Why my iPhone makes me a better mother

In theory I would like to be one of those mothers who limits my son’s television viewing to one hour a day and discourages the video games that have so corrupted this “Playstation Generation.” But for me, to be the best mum I can, I need to maintain some ounce of sanity, especially when I have to have an uninterrupted conversation with my husband or, say, buy a week’s worth groceries without blood-curdling tantrums. Which means, there are times when a video or a game is the only thing that can pacify my child – next to sedating him and, well, sedation is just not an option.

This is when my iPhone has proven to be its most valuable.

Let me backtrack. I bought an iPhone in July. Since I quit my “real job” a year ago and I now work out of the home, I had to justify (or, over analyze) the purchase. First, it seemed the planets were aligning in the month of July and sending me a message that now was the time. My contract on my current plan was coming due (with the company I had been with for a solid decade), my birthday was happening, and the new iPhone was being unveiled. I had a cheap flip phone/camera phone that served its purpose just fine. But I reasoned the iPhone purchase this way – it was a mobile phone, an iPod, a calendar, a GPS, a better working phone camera, and it just so happened to offer the added bonus of e-mail. Considering what I’d pay for the GPS and iPod alone, I was saving a fortune getting the iPhone. Right?

Shortly after I got my iPhone I realized its ability to totally captivate my son. First, there was the quick access to YouTube. And then I discovered the apps. Girlfriends, shopping around in the iPhone apps store is more fun than shoe shopping! Most of my apps are free. The most I’ve paid for any of them is $1.99.

I’m going to take the next few inches of space here to share with you some of Truman’s favorite apps. If you have any other app suggestions, please share. There’s plenty of room for me to add more apps on my phone!

• I mentioned the YouTube icon on the iPhone main screen. A quick search of Tom and Jerry (my son’s absolute favorite cartoons in the world) and my son is entertained for any hour-long road trip or long doctor’s office visit. Worried about it making too much noise? Just click on the earbuds and enjoy the peace and quiet (save for the occasional outburst of giggling).
• I’m moving on to the apps now. I love Trailers Lite. It is a listing of movie trailers. This is one of my husband’s favorite apps, but Truman also has enjoyed watching trailers for Marley and Me and The Tale of Despereaux.
• I have to give credit to my sister’s boyfriend’s 10-year-old son Julian for downloading a lot of the cool apps for kids. One of Truman’s favorites is iChalky. There’s not much point to this app other than watching this chalk drawing stick figure wiggle and roll around the screen as you move the phone. Julian showed me that you can place a picture of someone’s face on the chalky man and make him, as Julian put it, like a voodoo doll. Rather than using a photo of someone I knew, I opted to let Julian take a picture of the Diet Coke can and that became my chalky guy’s face. Truman calls the app “Coke Head.” Cracks me up.
•  Julian also downloaded Jared, which is another pointless app. It’s a yellow smiley face that sings in Italian – or at least it sounds Italian. Julian suggested I walk into a meeting and set the app to play and pretend I don’t know where the music is coming from. Since I quit my real job, I make every effort not to sit in meetings anymore. However, Jared makes Truman laugh really hard and that’s worth keeping the app on my phone.
• Julian gets credit for the Lightsaber app that Truman also loves. It makes that zzzzzz Star Wars lightsaber noise and when you whip the phone around like it’s a real lightsaber, it even sounds like you’re dueling with old Darth. It’s more fun if you have two iPhones with the app and have a lightsaber joust.
• Julian also put Jerk in a Box on my phone but it’s my fault for showing it to Truman. At your fingertips are several not-so-nice phrase buttons. By pushing one you can call someone a “Pizza Face” or “Loser” without moving your lips. Truman thinks this is the greatest app in the world. I’ve had to warn him, though, that if he uses any of those words he can no longer play the iPhone. So far so good.
• The bartender at the Fish Market the other day showed Truman the iBowl app, and Truman loved it so much I had to download it. It’s not unlike the Wii – you just push a button and swing the phone like you’re bowling. Your ball rolls down and hits pins. Too cool. 
• My husband (who got his iPhone last week) got Truman into Virtual Pool Lite. Like the name says, it’s a virtual pool game. It even sounds like a real pool game. 
• The Audi A4 driving experience is pretty cool, but Truman’s too young yet to get a handle on the steering, gas and brakes. Still, he loves anything that resembles a car or racing. I just like having it on my phone because it’s the closet thing I have to actually owning an Audi.

So those are my app picks for the 5-ish age range. Let me hear some of your favorites.