Thank you, for the kind comment, Shooting Star. Re: toddlers with electronic gadgets? Just say no! A few years ago, in my first counseling job, the medical records director came crying hysterically to the clinic director. This woman was a younger mom, whose 3 year old had clicked on something on her I Pad and ended up "buying" apps, adding up to hundreds of dollars. The clinic director was a 40 year old mom of elementary school age kids, who tried to explain that it is not appropriate for a 3 year to have free access to an I Pad, emphasizing the point that it is necessary to read to young children. I happened to walk into her office during this discussion, and explained all of the skills a child learns when you read to him/her: beginning, middle, end, directionality (reading left to right, up/down), page turning, letters, prediction, etc. This young mom looked at me like I was from another planet. She really didn't want to hear what we were saying, but wanted a quick fix to learning to lock her IPad, so the kid couldn't rack up purchases. She and her husband had bought the kid her own IPad for Christmas, beause they thought she "needed" one.
Oy.