“Mom! iPad Angry Birds?” – my two year old this morning
I remember the first time I played Angry Birds. I was on the floor next to my two year old’s crib, hoping he’d fall asleep fast. I had so much to do, but he won’t fall asleep without me laying there. I borrowed my husband’s iPhone to check Facebook. Up to this point, I had avoided playing Angry Birds. I’m not a fan of video games, mostly because I’m not very good at them. But it was a quite night on Facebook, and I was desperately trying to stay awake in the dark. So I played.
I stunk at it.
So I played again. And again. And again until I beat that first level.
An hour passed. My son was long asleep. I was still playing.
The rush I felt that night was one that I had not felt in a while. It wasn’t addiction or compulsion. I could walk away.
It was more a sense of…accomplishment. For the first time in a long time, I was feeling like I finished something.
A lifetime ago when I used to work outside the home, I had that feeling all of the time. I would start a project and see it to completion. The accolades and rewards would come in with a “job well done” from my boss. Then I’d be assigned a new project, have more responsibilities, and see that through as well. The reviews would come in, and I’d feel great.
At home, my sense of immediate accomplishment is non-existent. Yes, I know I’m raising three incredible boys. All this hard work will pay off many many years from now, when they become great citizens of the world. But right now, there’s no instant feedback loop for me. I do a load of laundry, there’s four more right behind it. I clean one room, there’s five more that need attention. I pick up 50 Hot Wheels cars, and in 10 minutes I’m stepping on them again. I cook one meal, and there’s four people complaining about it.
But with Angry Birds? I knock down those towers and crush those pigs. I get a “yippee!” from the remaining birds, three bright yellow stars, and sometimes if I’m lucky, a new high score. And a new level unlocks with a new challenge, and I do it all over again.
It’s not just me that’s getting this sense of accomplishment from Angry Birds. One of Howie’s goals on his IEP from the beginning has been about game play. Taking turns is incredibly difficult for him. He cannot stand to lose. I can’t tell you how many times his log sheet comes home with “Howie had a hard time when he lost at Candyland (or insert any board game here).” He has a meltdown when he loses a running race, a car race, or just a race up the stairs.
But with Angry Birds? No meltdown. He just plays and plays and plays until he gets it right. And then sometimes he’ll play the same level again just to get the score higher. Or to knock down a watermelon. Or capture a golden egg.
It’s been a wonder to watch him play. It’s teaching him game play skills that he wasn’t getting from a regular board game. He shares the iPad and takes turns playing levels with his younger brother. And we’re seeing it translate at home into better sportsmanship with his both of his brothers.
Not great, but better.
I know there’s a lot of naysayers about this new technology. Some say it brings us one more level removed from each other. Others worry that our kids have unfettered access to inappropriate content on the internet. To them I say that I’m still my kids’ parent. I set limits and watch what they do.
But keep the technology from them completely? Not a chance.
Not when my five year old is learning physics and game play from Angry Birds.
Not when my nine year old uses the Pages app to write a one page paper on the American Revolution based on what he learned in school that day. Unprompted.
Not when my two year old is using apps like Speech With Milo to help him pronounce words or Tally Tots to learn how to count to twenty.
Not when my friend’s son with autism was able to use his iPod Touch to tell his preschool teacher his favorite thing about her FOR THE FIRST TIME. In front of the whole class and a room full of parents.
So if you need me, I’ll be on the couch with my boys and our iPad. You might find us drawing a picture, listening to a story, or taking turns with a game. Together.
And that is quite an accomplishment.
"Mom! I got three stars and beat your high score! And I didn't even use the MIghty Eagle!"
“If I stayed here with you, girl
Things just couldn’t be the same
‘Cause I’m as free as a bird now
And this bird, you’ll can not change
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
And the bird you cannot change
And this bird you cannot change
Lord knows, I can?t change” – Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
This post was written as part of the Best of the Best edition 7 of the S-O-S Research Blog
June 13, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Awesome! I don’t play Angry Birds because I was pathetic at it the first time I tried, and there are too many things I’m bad at and working at improving to give it more attention.
I have no qualms about letting my kids play on Pudding’s iPad though. Like anything else, technology can be an incredibly useful tool in the right hands, and something that connects our kids with others, even each other.
June 13, 2011 at 5:21 pm
If you haven’t already, you need to see “Wretches & Jabberers”–a fantastic documentary about two men with autism who were set free by learning to “type” their innermost thoughts/ideas/feelings, etc. on a computer. It is amazing!
June 14, 2011 at 9:05 am
Love it!!!!! If you want more ammunition against the naysayers – check out my last blog post. The iPad got Oliver through a haircut, relaxed and happy.
June 14, 2011 at 7:12 pm
Your way with words emphasizes so well the value of technical media. I think as special needs parents we are more aware of dangers and probably do a better job of monitoring our children’s activities than most other parents do. I believe media time is important for our children; however social media has an ugly side especially for those who haven’t been taught responsible use of media.
June 15, 2011 at 2:33 am
Technology is the ONLY way to go!
And you just helped me to realise why I often feel like a failure….it’s the whole “sense of achievement” or lack thereof thing!
June 20, 2011 at 8:01 pm
[...] Butler presents Free Bird posted at Try Defying Gravity. Alysia shares how her son’s electronic game playing is [...]
June 22, 2011 at 9:35 am
LOVED your post
June 23, 2011 at 8:24 pm
I know exactly the feeling about the angry birds. I had the same rush with cut the rope. But like many toys hey moved on as my aspie, I have to be aware because he can really go to extremes be aide of his abiliy to zoom in. I like the remark interacting with him doing anything. I liked the way you end your post with a song. I love the song.
August 8, 2011 at 11:57 am
I loved that, but partly from a selfish point of view, b/c I felt like you were writing about my life, especially the part about needing to feel like I accomplished something in the endless daily routine, and how much my son has gained from playing games on the iTouch and Wii – finally there was something that his younger brother started looking to him for help on, instead of the other way around. Thanks for perfectly articulating those moments that we can all relate to so well.