RE: [pf] Children (young; "We don't have a home computer")

At 08:18 18/9/2000 -0700, Diane Fitzsimmons wrote, Subject: [pf] Children:
http://www.mothering.com/SpecialArticles/Issue97/whine.htm
>> ___________________________________________________________
> ...
>We have a TV, and my kids watch it way more than I wish ... They 
hear a *lot* of NPR.  Popular music purchases are parent-previewed.
>
>We don't have a home computer or video games.  
>They complain about it.  We say, "No."
>

**  Your kids are fairly young yet (7 and under, I think, Diane?), and you
might like to consider a planned transition to the freedom they'll have
sometime after mid-teen-age.

**  We used, successfully, later bed-times (1/4 hour on each birthday,
starting at 8PM at 8yo.), and 25 cents more weekly allowance each year
older, starting at $2 at 8yo. That is, of course, decades ago.

**  In your case, I think a home computer could and should come some time
by about 10yo, depending on how studious the child is. With you deciding
what applications (games, search engine URLs etc.) are on it, how it's set
up, etc. My youngest was 12 when her older brothers were logging-in to
BBS's (before the Internet); I've never had any worries about her
judgement, and I'm sure her familiarity with the Net and computers
contributed to her success in living on her own in Beijing; she could feel
connected to her friends and family even when things were going very badly
for her (serious respiratory problems - Beijing winter air pollution is
horrendous).

**  As your kids get older, if they have money (odd jobs, allowance, etc.)
they /will/ buy music CDs - count on it. I'd suggest you get to know some
of the songs/music they're likely to be listening to, and tell them which
ones you like. But I'm sure this "getting alongside them" is old-hat to you!

David.
(David MacClement) davd@ihug.co.nz 
http://www.emucities.com.au/member/davd/index.html#top
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