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Becoming a father is a life-changing experience, and there is nothing more rewarding than watching those little ones grow. In my house we reached a few milestones this year. My youngest daughter is officially potty trained (YES! YES! YES!), while my oldest learned to ride a bike, joined the swim team, and started kindergarten. Watching their bodies and brains develop is amazing and filled with so many of those “how did she do that” moments. Not surprisingly, tech has been there along the way.

I have to admit, the first time I gently placed an iPad in my daughters’ hands, learning and development was not on my mind. I’m sure I was doing some chore in the house and needed a few moments of peace and quiet. I let them watch a  movie or a show and assumed that would give me a few seconds to get things done. However, it wasn’t that simple. My girls had seen daddy touch the screen, play games, and take pictures. Now it was their turn. Then, the light bulb appeared on top of my head. This is going to be more fun than I imagined. As I started to see more and more iPads around, I got into some great conversation with parents about the apps their kids enjoy. It no longer was about just watching a movie. It became a fun way for my girls to learn. Now, when my girls reach for the iPad, it becomes an opportunity to enhance their education. My oldest has been learning about world flags in the classroom so we found an app to learn more. All of a sudden a blue, white, and green flag pops up and my daughter screams out “that’s Djibouti.” Dj-ah-what? That’s right, she recognized the flag of a tiny African nation that I didn’t even know existed. With apps like “My First Classical Music App”, “UmiNumbers”, and “Puzzle Toys” both my girls are learning about music, shapes, math and so much more. Of course, there is still a lot of play time outside and other fun stuff to do during daddy-daughter time, but the iPad has played a surprisingly big role in helping my little ones learn.

This Sunday the 14^th, daddy will get another chance to play with the iPad as Apple’s great creation comes back as a TSV to the Q. If you’ve got some other great apps to share, let us all know, and I look forward to seeing you on the Q.

If you have any questions please seek me out on Facebook - Craig Smith QVC. This is the fastest and easiest way for me to answer your questions.

- Craig Smith