Stella and I went on a girls trip. Just us girls traveling 5+ hours (each way) in the car. Normally when we go on long trips, it is either me sitting in the backseat of the car or me sitting next to Stella on the plane, constantly entertaining. Now, with Stella sitting by herself in the backseat, I wasn’t sure how this trip was going to play out.

I made sure to pack a big bag of toys, movies and of course, the ever present iPad. I figured Stella would spend most of the drive playing on the iPad or watching movies. But, I was wrong. Instead, Stella spent a majority of the trip playing or drawing. She did not complain much about the length of the trip. She happily chatted at me from the back seat or sang while she played or colored.

Could it be that the iPad has fallen out of favor?

Come to think of it, Stella has not played much on the iPad recently. She used to pour over it, constantly asking for new games and wanting me to play various dress-up and make-up games with her. But now, she would rather play outside, read a book or play with her toys.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, I am mostly just surprised. But maybe I shouldn’t be, as I have cut back on my phone usage. Over the summer, I realized it didn’t make much sense to watch life through the tiny screen on my phone, when I could watch it live, in the flesh.

I will be curious to see how long this trend lasts. Maybe when the rain and cold come, the iPad will be fired up again, but for now, it sits, waiting.