My son, Nio, is the type of kid who thrives under a structured daily routine making him not very receptive to things that require change. He also has a tendency of getting attached to his belongings so much so that he usually keeps things for as long as he possibly can. Nio has had the same tablet with the exact case cover that I had to replace a few times for about five years. His tablet was one of the free tablets you get on a family plan phone plan so long as you pay an additional 10 bucks a month giving the device unlimited data for a minimum of 2 years. Back then he was a wild child of a toddler so the idea of him being able to use his tablet in the car uninterrupted was too good to pass up. Throughout the years we offered to get him a newer and better tablet, and for years he would flat out express his disinterest in the idea. Finally, about six months ago Nio’s tablet was lost for about a week. Eventually, it was discovered that he left it outside during one of the few times a year it actually rained in southern California. We plugged his charger into his tablet and it took almost 3 days before it actually turned on again. Still, my son refused the idea of getting a new one. After being left outside for so long and in the rain the battery life was so bad that he had to always be in close proximity to his charger and an outlet, and even then the screen would sporadically glitch and blink. I don’t know exactly what happened or what was the final straw that ended up breaking my son but he finally asked for a new tablet. Aside from his tablet being the only android device, my house is a team apple household. We all share our locations and FaceTime each other frequently at the most random of times and for the most random of things. I told my son I wanted to get him an iPad just like his sister’s and he was a little upset and apprehensive at the idea of such a big change. I tried my best to sell him on the perks of being able to call and FaceTime everyone and send little iMessages using emojis and voice memos but he was adamant about getting something similar to his old iPad. Eventually, I had to recruit his father to intervene and convince him of all the wonderful ways an iPad is so much better than his old tablet because if anyone can persuade Nio to accept and embrace a perspective outside of his own it most definitely will always be his father. He reluctantly agreed to give it a try but not before grumpily expressing how much he didn’t want anything to do with FaceTiming or messaging anyone.
The day his iPad came in he was definitely excited but sternly communicated how he wasn’t going to FaceTime or message anyone as he tore open the package his father handed him. Our middle child Noemhy was having a hard time with something she was going through at school and as a way to show her extra love and support both her father and I decided to take her out for ice cream together and just the three of us that particular day. During that drive my son FaceTimed and messaged his father non-stop to the point where I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous and left out, especially since it was my idea to switch him to an iPad in the first place. Noemhy and her father laughed at me making fun of the fact that Nio proclaims me as his favorite yet prefers dad over me when it comes to ordinary things. For the rest of the week I watched Nio figure out and make cute and silly videos of himself playing around, text all his sisters, and FaceTime his father literally every 10 minutes. I got absolutely no apple love from my son, but like most things, after a few days of being in my feelings, I always get over whatever it is before moving on unbothered and unfazed as if nothing happened. This past Sunday I needed to run to the city to run a few errands while the kids spent time with their father during football Sunday. On my way back I get a surprise FaceTime call from none other than my son. He called me to ask where I was and if I missed him. “You know I always miss you whenever you’re not next to me,” I told him which is my response every time he asks me that question. When I saw his cute and chubby little face smile at me on the screen of my phone my heart melted. We told each other we loved each other before ending the brief call. It’s always unexpected moments like that one that make being a mother rewarding, at least to me. Mom Life.
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