I've started introducing Lily to the iPad a little at a time. I'm not sure if I'm doing myself or my stress level any favors by not biting the bullet and purchasing some sort of case or cover to protect it from her rough affection (like an otter box). Her fine motor skills consist of a lot of slapping of the screen and whole-hand swipes of it, which either reveal the taskbar at the bottom or exit the app entirely to the home screen.
I'm not really sure what the remedy is, except to find apps that better understand my daughter doesn't "get it". She is captivated. . . and that's key, and she likes making it do stuff, but she is not gentle, and her movements are neither precise nor controlled, and if I can't find apps that ignore some of that extra movement then they're not a huge helper. I find myself hovering constantly, swooping in to remove the iPad, getting back into the application, then replacing it, while Lily grabs for it.
Unfortunately, while the iPad is playing pet mouse to her Lenny, my stress level, and recognition of how much we just blew invested in the thing becomes more and more focused, ratcheting up to the point where I finally give her the "three more minutes" schpiel along with promises of future play, though the iPad seems remarkably unfazed by it. Though perhaps Lenny's mouse was too. . . until the bitter end.
"I want more buttons!" Lily informs me.
"We'll get more buttons, later, baby."
Here is my iPad to do list:
1) Find some apps that appreciate Lily's relative skills at swiping, pointing, sweeping (or lack thereof)
2) Find a cover that protects it from her particular ministrations.
3) Adapt the cover to protect the "home" button. (I already have some ideas about this)
4) Get our new wrap to develop some iPad specific goals that they can work on with Lily (new wrap starts up in December, after Lily's 6th birthday)
