I have given up asking my kids what they want for Christmas. Now I just watch their reactions to certain gadgets and start taking mental notes around August. My daughter has flat out said that she wants a laptop and a trip to New York City and my son has been drooling over the latest Harry Potter light-up wand collection. Of course, in his case, he still believes in Santa Claus, and so when he said he wanted a $3,000 go-cart and I told him it was too expensive, he just patted my shoulder reassuringly and said, "It's OK, Ma, Santa will pay for it."
Gee, thanks. Should I break the myth now or after I've fallen further into debt? However, there are some affordable, electronic gadgets and toys that any kid (big or little) would love to find under the tree, in the stocking or on the eighth day this year.
'TIS THE SEASON TO GET AN iPHONE: I don't know what I was doing without one. It's not just about the phone and easy email/internet access. Once you have an iPhone, a whole new world (which you admittedly need to siphon through) opens up, not just to you but to the entire family. You can do pretty much anything with an iPhone. I've discovered a few apps and accessories that are perfect for the giving season. Let me rave for a few minutes about SkyView, a constellation app that lets you hold your phone up to the sky and then gives you information on what you're looking at. This is a favorite pastime now,
FIND IT IN THE JUNGLE: My holiday mantra is shop local first, and if you're missing anything, go to amazon.com. While tooling around on this megastore website, I was able to find some pretty amazing gifts that won't break the bank. First up is the Lego sorter. That's right, folks, you just drop the brick into the top of the "head" container, shake and voila, it falls into place with same-size pieces. Gone are the days of the giant, hopeless Tupperware container where even turrets go missing. Also on Amazon.com is the ... wait for it ... Kindle. Actually, there are several different Kindle models; plain, touch, touch with 3G, and Fire. They're all e-readers and if you've got a budding reader in the house, they're pretty darn cool. The beauty of these things is that you can just get the one for books or you can get the Fire, which has WiFi, games AND books (a lot like the iPad or the Nook Color). And it has been rated as one of the safest electronic devices in terms of setting up parent controls and blocks. Plus, every birthday you can give your kid a gift card to Amazon and they can download more books. Read on ...
GIFTS FOR DOWN HOME: Not all electronic gadgets are Internet-related. In fact, there are a lot of cool items for the home that really showcase the beauty of technology. If you have a possible chef among you, then the kitchen is a haven not to be ignored. For him/her, there is the mini doughnut maker from stonewallkitchen.com. It is very similar to the waffle maker in that you dump the batter into the "iron," shut the top and wait. Open the lid just as the coffee gets done brewing and you have doughnuts fit for a king and a kid who can make something yummy. Maybe a panini maker is next. Also in the households department (for teeth-obsessed moms like myself) is the SLIM Sonic Toothbrush from violight.com. It's a 6.5-inch portable, battery-operated (1 AAA) toothbrush with heads that you can change out. Also, it comes in VERY bright, cool colors. What kid wouldn't want to clean their chompers with this thing? Especially after all those cookies?
MUSIC FOR ALL: I have learned, over the years, that musical gifts can be hit or miss. Hit with the receiver, miss with anyone who lives in the same house! For instance, one year I purchased an accordion for my nephew. His parents didn't speak to me for a looong time. But noise and music are so fun, especially for kids. As painful as it sometimes can be, we have all kinds of instruments in our house (the latest being a tenor sax) and plan on still more. For young maestros in the making, check out the ENTIRE musical instruments section at jcpenney.com (under "TOYS" tab). They have everything from metal drum sets for a Caribbean vibe to mini show pianos. My personal favorite, being a bit of a classical buff, is the rockstar violin. For that, I would show them the amazing duo Black Violin on YouTube, hand the rockstar violin over and let stardom in. In addition to these noisy toys, there is also the handy-dandy headphones. My daughter and I disagree on certain music, so when she's blasting the Cody Simpson (blech!) I don't have to hear it. Skullcandy.com has over-the-ear headphones that are cool and comfortable and in many cases under $50. Worth every penny ...
FAMILY-FRIENDLY: We at the new and improved Family Beat are very close to celebrating our one-year anniversary. That means for one year we have not only been offering Berkshire families this print resource, but also amazing online content. And we vow to continue that, so check out thefamilybeat.com and blogtheberkshires every week, and Facebook every day, for updated stories, features, columns, calendars and more!
Editor's Note: "TECHtile" is a new Family Beat column that will focus on The Family Beat's online endeavors via our website, blog and Facebook page as well as on how technology is important to today's families.
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