Sharing a computer with a kid

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OK, it's time for me to lay down some rules.

sozlet (age 4) can now go to the "Google window" (that's what we call it, I don't know what it's really called, a section of at the top right of the screen when using Safari where you type anything, hit return, and it starts a Google search), type something, do a search, and then navigate around whatever she finds. Recently when she was sitting on my lap she did a search for "mama" and found something called "MaMa Media", which had kid's games and stuff but was kind of strange and ad-y and I didn't trust it. So we closed it and went elsewhere.

Well, the next day, I was off doing stuff and saw her at the computer. I asked her what she was doing and she closed a window and said "nothing." Hmmmm.

I checked "history" and she'd found that same site again ("MaMa Media") and was navigating around it doing this and that.

So, obviously that's not OK, but I have to figure out what my parameters are. We use the computer a lot, Google things all the time, I thought it was cool for example when she looked up "Zoom", one of her favorite shows, and found their website and then a fun game to play there, all by herself.

Any pointers/ experiences/ technical tips/ ideas?

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I don't have any pointers, really. I know that in most browsers you can set up filters that will keep kids from going to unapproved sites. The downside is that if you share it with her it's a pain in the ass for you. I've let my son play games on my computer, but he hasn't quite caught on that there's an internet other than the nick jr. site. I guess I'd start simple. New Rule: no playing with the computer unsupervised.

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now why am i surreally reminded of those porn threads? "i dont mind that he does it, but that he does it behind my back!" Razz

first the clothes-zeal, then the cheerleading and now cheap ad-y websites. sounds like you're gonna face your daughter getting into a lot more things that wouldnt quite meet your standards of what is good, constructive and well-rounded! Razz

kids ... you want them to like envirofriendly wooden toys, they want barbiedolls. you want them to like apples, they want fries. or so i've heard ... ;-)

actually it must be tough. all the thin lines involved. you want to keep them doing right things - but if you dont allow them to wallow in some trash at times, they're just gonna stuff themselves with it at the snackbar ... or whatever the metaphor is. then again, theres also simply the really bad, actually damaging stuff ... the net isnt exactly a safe place, for kid nor computer ...

no answers, i'm just rambling. i slept two hours last night, forgive me if i'm not making any sense. but i found back my agenda! yaaaayy ... saved <nods>
<mumbles>

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My neighbor's Kindegartener goes to our local 'South Park School'. He googled for it and found himself on the other 'South Park' website. They had an interesting discussion about unsupervised use of the computer.

Soz, maybe you could invest in a Putt-Putt or Pajama Sam pc game. It'll keep her off the internet and give her a fun game to play. My kids loved these.

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soz's last few threads have made me think of the old Family Ties series. Is sozlet the new Alex P. Keaton?

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Hmmm... here is a bit of an extreme idea..
Passwrod protect your screen saver and set it to where it turns on after 3 or 4 minutes of non use. If she doesntknow the password, she can not open the internet on her own.
This works even if the internet is on and the screensaver comes on as well.
But I think that defeats the lesson you are looking to teach her. Wich is respect of the computer, and your wishes of what sites she can and cant use.
Aside from that, I cant really think of anything else to offer in this situation..? .

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ehBeth wrote:

soz's last few threads have made me think of the old Family Ties series. Is sozlet the new Alex P. Keaton?

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Bottom line, I'm with FreeDuck:

Quote:

New Rule: no playing with the computer unsupervised.

Navigating the Internet is like crossing the street--she's not old enough yet to do it by herself.

A reading of "Little Red Ridinghood" with a moral slant might help here. Sozelet is sophisticated enough about symbols that she's not going to lie in bed quivering about the Big Bad Wolf jumping out of the monitor for a snack of Sozelet.

The Internet is not a place for little girls to be alone. Just as you wouldn't drop her off at the park and leave, you don't want her wandering around the Internet which is designed by adults, for adults.

Some adults want to find things out. Some adults want to share information. Some adults want to sell things--and none of these adults care about Sozelet the way you and her father care about her.

Brave New World--for you both.

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Noddy- You are an amazement. You always come up with just the perfect thing to say!

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Phoenix--

Thanks for the kind words, but I had spectacular on-the-job training.

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Thanks for the advice, all.

The problem with "no unsupervised computer use" is enforcement. I typically leave the computer on while doing various things over the course of the day, coming back to it for minutes at a time, then going and doing other things again. It's a system I like. If the computer is not in my line of sight, and sozlet is not in my line of sight, I have no way of knowing what she is up to.

I don't like making rules I can't enforce.

I just had an idea, and asked my hubby, who's also a mac person (well, he was first and then converted me.) I asked if there was a way to lock the screen when I stepped away. he said yes, and he will set it up for me tonight.

So that's simple.

I can also sign off as myself -- the whole computer is set up for multiple users, and if I sign off then it requires a password to get back in -- but that's a little more complicated. That is what I'll do until we get the simpler system set up, though. (There is a certain key or combination to unlock which I will NOT clue sozlet into, though I bet she'll figure it out eventually.)

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Kids are really computer savvy these days. Our Preschool
had computers for the children (without internet connection)
and when all the computers were occupied, my little devil
sneaked into the teacher's office and used her computer <sigh>.

At home, she's working on an old iMac of mine and when
I cannot supervise her, the internet connection is plugged
out. Then she can use the games, or paint tools to play
around.

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I'm glad there is a technical solution. Buttons can be implacable and omnipresent in a way that even the best parents can't be.

By the by, you are going to learn to dread the word, "Nothing....(that you would approve of)...

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My kids are not allowed to use my computer since I've replaced the keyboard twice due to yogurt spills. There's just no cleaning a yogurt covered keyboard. They both have toy computers to play with, but there's nothing quite like the real thing...

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In many ways, computers, like guns, are not toys.

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True.

Got it all set up, very cool. What happens is I have a few ways to make the screen "go to sleep" (go dark.) The easiest is just putting the mouse in the far corner. Also will do it automatically if the computer is inactive for 15 minutes.

The cool part is that to "wake it up", I have to enter a password.

That should work well.

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You could set up a user account for Sozlet - give her her own password - and just lock down that user account. Its fairly common to stucture kids accounts to visit only "Kid Freindly" sites. You can also establish useage linits for that account - overall time by week or month, time-per-session, availability time windows, etc.

Here's a resource you might find useful:

http://www.safekids.com/

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For security purposes, our work computers have to go to 'sleep' after 2 minutes of inactivity. Keeps ya on yer toes.

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Thanks, timber.

Yep, that's definitely another option. Will probably do a combination thereof -- set things up for her with her own computer account that she can use during specific times, and then when I'm on the computer and in and out of the room with my account and don't want her messing with the computer, can use the sleep option.

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I agree with noddy and jb,we should not leave our preschoolers to use the computer unsupervised,first of all she doesnt understand what she's doing and only enjoy clicking those keys and watching pictures. I like to suggest that its better to give the child other activities eg.coloring,books,blocks and other interactive materials that would develop her multiple intelligences.

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Sharing a computer with a kid

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