This holiday season, I gained a lesson in perspective.

My 11 year-old has an iTouch, which she graciously shares with her little sisters. Until recently, when one of my four year-olds would ask, “Where is my iTouch?” I would shudder—how indulgent it sounded! I mean, a four year-old with an iTouch…how ostentatious! I would die if anyone ever heard her ask this question.

On the other hand, my four year-olds are avid fans of the iPhone (both my husband and I have one) and the iTouch, and the educational enrichment they have received from the variety of applications is hard to match. They love Math Magic and are able to do addition and subtraction facts up to 10. They love playing the matching game with letters and numbers. They love matching uppercase and lowercase letters. And together we enjoy DoodleBuddy, where a squiggle is given and the other person must turn it into something.

I am amazed at the creativity and the comprehension! And guess what? These benefits all come from free “apps”—just download and voila!

Comparable options include several “age appropriate” handheld electronic games, but they come at a high price and often require additional charges for each extra game cartridge, and the kids’ interest in any particular game is limited. Adding to the cost, the cartridges are only about an inch wide and tall, and are frequently “misplaced”—who needs one more thing to keep track of?

I’m now convinced that, comparing the options, I spend less on an iTouch. The initial cost may be higher, but in the long run, we have access to more apps, most of which are free or relatively inexpensive (an iTunes gift card can go pretty far in the apps department!). Plus, there are no extra cartridges to keep track of.

The multitude of experiences a child can have with an iTouch, both educational and recreational, far exceeds many other single-unit electronic toys and games. And the iTouch can grow with the child rather than being limited to a narrow age range. It requires no additional fees in AAA batteries, either; plug it in and let it charge!

Apple’s iTouch offers great exposure for the technological future that awaits our children! At least, this seems to be a recurring theme in conversations lately, and I think I have changed my attitude from shuttering at the thought of a four year old with an iTouch to a feeling of wise revelation on the part of the parent and embracing a high tech toddler in training!