I know of a lot of parents who have kids who are so familiar with technology even at such a young age. I have a friend whose 2 year old daughter could work the iPad like crazy. And she beats her mom because the mom can’t do squat on the gadget.

A recent study conducted by a security software company says that kids today are adapting very quickly to technology. Polled in five countries all over the world, the study also revealed that:

• Kids between 2 to 5 years old can use a smartphone, but will have great difficulty learning to tie their shoes.
• Smaller children know how to open a web browser and surf the internet than swim in the water.
• Children would rather play with the computer than go ride a bike.
• Kids in Europe are a lot more adept at using the mobile phone or working the computer than children in the United States.

Are you surprised or alarmed by these findings? Admittedly we live in a highly technology-based world now and we rely on gadgets for a whole lot of convenience. It’s no surprise that kids are picking up on these, because by the time they’re adults themselves, technology will be so highly advanced.

Learning early has its advantages and disadvantages. And the thing is, I think we all have to learn to adapt in the ways of the world in some ways…

There seems to be a brand new way to get your child to cooperate with everything from behavior to using the potty every week.  The contraptions they come up with can be both amazing and yet still a bit, well creepy.  These things sit on the shelves of all those baby super stores and are turn it all into a jungle of brightly colored plastic.

All these gadget can make any new step, especially potty training a bit more confusing.  Which is something I’m going through. Not only is there an insane amount of gadgets involved for girls (for boys there’s even more) there’s endless opinions on the proper way to do it so one won’t damage their child’s ability to use the potty for the rest of their lives.

Honestly one would never in a million years think there would be so much stuff involved in using the toilet, yet here we are with a bazillion gizmos.  All of them proclaiming to be the absolute best one that won’t traumatize my kiddo.  Some admittedly I could see myself getting as a gag gift, including (and my personal favorite, even if for merely it being the funniest product ever seen) is a talking potty.

It has it’s very own toilet paper dispenser for the little ones and a fake flushing mechanism.  It’s also apparently a bit chatty as well, as a reward for the kiddo using it.  Personally, that seems a bit odd to me and perhaps I’m old fashioned in thinking that a toilet should not talk to someone.

Then again considering this is my first official foray into these frightening aisles, maybe all these gizmos have a purpose.  Have any of you actually used them with any luck?  What helped your child learn to use the potty?  Or is there a technique you plan on using?

This may be the ultimate display of how connected we really are.  Asus, the company known now for their netbooks, has teamed up with Disney (famous for princess’) to produce the Netpal.

It’s a netbook especially designed with kids in mind,  with a fairly robust feature set that will make both children and parents happy.

It comes preloaded with Disney goodies, ranging from programs (apps like Vista’s sidebar or Mac’s taskbar) to pre-programmed kid friendly websites from Disney.

Developed with parents and kids in mind, the Disney Netpal has a reinforced mechanical design and, naturally, a Disney user interface. In addition to “more th

an 40 robust parental control options,” the Netpal sports an 8.9-in. LCD display, Wi-Fi, Windows XP Home and kid-friendly software featuring Disney characters.

From ZDNet

It also comes set up in a way so kid’s won’t be able to see anything that is potentially not so hot for them, with email filters,and parental controls.  Which is a really good idea if kids are the intended audience.  They are all pre-programmed into the netbook, so there isn’t much messing with it that will need to be done.

The pricetag is about the same as the companies popular Eee PC at around $349.99.

There’s a ton of products out there for babies, from amazingly useful to pretty much useless.  Wandering those stores for what seems like forever looking at all the shiny things you ‘have to have’ for a newborn is one of the most daunting tasks for many first time parents.

There’s also many lists online telling you what you won’t be able to live without (including a couple of my own).  This list is a bit different,  it’s the things that will in time become more trouble than they are worth.

Out of all the gizmos and gadgets, there’s surprisingly little you actually will continue to use.  Many things will more than likely will become more of expensive paperweight, something I found out the hard way.

Wipe Warmers

There’s no pressing need for one of these, they’re more of a fire hazard than anything (depending on the type you get).  In fact, wipe warmers have actually caused many injuries over the years.

Diaper Disposal Contraptions
I know there are some fans of these things out there, the main reason it’s on the list? The need to buy more of the bags, plus throwing in some baking powder and drier sheets can tame most stinky diaper pails.

Ten Billion ‘So Cute’ Outfits 

This may strike some the wrong way, but hear me out.  They more than likely won’t wear most of the ‘so cute, must get’ outfits.  There’s a good chance the fab look may be onesies and diaper couture for a while.

Stuffed Animals

While cute, these little things become the thorn in your backside after a while.  I was warned, I choose to ignore the warning.  Now, I think the herd of stuffed animals may be taking over the bedrooms, out of the thousand she has there’s four that are one’s that she won’t part with.

Today parents are more hands on than our predecessors, and maybe not all surprisingly kids are closer to their parents than ever. Today’s parents spend a lot more time with their kids, with the internet, cell phones, and a bunch of other gizmos that allow mom and dad to take their work with them.

This can lead to mom and dad, while still working can still be there in some cases.  The internet can allow mom and dad to work from home completely.  While working from home comes with it’s own limitations and issues, mom and dad’s presence can still have an impact.

Even for the parents who don’t work out of home offices, Blackberries and cellphones can still allow much more communication with family than just a decade or so ago.

Even with all the complaints about gadgets pushing people further apart and making email and text messaging the communication du jour, overlooking for a moment the impersonal method, it allows instant connections to those you love. The methods also allow more communication, especially due to the impersonal ability to not have to look someone in the eye, you can get them to open up more.