The computer. It’s one of the main developments of the modern world, and barely anyone is growing up without one these days. Teaching your child how to use a computer, under your watchful eye, is the best way to make sure they stay safe and smart while connecting to the rest of the world in thousands more ways than ever before – like phones and tablets, which are small computers.
There’s a lot of debate out there about the harmful effects spending time on the computer could have on your child, but there’s always a good side to every story. So in your quest to prepare your child for the world on your own terms, teaching them everything they’d need to know in an environment you know is perfect for them, make sure you are using a computer.
Supervise All Early Sessions
Of course, you’re not always going to be able to watch over your child when they’re on the computer; you will have to trust them (and utilize software for accountability). But when they are younger and first getting started with using the computer, make sure you are supervising.
This way, your child will learn that not everything about the computer is friendly, and how to respect the boundaries you’re laying out. Sending emails to grandparents and watching Minecraft videos on YouTube are how our youngest children currently use the computer outside of schoolwork. These are safe but you need to show them how to steer clear of things that look safe but are deceptive. Close supervision is the key. It also means they won’t be sneaking drinks or snacks next to the keyboard; who likes a sticky trackpad!
Teach Them They Can Learn From a Computer
Sure, computers and tablets are great platforms to play some video games on, but that’s not all they’re good for. Being able to use a computer for something other than playtime can be a hard thing for a kid to imagine, but if you teach them from the get-go that a computer is a very powerful learning tool, you’re going to teach them to focus a lot better while they’re using it!
They’ll be less likely to mess around and waste time, and much more likely to go in search of knowledge. And this can prepare them very well for later on in life when it comes to weighing up their options and choosing a career for which they have passion. If they see career options like an operations manager degree online while they are in middle school, they know they have that option to return to it when they are finishing high school, and aren’t too sure what comes next.
Teach Them to Type
Touch typing is a sought-after skill in the modern workplace, and if you’re capable of doing it, you’re very attractive in an employer’s mind. And kids pick this skill up much faster than an adult does, so spend some time teaching your child how to type. And then fun practice to type faster with better accuracy.
Teaching your child to use a computer is going to be a very valuable move for their education and career plans, so don’t let them learn how to on their own.