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I’ll file this under “what will they think of next?”

I’m sure most of us have iPods these day (who doesn’t?). Honestly, if I hadn’t been given one, I probably wouldn’t myself, I still call it my “walkman”. How sad is that?

But, how hip are your babies?? Do you have the new iCrib? That’s right, now you can upload all of your baby’s favorite tunes and play them right there in the crib! Our kids are most likely never going to know what life was like without all of this tech. Yes, it’s great in many ways, but I’m sure some of us would really miss that cute mobile that plays lousy music (but usually works to get the kids to sleep!).

If you’re interested, here’s a brief review of the new device that just hooks up to the crib with a space for your own iPod.

Just beware when the kid gets old enough to figure the thing out and starts blasting Van Halen in the middle of the night .

I am constantly amazed at all of the new fangled toys out there for kids (especially babies)! My daughter received some of these as gifts, played with them for about 5 minutes then promptly returned to being entertained by a paper towel. All of this gets me thinking “what did we do without all these toys, let alone what did kids do 100 years ago??”

When it comes to toys vs. love, love wins every time.

Forget the latest toys — All kids really need is love
Authors say public policy should focus on helping children have good experiences in their earliest years
BY AMY ADAMS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

With flashy toys, expensive classes and music compilations all promising to make your child smarter, it’s hard to sort out the best way to help your child’s brain thrive. A new policy paper helps put those worries to rest. The gist of the paper is this: What kids need is a secure relationship with adults who adore them.

“It’s all about playing with your child,” said Eric Knudsen, PhD, the Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professor in the School of Medicine, succinctly summing up a paper in the June 27 advance online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A child’s eventual ability to learn calculus or a second language, he explained, starts with the neurons that are shaped by positive interactions with nurturing adults.

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