Comments on: Techno-Babes

By: Hi-Tech Play School - SquiggleMum

Hi-Tech Play School - SquiggleMum — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:33:49 +0000

[...] more about laptop usage than I did at thirteen (hang on, were laptops even around then…?). I’ve posted about this before here. As she grows it will be important for her to learn not only about the practical side of using [...]

By: desiree fawn

desiree fawn — Sat, 23 May 2009 02:32:59 +0000

Hehe, very cute!

By: MrsDesperate

MrsDesperate — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:10:31 +0000

What a sweet photo. My kids are also very internet savvy. My 8-year-old actually has some hand-writing problems and the teachers let him do his spellings etc on the computer because he’s able to get them right that way. The kids often play beside me while I’m working or blogging, and they like me to read the blog to them and they help pick photos out to put on there. If they are being silly (eg throwing a tantrum over something silly) I’ll threaten to take a photo of them and put it on the blog! Which makes them laugh.
Miss Six dictates emails for me to send her friends and they send ones back to her …
Plus their school has their own webpages for each class.
We love checking out photos of family and friends online and on Facebook.
I think it’s a sign of the times and as long as you monitor their use, and limit it (we limit it to about 20-30 minutes at a time), you are giving them skills they will need soon anyway.

By: cath

cath — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:52:49 +0000

Thanks everyone for your great responses. I think the message that came through from everyone was BALANCE. I especially loved these thoughts:

Kids today are born “wired” to the net and it’s both a scary and amazing thing. (MummyTime)

What is important to me is that we enjoy and use and learn about technology together, as a family. (Katef)

By: Michele

Michele — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:59:57 +0000

Hi Catherine (SquiggleMum)
Off topic sorry but prompted by your tech-savviness to ask if you have managed to find a way to effectively back up blogs. Do you know if there is a way? Something I have been meaning to look in to/learn how to do for both MOPS blogs and personal one. Can contact me via hillme@virginbroadband.com.au
Thanks

By: tanya

tanya — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:56:32 +0000

Hmm, I’m a bit torn about this topic. My 6yo is completely obsessed with computers, but we limit his time on it (the oven timer works wonders!). I realise they will be exposed to it increasingly and am not anti-tech per se, however I feel there is a danger in too much time being taken up by tech activities at the expense of the all important developmental aspects of a youngster’s life, like playing outdoors in the dirt, and learning to socialise with others in the physical sense. I also think we need to ask ourselves whether we as 3 yr olds were being assisted to write letters, and whether this can be left to school age?

By: IzzysMum

IzzysMum — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:09:44 +0000

Wow! I thought my Miss 3 yo was net savvy but she’s got nothing on yours I have to say I freaked out a little when I saw Playschool sending ‘emails’ on cardboard computers with egg carton keyboards. But I’m all for getting kids onto computers and the internet. My daughter goes to work with Daddy on his construction site so why not learn about what Mummy does too. I’d be more than happy to let her into the social networking scene (once she can type a coherent message!). But she’d be closely monitored as she would if we were anywhere else that she would come into contact with people I don’t know. At this stage she does send messages through my email address and through my facebook account, but only to family and friends.
When it comes down to it I agree with katef… it’s all about balance and what’s right for the individual.

By: katef

katef — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:48:51 +0000

The net and computers is a part of daily life in our house… so my kids have grown up being a part of that in both subtle and not so subtle ways.

What is important to me is that we enjoy and use and learn about technology together, as a family. That it is not something that only the adults know and use or that only the kids know and use…

I don’t think there is a right or wrong age for anything. It is all about balance and what is right for the individual…

By: JanMary, N Ireland

JanMary, N Ireland — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:07:36 +0000

Great thought provoking post.

My daughters certainly know what my blog is, but don’t get on my laptop too often!

My 4 year old calls my laptop a “black-top”!

By: Laura Mc

Laura Mc — Wed, 20 May 2009 03:28:14 +0000

Lovely young one, Cath. Lmc