It’s like any technology: parents should use it in moderation, as a supplement to traditional learning methods rather than a substitute; and it should always be used side-by-side with the parents as much as possible. (That said, my iPhone has gotten us through more than one excruciating session in waiting rooms and doctor’s offices!)

The amazing thing is how quickly a 2 year old can pick up on the interface (read the linked Globe article above), I basically hand it to him and watch him work it. He tends to be too absorbed in using it to consider a throwing tantrum. Although I should note that his access to the phone is highly limited and most of the time he plays with his boring old wooden blocks or even other children.

Would I really want my 2-year old, who is currently prone to tantrums and throwing books across the room, to play with my iPhone? Evidently, the father in the video doesn’t either and you’ll notice that he keeps his hands on the book the whole time, guiding what his young son can do. Is this teaching independence or dependence to parent-as-teacher?

While our 6-year old is becoming a proficient reader, our 2-year old will open a book and make up stories and sings songs about the characters in very creative and imaginative ways. I don’t want to stifle this kind of self-directed learning any more than I want to give our eldest daughter an iPod instead of having her learn piano.

Now all parents want their children to grow up educated. But if we’ve learned anything from Baby Einstein, the marketing these techno-products under the guise of creating child geniuses may ultimately backfire.