Published on March 1st, 2022 📆 | 2822 Views ⚑
0Easy technology that can help you connect virtually with your grandkids
In many respects, John and Denise Gillard are luckier than most grandparents. Since they moved from Kansas to Washington state, in September 2020, they live only 70 miles from their 4-year-old granddaughter, Cora Nelson. According to AARP, most grandparents have at least one grandchild who lives more than 200 miles away.
But the Gillards are lucky in another sense. Last year, they got to beta-test a new product from Amazon
AMZN,
called Amazon Glow. An interactive projector and video-calling device, Amazon Glow lets distant family members connect to read, draw and play together almost as if they were in the same room. Itâs the latest tech product aimed at bringing far-flung families closer together.
Amazonâs Glow for virtual playdates
The $249.99 product features a dedicated 8-inch display for video calls and a 19âł silicon mat that serves as a touch-sensitive, projected space. Those are for the child. Grandparents (or other remote loved ones) connect with an iOS or Android tablet or smartphone, much as they might use FaceTime or another video-calling app. Amazon Glow includes a one-year Amazon Kids+ subscription, which is required for accessing content (normally $2.99/month for Amazon Prime members).
âItâs really easy for us,â Denise says. âWhen [our granddaughter] initiates a call, we just have to open up the app and answer. We donât have to do anything complicated.â
They do have to pay attention, however. âIf we donât answer fast enough, our daughter will FaceTime us and say, âSheâs calling you,â John says.
The Gillards typically have two virtual playdates with Cora each week. âIt could last a good half-hour plus,â John says. âBasically, her mom takes her away and says itâs bath time.â
So what do the Gillards do during that time? Whatever Cora wants to. They often read together, with the animated book pages appearing on both Coraâs mat and their iPad. âI always try to deviate from the words, and she critiques me,â John says.
But theyâll also draw a picture together or play a game like memory match. âThe match game has different themes,â Denise says. âIt might be candy, so all of the cards are a different piece of candy.â
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What the Gillards donât doâbecause they donât have toâis work to keep Coraâs attention. âWhen we listen to her talk to Deniseâs mom on FaceTime, the conversation is short,â John says. âShe gets distracted and just runs away.â
Thatâs no surprise to Behrang Assadi, senior manager, product and marketing at Amazon. âIt meets kids where they are,â he says. âIt lets kids be kids and brings the grown-up into their world as opposed to asking them to meet us where we are on the phone.â
Caribu: a software-only alternative
Meeting kids where they are is also the goal of Caribu, a service that predates Amazon Glow and offers overlapping features, according to Caribu CEO and co-founder Max Tuchman.
âI think grandparents across the universe realized a video call is built for adults to have adult conversations; we can stay on a video call just talking to each other for hours,â she says. âFive-year-olds, thatâs not how they want to engage; âthe Spanish Inquisitionâ is our terminology for it.â
Caribu, which was named a Time magazine best invention in 2019, got its start as an app for reading books together while physically distant. It was inspired by a newspaper photo of a deployed soldier trying to read a book to his daughter on a video call. âYou have this humongous book and this tiny little webcam,â Tuchman says. âItâs a terrible experience.â
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More recently, Caribu has added games, drawing activities and virtual dress-up dolls. Older kids can even choose online/offline activities like cooking. âThey both can see the recipe and the child can say, âHey, is this the right flour? Whatâs the difference between baking soda and baking powder?'â Tuchman says.
Unlike Amazon Glow, Caribu is a software-only service. âLiterally all you need is your phone or tablet or computer,â Tuchman says. âWe actually launched web [in 2020], making us the worldâs first multiplatform video-calling experience for kids and families.â The cost of Caribu is $9.99/month or $99.99/year; a free limited subscription is available.
The keys to connecting successfully
Whether you buy an Amazon Glow, subscribe to Caribu or figure out a do-it-yourself option, you can do a few things to ensure success.
First, be sure the childâs parents are in the loopâand not just so they can prompt you to log in. âMake sure the parent is on board and they understand the type of relationship youâre building, that the content is educational, that itâs positive screen time,â Tuchman says.
Second, establish a routine of regular playdates. âWe have some grandparents that call literally every weekday morning as the kids are having breakfast,â Tuchman says. âMom and Dad are putting together lunches or getting the backpacks together or holding one of the babies and Grandma or Grandpa is reading to the child while theyâre eating their Cheerios.â
Third, pick a conducive setting. The Gillards have found that sessions work well when Cora is sitting at the dining room table. âSheâs in the dining room, but her mom can see her from the kitchen,â Denise says.
Finally, let the child lead, just as you would in person. âWhen Grandma comes over, she doesnât just sit on the couch and read books,â Tuchman says. âThe kid jumps off the couch and grabs Legos, grabs clay, grabs a doll. Then they want to color together. Then they want to go back to the book.â
Although Amazon Glow and Caribu are technology solutions, their developers strive to make the technology invisible.
Check out: Dating tips from grandmaâand her granddaughter
Catherine Teitelbaum, Principal, Family Trust at Amazon, remembers a beta-tester who was reading a book to her granddaughter. After she was done, the woman looked at the interviewer and said, âWow, that was really fun; we read the entire book. Oh, we read an entire book. Iâve never heard her read an entire book. Iâm going to cry.â
âI thought, sheâs going to remember the first book she read,â Teitelbaum says. âI wonder if sheâll remember if it was through Glow or not.â
Mark Ray is a freelance writer who has written for Scouting, Eaglesâ Call, Presbyterians Today, Kentucky Homes & Gardens and other publications. He has also written, edited and/or contributed to a dozen books for the Boy Scouts and the Presbyterian and United Methodist churches.
This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org, Š 2022 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. All rights reserved.
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