"ipad"

By Smarty Guest Blogger, April B. Whitlock, Owner & CEO of Fundanoodle I spend…

Since we all loaded up on tech gadgets for our kids over the holidays, it’s time to take a hard look at the parental controls on each and every one of them. Almost every device is like a mini computer with complete access to EVERYTHING on the Internet. I summoned the help of my friend/colleague/social media/tech expert, Brian Foreman, who can shed some light on how to handle this new world of endless technology. ~Enjoy, Jen

All the presents are unwrapped, the leftovers eaten, and the resolutions are made. In all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you forgot to think about the parental controls on all the shiny new devices in your home. My wife and I unwrapped new iPhone 5’s for Christmas, while the kids unwrapped iPhone 4 indestructible cases. They knew what was up, hand-me down 4S phones for each of them.

I set restrictions immediately, with the knowledge of the kids, but we also had a conversation about expectations and parameters. I’ll share those later, after we discuss parent controls for Apple devices, Nooks and Kindles.

Apple Devices

The latest iOS (iOS6) for Apple devices operates using Restrictions. These restrictions are set for the entire device. In other words, if you and your child are using an iPad, you’ll experience the same restrictions they do until you reset the Restriction. That means however, that you have to remember to turn it back on. It works great if you are in a situation like our family, with hand me down devices that we, as parents, will not be using.

At Levine Children’s Hospital and Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital, child life specialists use iPads as a teaching tool for their young patients and families. Not only do they educate patient about their medical care and condition, but they also give virtual hospital tours to ease jitters.

IPad apps and age-appropriate games teach kids about organ systems, divert attention during long or painful procedures and help patients record video messages. Patients can
use the tablets to connect with friends, classmates and family via FaceTime video calls.