Computer Time

[twinergy]

My DS is absolutely obsessed with anything electronic, especially the computer, and I would like to get different opinions on toddlers and computer use. I'm also curious what kind of computer activities others allow their toddlers. Would you be comfortable with showing slide shows of photographs on the computer, my kids love looking at pics of themselves or animals (I didn't start this activity but I find myself giving in to requests to avoid tantrums.) TIA

[keeptryst]

We don't have a tv, but we do some 15-20 mins of computer time everyday with DS on my lap when I chk my mails in one window and DS watches age-appropriate youtube videos in another. He also likes watching picture slideshows of family events. As long as you're around and it's for a limited time, I think it's fine.

[CageFreeFamily]

We don't allow media time until our kids are school age. I have found that even with waiting and trying to be conscientious the media time tends to expand beyond our comfort levels. Until they are much older the idea that a little is okay, but more is not is waaaay beyond their level of reasoning and becomes frustrating. I prefer to avoid the whole mess until they are old enough to be doing self guided exploration that results in the ability to use a computer to societal expectations. If they aren't old enough to know how to turn it on/off, put in the passwords, detect when it needs to be plugged in, etc. we don't believe they are old enough to play with it.
I liked Evolution's End by J. Chilton Pearce on this topic.

[mommariffic]

We don't really do computer time

I'm not media free and DD [who's 2 1/2] loves to do look at my Flickr photo stream which I'm totally okay with. All her birth pictures/family pictures are on there and so we do this once a week or so.

[nerdymom]

Ds will sit and watch a few minutes of Sesame Street and he loves to look at pictures, but he's sitting on our laps and not allowed to touch. He loves it, but only in 5 minute doses, then he wants to get down and go play again. We have an "everything in moderation" philosophy that's serving us well so far.

[AllisonR]

I'll probably be the odd man out here on MDC, but here goes:

My kids have had computer access since they were babies. Not a ton, not all hours of the day, but about 30min-1hr per day. Seems to be more in the winter and less in the summer.

We keep the computers in the living room, including the one DS and DD share, so we know what sites they are visiting. They are 3 and 5 yo and surf themselves to the standard popular sites - pbs, starfall, poisson rouge....

Regarding the PP about being able to turn the computer on/off, use passwords... I agree. Kids should know learn how to do all this at the same time they are learning to use the mouse, click.... Also, unlike many of us who learned the computer as adults, a lot of this comes instinctively to children, because a computer has always been there. For example, the computer volume was too loud and I asked DS to turn it down. He didn't go to the dial on the speaker, but directly to the volume icon, right clicked on it and dragged the level down. I laughed at the time, because my parents would never be able to figure that out, even with me explaining it, but my DS just knew right away what to do. He feels at home with the computer.

You can see by my post I do not think the computer is evil. Yes, using it 3 hours a day at the exclusion of painting, playing football.... is horrible, but then so is eating a pound of chocolate instead of one piece. Everything, in moderation.

[Brigio]

We are a computer society and children do and should know how to use one. My toddler and I look through pictures and use starfall occasionally (she is 21/2) and I will encourage her to use it for a bit a few times a week when she is 3. In "Raise a Smarter child by kindergarten" the Dr. recommends 3. He also said children who go to kindergarten with computer experience tend to do 30 % better then those kids who did not.

[Dreamy]

DS loves looking at my screensaver (Picasa slideshow of his baby pics), sometimes he'll sit on DH's lap and watch some Treehouse stuff, and he LOVES typing - he even holds his hand in proper position and uses all his fingers. I have a second keyboard and mouse sitting in front of my real one for him to use, since he pulled up my control key months ago. He loses interest after 5-10 minutes though.

[kirstenb]

DS loves to watch videos on YouTube. We've found some fun songs for kids on there that he likes to watch. I don't mind if he watches them a little every day, but he would watch them all day long if I let him so I am careful to make sure he doesn't get too much screen time.

[MamaPhD]

We also let our 14 mo DD watch Youtube music videos of nursery rhymes and Disney/Sesame Street songs. We usually do a couple of 3-4 song-sessions in a day. I have the good ones bookmarked since I found some really bad ones by random clicking. DD is not allowed to touch my new laptop. But she is allowed to play with my broken laptop sometimes.

[twinergy]

Thank you for your replies. The computer in our living room is hooked up to a 52 inch monitor/TV and the kids are fascinated with it. It has become so much of an issue that I wish it would go, but I’m not the only person that lives here. The computer/TV is on in the evenings for 1/2 -2 hours, so I’m going to try to leave it off during the day. DS may still turn it on though. I’m a little disappointed because I was into learning sign language from videos and it is nice to have some music to listen to. But every time they see it on they start requesting YouTube videos and it is a source of power struggles and melt downs.

[abitofcrunchmama]

We have a mac and have set up an account for DS. He will be 3 in March. He knows how to click to get to his side, but not the password to type in (only because i haven't told it to him.)

He loves to play games on PBS and Sesame Street. It's a great thing for him to do, while i shower or work on dinner.