Registered: Jun 2005
Posts: 7056

At 26 months old, I bought my son a tablet (kindle fire) He loves it and plays it all the time. He taught himself ABCs and numbers with some of the apps, learned how to type his email & password for facebook account, and even reads a little bit(at least I am assuming he is reading because if he sees something on TV, he knows how to search for the same show on youtube without help. Now he is 34 months old and he wants a real computer. I'm wondering if I should get him one or not because his sister is 17 months old and is already playing with the kindle when he is not using it(she has learned a few letters of the alphabet already) , but often they fight over it and she loses because he is bigger.

Some people have said he is too young for a computer, but I'm not sure why? Just because we didnt grow up with this stuff, doesnt mean a child shouldnt get to grow up with it, right?

Anyone else buy their young kids electronics?

Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 5403

Very cool on your part. My kids had smart phones to play with as toys from just about birth. Its a new age, these are the new tools.

the younger the better for their ability to control their environment rather than the other way around...

Registered: Dec 2004
Posts: 878

My kids have various electronics, and have for quite awhile. My oldest is 19, so he only started with Mario Bros. and not the latest greatest of today. My youngest is 12 and is a Minecraft fanatic. Not sure at what point yours might enjoy that, but all 3 of mine love Minecraft. They build stuff with it, and there seems to be endless things you can do with the program, and all the time they are learning without knowing it.
I don't believe there is anything wrong with kids farting around with electronics, but as with anything you oversee what they are doing.
At the same time I do have to kick them out of the house sometimes. My youngest is an athletic machine, but left to himself he would sit on XBox, or a computer all day. It kills me as he has ridiculous skills athletically, and loves playing soccer(not football, because his big brothers play) and baseball. As much as he loves them, I still need to kick his butt out the door. That is very frustrating, and probably the main thing I don't like about the current electronic generation.

Registered: Nov 2006
Posts: 3145

A friend of mine who is a doctor spoke to me about this.
He feels the young generation of doctors are able to learn/perform robotic surgery much easier than the older generation and said its related to the early life computer/ gaming experience the newer doctors had as they were growing up.
So there may exist benefits related to the world today and the future as a result of early interaction with computers.

I totally agree kicking the kids out to play sports, or just get out to be with friends
away from it all as part of their day.
My kids too, left to themselves would spend a large part of their free time
on social media and gaming if I didn't kick them out to live their lives
athletically and socially.

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