Kid computer use when I only have a laptop?

[JustMe]

Due to space issues, I only have a laptop at home. There is no place to put anything larger. Up until now, the dcs (ages 5 and 8) have not been allowed to use the computer at home. This mostly works well for us, and I have not wanted them to use the computer anymore than they do at school. We are a low tech family in general. However, my 8 year old dd likes to write but at the same time could use some encouragment. I was just speaking to a friends whose 8 year old has a (private) blog. I think this could be be great for dd, and am considering letting her use the computer in a limited way. However, I am scared of how fragile laptops are. Also, I feel like I would need to let my 5 yr old have access in some way if I let my 8 yr old. There is not much difference in their bedtimes. I definitely tell my kids that they have different rules sometimes, but dont want to be completly unfair to ds either (who is a lot less careful both by age and by personality than dd). I would consider getting something cheap for them if I could figure out what that is.

thanks!

[niccig]

DS is 6.5 yo and uses our laptop to do games. He's a careful kid though.

I think it's fine to say that the 8 yo can use the computer w/o you being right there, but you limit what she does. And the 5 yo needs to use the computer with you beside him.

You could even have a computer training course with them. Go over basics of turning it on/off. Rules of what to do/not do.

Maybe make them sit at a table to use the laptop would help be more careful around it.

[justlearning]

At my sons' school, they don't introduce computers until 5th grade. But because my boys use my computer so much (ages 8 and 5), they are very skilled at it and I'm fine with them using my computer completely on their own. DS2 likes educational websites like starfall.com and ixl.com, and I also let him do playhousedisney.com sometimes.

DS1 types documents in Word and makes drawings of his ideas on Microsoft Publisher. When we go onto youtube to research something, I do that with them and they know that they're not allowed to click on any videos unless I've said it's OK to do so. They also can't google things without me doing it with them.

FWIW, DS2 has been using my laptop (our only computer) since he was 3 and has always handled it nicely.

ETA that in fact, DS2 is already so comfortable with computers that he's helped older kids with the library computers who can't figure out how to get into or out of a kid's software program or who are having problems navigating in a program.

[new_mommy25]

We only have my laptop. We also have a desktop I use for work but I won't let the kids on that. I let the kids use when I'm in the same room as them, with my permission of course. There haven't been issues. DS uses it to play typing games and other learning sites we got from his school. DD likes to play starfall.

At DS's school they introduced computers in Kindy. Last year, first grade, they did an animal research project using books and the internet. There are laptops in the classroom for all the kids. So he is very familiar with the computer, which I like. He is expected to type 35 wpm by 3rd grade, hence the typing programs at home. Here is a link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

When I was a kid (late 80's) my school had a computer lab and we were visiting it once per week since Kindergarten. Of course back then we were learning how to boot up dos, and we had the huge floppy disks, LOL!

[JustMe]

Thanks for the replies. I actually once broke a laptop at work myself (spilled water on it), so I am a little cautious!