AlphaBaby

If you're a Macintosh user with a baby, I really have to recommend AlphaBaby: a free computer application that makes it safe for your baby to play with your computer.

AlphaBaby keeps your input (keyboard, mouse) from reaching any of your active applications. What keystrokes and mouse clicks do instead is play sounds and display colorful shapes and letters at random locations on the screen.

I had the pleasure of my son's company this afternoon while his mother took a shower. My screensaver for the past few months has been a slideshow of all my photographs of the boy. When his baby pictures came on the screen, I noticed him noticing them. So I thought I'd give AlphaBaby a try.

I sat Benjamin on my desk with his feet on the keyboard. At first, random muscle jerks triggered the shapes and letters, but Benjamin quickly caught on and started moving his feet more deliberately. He found this very funny. It's a delight to hear him laugh.

So I turned him sideways, held his right hand to keep him upright, and let him touch the keyboard with his left hand. Yup. He understood. How wonderful to watch my boy playing deliberately with a computer keyboard before he's even able to sit upright on his own.

- papa