Introducing Your Child to the Computer

I've always been a bit of a computer geek. Me and computers go way back, so there really weren't any guidelines back then about when to introduce my son to the computer. Computers have just always been present in his life. It wasn't like I ever had to sit down with him one day and say, "Ta da, here it is." In fact, he was always trying to snag the mouse off my desk and I had to pry it out of his little hands saying, "Give me back the mouse." So, he knew what a computer mouse was before he knew a mouse was also a furry little rodent!

That may be how it's taking shape if you have a computer in your home, too. Christy Matte, About.com's new Family Computing Guide, says:

"Between the ages of 1 and 2, your child will start to understand the basics of cause and effect, as well as the need to be gentle with the keyboard. There are games that require simply touching a key on the keyboard for something magical to happen. If your child is interested and you are ready to take the plunge, this is a good time to start to introduce the basics of the keyboard and the mouse."

Check out Christy's Virtual Growth Chart for more advice about kids and computers...