When to Introduce your Child to Computers

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Deciding when to give your kids their own computer is one of the many decisions that parents go through. My twin girls are 5, my twin boys are 2. My girls just got a "new" computer for Christmas. It is actually a old home-built machine with a TV tuner card in it.

They use Macs in school. My original plan was to give them an old Mac, but the computer that I wanted to use would not cooperate when the time came to set it up, so I settled for an old Windows XP computer. Now that I've thought about, I think it is a great idea. This way they will know how to use both, Macs at school and PCs at home. One of them has already decided that she wants to be a "computer worker" like Mommy. :)

A couple of days after I set up the computer, Alexis came to tell me "I didn't like that picture of the fish on our name, so first I changed it to a frog and I did not like that either, so now it's a butterfly." She had figured out all on her own how to change the login picture that shows up when she logs into the computer.

Kids just get it, and they get it early. I think 5 is an excellent age to get them started using the computer. Once they can read a bit and understand instructions and concepts, they will love learning on the computer.

Along with the computer, they received a Fisher-Price Digital Arts & Crafts Studio which is awesome! It allows them to paint, draw, color, create crafts and many other things on their computer and then print it out. They can also save their pictures to be emailed to the Grandparents. They love it. It's simple to use and really brings out their creativity.

There are also several kid-friendly websites. Starfall.com is a great one that they use at their school. Here is a list of a few more:

Whenever you decide to give your kids a computer, it is important to limit their time. We don't want them being addicted like us too early. :) Also, it is important to give them time on their own to explore and learn without the pressure of Mommy looking over their shoulder. Of course, shared time IS essential, just not all the time. To insure that they see only kid-friendly content when Mommy is not around, invest in a good nanny program. There are several on the market that will get the job done. Kidswatch Internet Security Parental Control V5 is a great one.

Start them on the right path and before you know it, your kids will be telling YOU how to setup your MySpace page and change the background. :)

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Comments

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Barbara Schantz 2009-02-01 03:09:40

I didn't realize that you have 2 sets of twins also. My girls are 4 and my boys
are 7 months! The girls are already quite good at using a computer. They love
Starfall and PBS Kids. We'll have to try out some of the others you listed. We
live in "Rocket City" Huntsville, AL, home of NASA's Space & Rocket
Center and Space Camp, so I know they'll love the NASA site. Thanks for the
article!

Oh wow!

littletechgirl (Editor) 2009-02-01 12:29:10

Hi Barbara! I just checked out your website. Your kids are adorable. I wish i
knew about your invention when my kids were still babies.

I used to end up in
some interesting positions trying to get two fed at once!

I look forward to
chatting with you more.

RobynsOnlineWorld (Author) 2009-02-01 08:05:56

I agree, earlier is better with the kids. My son is a bit older, but he had his
own computer when he was about 7 or 8. He received a hand me down for the first
couple of computers. At 12 he got his first new one and this year he saved his
birthday and holiday money and on his own bought his first laptop as well. Now
at 14 he has 2 computers and is now learning more programming and tweaking and
hacking of his computers since he has a back up. He is planning on doing
something in the computer industry as an adult also.

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