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myfullhouse 
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Location: West Auckland
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 Topic: Computers - what age for kids?
Posted: 24 March 2010 at 11:12am |
Mum and Dad are looking to get a new pc in the new few months and I am wondering about asking for their old one for Jack to use. I would envisage getting a few educational type games and letting him play for short supervised periods.
But is he too young? Even though it is my idea I am not sure how I feel about it and haven't mentioned it to anyone else yet. 
What age would/do you let your kids use the computer (apart from the random hitting of the keyboard while you are trying to read/write posts in OB  )?
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Maya
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 11:43am |
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Maya has been using the computer since she was about 3. To start with I would sit her on my knee and she'd do the Reader Rabbit CD-Roms or play games on the Barney Website.
My parents gave her a Dell mini-Netbook for her 6th birthday, and she loves it. She's really computer savvy - surfs around the Erin Simpson show, What Now, Nick Jnr etc sites and plays games and enters competitions and stuff. But I still don't let her use it unsupervised, she is usually on the floor in the lounge with it, while I sit on the couch with mine lol.
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 Maya Grace (28/02/03)
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The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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kebakat
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 11:47am |
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Daniel doesn't really use our laptops but watches his dvds on them, he thinks thats great. Hes figuring out how to use the mouse and stuff which is cool with us.
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LouD
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 12:05pm |
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I dont think any age is too young these days.......of course to be used educationally and short periods of time and not for mindless chatting and FB(like we do....lol)........but seriously they are used constantly in the schools and daycares etc and your child will be up with the play with computers (esp if they dont go to DC or Kindy) before they get to school..........if you dont get them knowing about them before school i actually think they will be slightly behind. knowing how to use a mouse is a hand eye skill.........i found the wiggles website great for my son to learn the mouse skills......
In saying this, my 5 year old doesnt really come on here much(has to get me off first.....lol) he only comes on to look at playhouse disney or cartoon network.
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KH25
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 12:31pm |
In the past month I have started letting Ashleigh play around a bit on the Playhouse Disney website playing a few games. I sit her on my lap aswell and talk her through what she is doing. They have 3 or 4 computers at kindy too, although I don't think she has ever showed any interest in them 
I personally would go for it (especially if you can get it for free!) even if you put it away for 6-12 months and bring it out again when he is a bit older (although I don't think he is too young now )
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Kelly, mum to DD, 19Jun06 (26wks 1lb15oz) DS1, 24Oct10 (32wks 4lb11oz) and DS2, 31Dec11 (32wks, 4lb11)
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Bizzy
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 12:42pm |
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yeah they have them in kindy and at school so why not. mind you i have only just now allowed gabriel on the computer. they have a smart board at school and he kept raving about the educational games on it so i let him finally use the one at home.
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tishy
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 12:49pm |
I'd go for it too. Computers are everywhere these days and it's just another educational tool to be used.
My girls only know the computer for skype at the moment but I plan on changing that soon as they can now understand the concept of taking turns 
They do play some games (pick the shape/colour/letter) on my iPhone. Great for distractions when we're out somewhere and I need them to keep still 
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Maya
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 1:15pm |
Ha ha, we love Skype too Tishy, except lil miss gets really confused trying to work out how her grandparents got inside the computer 
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Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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tishy
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 1:35pm |
Cute! I guess next week mine will be wondering how they all got OUT of the computer
I've got slobber marks all over my screen from a skype session with my sister and her babies this morning 
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Bombshell
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 4:30pm |
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our Dc uses the letterland programme and ella is so much better with the mouse since doing it at DC.
We have an extra computer set up next to ours that she does Elmo preschool, or dora type games on...
she also steals my ipod touch and has mastered some learning games in there! eek!
btw - shes just turned 3
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MissAngel
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 5:12pm |
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When they've left home? lol. I'm not pro-computers for kids at all. We all did perfectly fine without them when we were growing up, why should kids now need them! but yea. Some of the educational games look pretty neat, but I personally prefer books and flashcards and other fun stuff.
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Alex, Thomas and Lily 
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tishy
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 5:28pm |
I did perfectly fine without one growing up as well but that was because I had no opportunity to be near one.
The first time I had decent exposure to a computer was on the first day of my Computer Systems degree course at Uni
I'm actually more pro computers for kids than I am TV for kids.
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Nellsmc
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 7:26pm |
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Ethan is 3.5 and loves having computer time - much more educational than TV. He has a couple of Reader Rabbit CD's and also a couple of websites in our favourites.
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myfullhouse
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Posted: 24 March 2010 at 8:18pm |
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Thanks for the feedback ladies. I have mentioned it to DH and he isn't keen however it was during the mad dinner hour so will try and talk to him about it later
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Computers - what age for kids?
