Setting Up Your Child’s First Computer

Background

My 5-year-old daughter has always been fascinated with computers.  This is not surprising since she sees Mommy and Daddy on their computers every day.  When she was only three, we began making a game out of typing words that she was learning in pre-school, and soon she began picking out the letters of her name on the keyboard.  She would giggle for hours as we helped her identify the letters in words she knew and helped her type them on the screen.  She was typing her name like a pro long before she ever learned how to handwrite it.  Not long afterwards, I installed some age-appropriate games on my computer so she could begin developing her hand-eye coordination by operating the mouse to manipulate the characters in the game.  However, as her skills and enjoyment increased, so did her demand for time on MY machine (these demands always seemed to occur when I was in the middle of a website, photo, or video project.)  So, when I upgraded to a new desktop a few months ago, I knew that it was time for my little girl to take over my old one. Here are some of the issues I considered when setting up her computer:

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