Introducing your Child to the Computer

by Dr. Kyle Pruett

The time has come. Your kid has learned to crawl, walk, and speak, and now he's tugging at your mouse pad. Is he really ready to use a computer? Are you really ready to teach him? Here are some tips to keep in mind before you boot up:

• Is your child ready for a computer? Does he watch and ask questions as you tap away at the keyboard? Does she try to crawl up on your lap play? These could be signs that she's ready.

• Be prepared. Would you read to your child if you couldn't pronounce most of the words? Many libraries offer computer literacy classes. This is also a great way to work out your nervousness at the keyboard before your preschooler notices.

• Let your child pace the activity. Don't grab the mouse and blurt out the solution or make a big deal of showing him the right way. You might have fun, but he won't.

• Learning about computers should be modeled on how a child learns to read. If you're introducing your child to an educational software program, pause after you learn something new, just as you would after finishing the page of book.

• Don't forget to make eye and physical contact with your child. It helps you assess whether he is having fun yet. It'll save you many hours of simply talking to yourself.

• When computers freeze or crash, or faulty or incomprehensible software brings you inevitably to your knees, think about how you want to teach your child to handle problems. Swear? Throw objects? Take a break, read the instructions, call a hotline, reboot--don't freak out. You want to convey the sense that this is just a machine, that things break, and that you can find help to fix the problem.

• Help your child feel comfortable at the keyboard. Remind him that these are machines to help us learn, remember, and compute. But we do the thinking and feeling.

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