POLL: When did you start computer time with your kids? - Page 2

[Holiztic]

DS is only 3.5 now and gets no screen time (TV/video/computer), no electronic toys, etc. We're heavily influenced by Waldorf pedagogy/philosophy. I voted for our plan, which is to start computer time around 7 or 8--but it will be minimal--enough so that by high school he's thoroughly competent--not a huge concern as DH is a programmer/techie. We'll get him his own when he reaches high school (by age or ability, whichever comes first--we'll be homeschooling).

[jtbuko]

When they turned 4 and 6 we gave them both user names and passwords with 30 minute limits and access to starfall.com, Beautiful Dorena, and a few other programs and websites. 6yo also has access to Jardinains. Neither of our kids actually uses his/her time daily, esp. when the weather is nice and we are outside most of the time.

[~PurityLake~]

I voted younger than 5. My now 5 year old wanted to use it when she was three and she learned how to use the mouse rather quickly and was able to use the computer by herself by the time she was four, from opening a browser window, to selecting the folder on the bookmarks bar where I'd saved her kid games and named 'Kids', to selecting which website to visit from that list. She also knows how to open paint and use it. My other daughter, who is recently four, also learned the right way to use a mouse shortly after she turned four years old. She is still learning about other details, though.

My older daughter started Kindergarten this year and at the open house we learned that computer time of 45 minutes per week will be worked into the learning program.

[karanyavel]

We started letting DD "fiddle" with the computer at 1 or so. She was playing kids' games at 2, and we bought her her own desktop computer for her 3rd birthday.

She just turned 6 and now has two computers of her own (one is a "play" computer, the other is for school only.. she is homeschooled).

We are huge geeks, though, and our living room looks a lot like the display section at CompUSA.

--K

[ollyoxenfree]

Both kids started playing around with the keyboard and mouse when they were toddlers, maybe even younger. At about age 4 or 5, they started getting computer games - mostly "educational" stuff other people bought them. They also had games like Zoo Tycoon.

Honestly, they never spent much time on the computer as kids. It just didn't interest them. They were both huge readers, and they watched some t.v. as well. DD has done some programming and she enjoys it, but she doesn't seek it out as an activity. She's a huge performance geek (a drama major at a performing arts school), and she'd much rather be doing something that involves face-to-face personal interaction. She's also very crafty, and likes to work hands-on with materials.

Now that they are teens, it's changed a little, thanks to social networking. They both spend more time on the computer, on Facebook, e-mail, etc. everyday. We've moved around and it's a way for them to stay connected with friends on the other side of the planet. DS has a band, and they use the computer for recording music, cutting CD's and promotions for new gigs.

They still don't play computer games. They use it for research, for personal interest and for school. DS took an on-line math course this summer for high school credit, as well.

To be honest, I think the biggest factor in increasing computer use with both of them has been getting a laptop. For some reason, it invites more use. Maybe because it's easier to settle onto the sofa and sit there for a long time, rather than at a desk.

[Danielle283]

She started playing with Starfall and Zac Browser at around 3. She gets about 20 minutes of play time probably every other day now at age 5.

[pianojazzgirl]

Both of my kids started playing at starfall.com at some point before the age of 2. My ds was able to hit the space bar to "wake up" the computer, open the browser, find his bookmark, click on it, and navigate around starfall by the age of 2. I didn't even own a computer till I was in my early twenties!!!

[OkiMom]

My daughter is 3.5 and DH got her a pre-K computer game. She hasn't used it yet but Im sure she will catch on quickly once she starts. She has been on Starfall a couple of times but didn't like it (thought it was silly). She only gets on the computer if DH or I are sitting with her, shes only been on maybe twice her whole life. Im thinking of starting to do like 15 minutes once a week for the comptuer game DH got her and even then either DH or I will be with her not just her alone.
TV wise my first watched TV way to young and way to often (this was before I started researching and decided that I don't want her really watching it). My second still hasn't had the desire to watch any, shes 21 months. My oldest will watch a 30-60 minute show/section of a movie about once a week. We have family movie night and watch a movie together maybe 2-3 times a month. Last couple of weeks it has been more often (probably 2 times per week) since DH is gone and Im so tired all the time. While DD1 watches the movie DD2 destroys the room building with her legos.. honestly I still need to get the lego out of the fish tank she dropped in there.

[phathui5]

I've let my four year olds play on starfall.com I don't personally hold off on the computer until they learn to read because I think that seeing the words they aren't sure about on the kids' sites that they like encourages them to read.

[strongrad]

DD plays the computer games at the library about 30 minutes a week but other than that nothing. She doesn't use the computer at home because I don't want it to become something that takes up much of her time.

[AllisonR]

DS was using the mouse at 18 months, but not surfing or really playing with games, puzzles, starfall... until between 2-3 years. DD is 3 now and likes starfall. DS is 5 and is now on to video games. Pre age 3 I didn't limit time, because most of our day activities were parent lead. Meaning I didn't really want them on the computer more than say 15-20 min a day, but it was usually less anyway. And if they hadn't seen a computer or tv in several days (we RARELY watch tv here, maybe 2 hours a month), but then a rainy day and they were playing 30-45 min, then OK. So if I felt it was too much, I'd say "now we are going out. Do you want to go to the small play ground, middle playground, or bike to the large playground?" and we did one of these.

Now DS is 5 and he really likes his games, and I don't want to deny him his relaxing time, but at the same time I don't think it is really useful, so we use a timer. 20 min a day. Some days it is 20 min exactly. Some days it is 0. And occasionally it a bit more. But I think now I have to use a timer, or it could turn into a 3 hour habit. On the plus, I think it gives them sight words, so ity is positive for reading. But on the other hand, it is, imo, even more positive to sit down on the sofa or in bed together with an actual, physical book and read together, and they still get the sight words, and a lot more.

[ChetMC]

Young

Our girls didn't do a lot on the computer, but they did start using Starfall pretty young. Our younger DD was way less than two because she was doing it with our oldest.

I found out that DD #2 could read two months before she turned 3, and judging by how well she was reading when I found out she'd obviously been doing it for quite awhile. I'm sure she learned mostly from Starfall. When she was 2.5 she'd get up early and do it while everybody else was still in bed.

[ShadowMoon]

DS sees us on the computer daily but has never shown interest in hanging out on it. I don't plan on teaching him to use it unless he starts begging for it or needs it for school someday. I'm trying to wean myself from it as it is.

[Iucounu]

I think DS5 started at 2, maybe slightly before. He likes playing games including Master of Orion 2, Warcraft 3, Zoo Tycoon, Nethack, etc.; used the ixl.com website; plays games at ninjakiwi.com (Bloons Tower Defense series, Meeblings series, etc.); checks and sends email; programs a bit in Java, using Eclipse; uses his Lego Mindstorms programming software; uses Spanish language software; has used Microsoft Powerpoint as a drawing tool, to design pieces for a board game; etc.

Right now we do not use any NetNanny or similar safety software, but make sure he is supervised whenever he's on.

I agree that the right type of computer use can encourage reading (a great deal). One thing that I did early on was buy some vinyl overlays for his keyboard, to turn the upper-case letters into lower-case ones (when he was early on in his reading development), which encouraged him to type.

[Magali]

My son is 3 and has regular computer time on a daily basis. He can navigate his favorite sites really well. He likes playing World of Warcraft and the Sesame Street games.