Can your toddler operate the computer?

Abinormal

DD is a smart cookie (if I do say so myself, lol!) and I'm always looking for interesting things to do around the house. I recently started to introduce her to the nick jr and Disney Jr games on the computer. We've been spending 15-20 minutes a day, attempting to play some of the easier games. However, she seems to be having a tough time operating the mouse. I'm helping her quite a bit to point and click in the correct places. She can tell me the correct answer and I know she's learning, but I wonder if she should be better able to operate the mouse. Am I expecting too much? Have y'all introduced your toddler to the computer? How well do they operate the mouse?

Swainb

She can't use the mouse, but we've haven't given her a chance to practice. DH doesn't really want her messing with his computer. 

ShellShockedMama

No and I don't want him to learn just yet. We have sensitive work documents on our and I know he'd find some way to wipe our computer clean somehow,someway while I blinked for 2.5 seconds. 

I do like the iPad for the educational apps.  

MoonlitPlumeria

She generally just messes mine up. No controlled play, but random button pushes and even my husband can't fix what she's done! We still can't figure out how to get my backlit keyboard to light up again. And he is a programmer! 

MrsPteranodon

No, but we don't have mouses on our computers. Track pads seem a bit more advanced for a toddler. But he can work an iPad to death! He knows more about our iPad and iPhones than we do 

JenniferMatos

DS did this to my laptop! I have a Dell Studio but I figured out on the keyboard the the arrow key also functions to turn my keyboard light on and off it has a little picture of a button on it and when I push the fn key and it that it turns the backlight on and off. 

chocopotamus

DS isn't allowed to touch the laptop but he's a pro at the iPad. He knows how to unlock it and also swipe to find Elmo or Mickey. It's actually pretty cute...except for the fact that I have 100 pictures of him making the same face because he figud out the camera too...lol.

LoCarb

My 3 yo has her own iPad and can operate better than me.  At school they have touch screen computers with daily activities and with the iPad a mouse is foreign to her. I think with all of the technology she may not have to learn a mouse b/c it will be obsolete in a cpl yrs.

synchrosally

DS can bang on the keyboard pretty good. He loves to do that. But as far as do anything functional on the computer, nope. He's not even that interested in it.

Wufroggy79

We only do educational apps on the IPad. She gets the touch screen, but that's about it.

KZBurnworth

We don't really let DS use the lap top but he is a pro at the iPad and our iPhones. He has no problem unlocking them finding the game or app he wants and getting it going. He will ask for help if he gets stuck on a game but for the most part he can do them on his own. The iPad and both iPhones are in otter boxes and DS does a really good job treating them well.

Abinormal

Stardust225:

No mouse but she tries the iPad. She understands the cause and effect of touching the screen. I may sound like Sanctimommy, but we are not planning to intentionally teach DD computers/video games until she is much older. DH watches a lot of TV when he is home, she gets a lot of screen time with him. 

It is cool that your DD can play the games. How long have you been working on it?

Well, DD's always been interested in the computer and I'm a teacher, so I'm home with her during the summer. It's very warm where we live and there isn't a lot of indoor free activities in the afternoon, so I've been looking for ways to fill some time. She's been "playing" the games for about 5 weeks now, but I'm still doing most of the mouse work for her. She'll point to the correct answer with her finger and then I'll help her move the mouse and she'll click. 

missmuffin87

IPhone/ iPad master over here. 

She can unlock it, make the music play, change songs, slide pages and choose a kid friendly app, play the app games, take pics of herself and start a sideshow to look at the pics.

I didn't teach her a thing. 

melandjudd

She knows how to turn it on and if I am in a fb album she knows how to click the mouse pad to see the next pictures.  With my phone she just knows how to get it to light up and unlock it.  I am thinking we may get her her own tablet sometime just so we have a free computer.