Recommend a laptop for 9 year old

LOL! I think everyone can agree that playing outside and promoting a healthy life style for our children is very important. However, we do have to let the little boogers in sometime . IMO, if the child is mature enough to use and take care of a computer it can be a great outlet for entertainment as well as learning. Also, I don’t think any parent should grant a child unrestricted access to any computer (or television for that matter). As mentioned above, the internet is full of inappropriate material for children (as well as adults ). Fortunately, there are several child friendly internet browsers as well as system security locks that allow parents to set restrictions and only allow access to age appropriate material. I think we all want what’s best for our children, but end the end, I would much rather my child learn to interact with new technology rather than playing dress-up with her barbies.

 

I agree as well, my computer is right here in the living room, my daughter when she uses it is where I can see it. She is pretty good about that. Now when she gets older that is going to be a whole other thing lol.

 

Now I have let my daughter use my cell to call her friend or talk to my mom if we aren't at home, but I'm right there, she doesn't need one of her own.
Now like my neice who got hers when she was 11 was only cause when she was staying at her moms on the weekends we wanted to be able to get in touch with her, cause her mom wouldn't let her use her phone to call her father...stuff like that I can see a child having a phone. I know a few others with the same situation and they let their kids have them..but for me, no need for my child to have just to play on it.

 

It's called parenting if you do the job.:jester: It's a moderation thing.

Technology applied in the right areas of a childs life can improve their quality of life and career chances in the future. Let them control the use of the technology, and it's a crap shoot.

I had my daughter on a PC at 4 years old. Educational games that were interesting to her but required reading, math, and science to progress in the playing. Sucess in those games gave her a time allotment for other 'non-violent' gaming and sufing. The rest of the time it was what my wife said, "Get outside and blow the stink off."

As she got older her allotment was increased by completing internet research on topics we assigned. TV's, gaming, and the Internet used as a baby sitter will always produce unwanted results.

 

Same way here, NO laptops until they were 15. I made them go out and play and get some fresh air and exercise. DId soccer, baseball, basketball and bowling. Computers and laptops came in high school. Sorry!

 

Thanks everyone for the ideas. My daughter spends alot of time outside on the weekends. During the week when school is in she does not get to go outside because with homework and getting plenty of rest she doesn't have time. She does have an outlet twice a week for gymnastics and once a week for dance. So she does have time to have fun and get exercise. She loves gymnastics and dance. She likes to play math games and reading games on the computer so to free it up for us we decided to get her a laptop. It would also work when we travel to PA. She still finds time to read and enjoy being a child. She is a well rounded child. She made principal's list last year for the year. The laptop would be monitored by us and she already has been told the only thing that we will not look at is her diary all other things are open to us. There will be restriction applied to the websites that we do not want her on and there is absolutely no chat rooms online. She does not even do that on her DS. I understand some parents thoughts about not getting their child a laptop. I think every parent has to made the decision based on their own children welfare.

 

Me too! I rarely get online at night. If I do it's to play Farm town... and even that has slacked off.

My almost 7 year old wants a computer of his own... That's what is at the top of his list to Santa. :? My response.....:lol:

 

My DS has a laptop and he is:

a honor roll student

has sleepovers just about every weekend

has soccer practice 3 times a week and is the starting goalie

mows the grass every week plus other chores

goes fishing A LOT

and is tall and VERY skinny.

So it's not that buying a computer for your kid is a bad thing at all.... it's how much time you let them spend on it. And of course watching their every click with parental software (it registers every site he goes on and I get a weekly report). Plus the SW also keeps him from going on particular sites. Computers are a mainstream and they will only be bigger in the future.... let them practice now so they can be experts later.

 

damn, you got my kid over there? :mrgreen:

Both of mine will probably get a laptop for Christmas. :mrgreen:

 

But is 7 years old too young for a computer of his own? :neutral:

He plays on mine just fine now.

 

mine played on mine at 7. and it was ok. They are turning 13 on Wednesday and I am starting not to share for 'long enough'. :?

 

DD is 13 and is asking for a laptop for Christmas. We have 2 computers in our house at her disposal. I told her there's no reason she needs a laptop and not to hold her breath. We'll talk about it again when she enters high school and might have a legitimate need for one.

 

That's why school uniforms really doesn't help curb status posturing and social stature. When clothes aren't part of the equation, it moves to gadgets...cell phones, laptops, notebooks, DS handhelds, Ipods, etc.

 

I personally disagree about it being status posturing, I think's its more "everyone else has one".

 

We have a laptop that my son's grandmother bought for him, it stays docked in our kitchen. If it leaves the kitchen, it is not hooked up to the internet.

I would think of the future. JMO.

 

Here is a great (and free) web browser for kids that has all of the kid-friendly websites built in and also allows for parents to add any additional sites as needed:

http://www.kidzui.com/

I also removed all other web browsers from my daughters laptop just in-case.

 

I agree with a kid browser and disabling any other browser on the laptop. My point was basically, it is easier to give a privelege than to take away one. There are probably teen browsers as well, that one could use to "police" the laptop. I'd be interested in hearing about them, or other software that monitors and uses some kind of rating system.

 

Saw this deal in the sales flyer this past weekend, and it looks like a really good deal considering the laptop by itself is $379.99 on the website.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9999114500050015&type=product&id=pcmprd114600050015

 

call me old school, but DS did not get one until ready for college - while in high school he had both access at home and school - why spend the bucks for one when by the time they start college and really need one the one you bought is outdated?

 

I'm not really sure if the two aren't closely related. At least the "everyone else has one" mentality would seem to me to be how status posturing begins. Every nine-year-old doesn't have a cell phone, but those that do are often the envy of those that don't have one. I think that in many instances, having certain items means a kid is more likely to fit-in with the "in" crowd. My son got a taste of that last year when he discovered a lack of Webkinz meant a bit more exclusion.