You know how that old saying goes: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em? This year, make everyone happy and modify some of your holiday traditions to make them a little more appealing to your tech-crazed kids.
Go geek for the holidays
You might want to consider updating some of your lovely holiday traditions and going with a more "user-friendly" approach so your kids won’t roll their eyes at you. .
Program Santa into your cell phone
This year, hand over your cell phone to your little one and let him take a free phone call from Santa Claus personalized with his name, courtesy of Dialmycalls.com. You simply choose from nine messages that your child can receive, pick the time, date and phone number you want the call sent to. Santa will do the rest!
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Your child's wish list goes digital
Bye bye pen and paper, hello app. Now your child can record, send and share his wish list with friends, family and even Santa himself, through email or Facebook. After he hits send, he'll receive a reply Santa Gram from Mr. Claus himself letting your child know that the list was received up at the North Pole. Free on iTunes.com.
Chestnuts roasting by an open app
If your home doesn't have a fireplace or you live in a warm climate, you can still have a fire. Well, a virtual fire, that is. Download Game Scorpion's Intimate Fireplace app to your iPad and enjoy the rich warm glow of the flames with none of the hassle of hauling in wood and cleaning up ash. The kids will love choosing between 10 different fireplaces that come complete with a soft, sizzling crackle and soothing music. Grab a board game and some hot cocoa and enjoy a relaxing night with the kids this holiday season. Barnes & Noble Nook App, 99 cents.
Track Santa through Facebook and Twitter
A high-tech way to count down the days to Santa's arrival, the NORAD Tracks Santa website provides up-to-the-minute info on Santa's journey. There are games, videos and even a Santa cam. On December 24, you and your little ones can follow along with a minute-by-minute report of Santa's progress on his website, Facebook or Twitter.
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