How a tablet helps me write stories and babysit toddlers

Computers and tablets have got a number of special uses which need to be exploited. At times, one may be simply bemused by the kind of benefits these devices have to offer. For instance, while most people use tablets for the sake of fun and to use internet, I have found an exclusive use for it, something which has helped me a lot over the course of the past 10 months. I find that the notepad of a tablet provides a person an ideal space to jot down blog posts, poetries, book reviews or short stories even at a time when you are feeling lethargic and do not wish to sit down before a laptop or a desktop. With my tablet, I can slump over to my bed, squeeze in a couple of pillows under my head (and over my legs) and scribble down thoughts which are buzzing in my mind. When it comes to fiction writing, I have the habit of writing them only when I am feeling ‘full of words’. There are phases when my mind can think, introspect or weave imaginations with such clarity that you feel as if words are just jostling inside your brain and looking for outlets to burst about. That is when a tablet can help you to let out those prisoners. Just free them out of your mind and spill them over to your tablet which can be conveniently held in your palm.

I wrote portions of The Black Cat on my tablet

Being light in weight and miniscule in size, a tablet is a gadget whose convenience and comfort cannot be matched by the larger and bulkier desktops and laptops. I do not have anything against these bigger machines. But when we are talking of writing/working during physically inactive times, you can discover that a tablet allows you to perform your activity without asking you to sit up.

Another advantage that a tablet has is that it can be used as a way to connect with toddlers. Most toddlers are pretty shy and unsocial. They may not open up before you if you are not a part of their immediate family or in case they haven’t seen you around much. But handing them a tablet and titillating them with a game or two can be an intelligent way to win them over to your side.

So, when my elder brother Govind Bhaiya paid us a visit during Diwali along with his 3-year old son Harsh, I used this trick to get into the good books of my nephew. Harsh became so engrossed with the games that he didn’t want to let go of them and would ask me to restart it every time he lost all his lives. I was happy to accede to his pleas since the tablet was helping me to break the ice with him.

Govind Bhaiya, Harsh and the tablet

And then when my favorite nephew Cheeky (a 5-year old impish toddler) comes over during his vacations, I babysit him with the help of my old Tinkle books and my tablet. I firmly believe that digital and archaic forms of entertainment should enjoy a healthy mix. So, the combination of Tinkle and Tablet makes for a perfect cocktail.

 I also make it a point that Cheeky is not allowed to fidget with the gadget for more than an hour during each sitting. It is important that you do not let a child become a slave of technology. Taking him out to the nearby children’s park every evening is a ritual which I religiously follow, come rain or snow.  

At Jurassic Park with Cheeky

Other than these, a tablet can perform any major function which you expect of a computer. From checking my emails when I take my first yawn to running through my Facebook notifications when I am sipping my morning coffee, I have been able to stay connected with the world a lot more easily after I brought home a tablet.

[This post is my honest feedback about tablets and has been submitted for an IndiBlogger contest organized by LenovoYoga Tablet.]