|
||||||||
|
|
Setting Ground Rules for PC USEAs soon as your child is old enough to sit at the computer on his own (instead of in your lap), it's time for some rules. Who knows? If you start out with commonsense do's and don'ts, you may be able to avert the next 15 years of wrangling. Set A Time Limit Fifteen to 20 minutes for 3- to 5-year-olds and an hour max for 5- to 7-year-olds is plenty. Factor in time spent on TV and video games so your child doesn't spend more than an hour or two a day on electronic exploits. Agree On The Activities You wouldn't tell your 4-year-old, "Sure, you can watch what-ever's on TV"; likewise, supervise his cyber session. Ditto for 7- and 8-year-olds who are exploring the Internet. Aim For Good Posture For healthy habits over the long haul, model and monitor the basics: sitting up straight with feet down and forearms and hands level with the keyboard and mouse; facing the monitor head-on; staying at least an arm's length away from the screen; turning on a light if it's dark or shutting the curtains if there's glare. Skip The Snacks To protect the keyboard from spills, spare the monitor from peanut-butter smudges, and keep the area around the PC from becoming an ant farm, a no-food-or-drink policy is wisest. Respect The Desktop The onscreen area from which kids access their CD-ROMs may contain your important — and private — documents and programs. You can shut them away behind child-safe desktops, such as KidDesk (Edmark). Still, teach kids to ask for permission and otherwise keep hands off anything that's not theirs. Go Easy On The Printer Until your child understands that ink cartridges aren't bottomless (or free), make "ask first" the rule. Then discuss what he wants to print when the question comes up. Your child can gain more freedom as he develops better judgment. Report Problems Promptly Beginners let you know loudly when something goes wrong. But once children learn the magic of restarting the computer, they may take matters into their own hands, robbing you of info needed to diagnose a problem. At least until their knowledge exceeds yours, it's better to make sure they call a grown-up as soon as a problem occurs. Keep Cool Software and hardware can frustrate, but smacking the keyboard, shaking the mouse, or calling the computer a dope (or worse) isn't the answer. |
| ||||||
Sign
up now for our FREE
newsletter.
Share your ideas with other
homeschoolers on our community homeschooling boards.
