly pulled back, his face a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. “I wasn’t watching videos, Mommy. I was just checking who was singing,” he replied, having navigated to Pandora.
“Oh,” I thought, feeling my frustration fade. As a lover of music myself, I felt a surge of pride that my child was exploring it too. Yet, I still wanted to limit their screen time. “That’s great, but I think you’ve had enough time with the iPad.”
“Can I use your phone instead?” he asked, looking hopeful.
“For what?” I replied, a hint of skepticism in my voice.
“To make a video,” he answered.
I hesitated, knowing my phone was running low on memory, but the idea of capturing a moment of creativity was tempting. “Alright, just one,” I said, thinking it would allow me to craft a clever social media post about raising a budding music enthusiast.
After a brief tussle with the iPad, my youngest had joined in, and soon the room was filled with animated chaos. “Do you want to see the video?” my eldest asked after a few minutes.
“Sure, show me what you’ve got,” I replied, sipping from the toddler’s sippy cup. We repositioned ourselves in front of the air conditioner to cool off.
As I pressed play, I saw blue digital numbers filling the screen. “Is that a clock?” I inquired, puzzled.
“It’s the radio!” he exclaimed proudly, his excitement palpable. “You recorded a four-minute video of the clock on the radio?” I asked, trying to suppress a laugh as my initial irritation resurfaced.
“But listen, Mommy!” he insisted, as I turned down the air conditioner’s noise. I could barely hear a familiar tune playing in the background. “It’s our song,” he declared.
In that moment, I realized this was probably the closest my children would ever come to experiencing the joy of listening to music the way I did—laying on a shag carpet, surrounded by vinyl records, or eagerly waiting by the radio to record their favorite songs. I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me, knowing they might never understand the magic of liner notes or the tactile experience of a cassette tape.
With this realization, I decided it was time for a change. As the self-appointed guardian of screen time, I led my son back to the living room and the now-familiar iPad. Kneeling down, I cleared away the remnants of snacks from the couch cushions and declared, “New family rule: if you’re listening to music, you can use the iPad without asking.”
I then unlocked the device and said, “Let’s see who’s singing, buddy. This sounds like a band I used to love—They Might Be Giants! I haven’t heard them in ages!” I reminisced about their songs, but my son quickly interrupted, insisting, “No, Mommy. You’re wrong. It’s Mickey Mouse singing.”
Though it was amusing to think about playing songs from my youth at his future wedding, I looked forward to all the musical journeys we would explore together, regardless of the format.
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In summary, my experience with my children’s use of the iPad has led me to embrace a new approach by allowing them to explore music freely. This shift not only fosters their love for music but also creates opportunities for bonding through shared experiences.