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What To Load On a 4-Year-Old's Netbook?

Posted by samzenpus on from the besides-plants-vs.-zombies dept.

nostrodecus writes "I have a nephew who is very young, but who has the techie gene — he found the Gruffalo on YouTube before anyone knew he could spell. Now he's almost 4, and I was thinking of giving him my netbook (Acer running XP), which I hardly use any more. So, of course, I will be deleting all the porn, but what should I load up on it? Are there tools/apps that I can load up on it to protect it and him from things he shouldn't see until college? Also, what apps or games could I load on it that a 4-year-old will get some use out of?"

9 of 742 comments (clear)

  1. Regardless by Dyinobal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Regardless of what you install there's no guaranteed way to stop your kid from stumbling upon boobs on the internet. Plus who's to say it's something to worry about at all. They certainly didn't traumatize me.

    1. Re:Regardless by skyride · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Blender? for a 4 year old? are you actually serious?

      The thread below this pretty much sums up my feelings here.

  2. Huh? by Brett+Buck · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why in God's name would you give a computer to a 4-year-old? Give him a damn baseball or something, the last thing he needs in his formative years is to vegetate in front of a screen.

            Brett

    1. Re:Huh? by Nikker · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If anything give him a screw driver and let him take it apart tell him what all the parts do and possibly even get it back together.

      --
      A loop, by its nature, continues. If that didn't make sense, start reading this sentence again.
    2. Re:Huh? by Picardo85 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree with Brett ... young kids should run around hurting themselves so that they learn not to do certain things later in life when they don't heal as easily. Climbing trees, biking, playing soccer, building stuff with hammer and nail ... in general stuff where you can hurt yourself or even better ... encourage him somehow to just use his imagination ... Personally i would give a 4-year-old DUPLO - the young kids version of LEGO

  3. Re:Hmm by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's insane. What police state do you live in?

  4. Re:LOLWHAT?!?! You posted your add. and #?!? by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    People here are all talk. Keyboard warriors.

    In real life, they are pussies and won't do a goddamned thing about it.

  5. Re:how about a fishing pole by Alarindris · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's more fun when you are a kid. Just like playing house or cowboys and indians. I can't believe I'm explaining this.

  6. Re:Hmm by Belial6 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Your right. It isn't child abuse for them to be outside by themselves, so everyone should remember that if they want to make a quick run down to the corner store, they should lock the kid outside. It will keep the parent out of trouble.

    Seriously, just a generation ago, it was simply no big deal for a 5 year old to spend a short amount of time alone. By 10 or 11, they could spend the night alone, and by 12 or 13, they were babysitting other kids for the weekend. I don't know what kind of mass genetic disease has spread through the populations, but for those kids whose genetic code is still in tact, leaving a 5 year old at home is NOT child abuse. No matter what most state agencies say.