to refuse to get my DS a LAPTOP for his birthday ... He will be 7?

[fallenninja]

So conversation with darling eldest goes like this

son: "for my birthday I would like a laptop, and that play your own way harry potter game"
me: "what? urm youll be 7, 7 year olds dont have computers"
son: "but i need to google for school and play harry potter, and your always on your computer"
me: "urm go and play with the puppies" (this is my standard response to any discussion I dont want to have

So having pondered, im thinking no for a million reasons, mainly
a) shockingly expensive
b) hes 7

AIBU?

We are looking at iPads or something simelar (have been talked out of DSlite) for our two this Christmas...they will be 3 and 4 by then and use them at school nursery already. 'Tis the world we live in.

Got DSS one when he was 8, he's been very sensible with it - but wouldn't get a new one if money is tight - get a reconditioned one or second hand.

Interesting to read how many young children "need" computers to do homework! I love using computers (just so that you know I am not a luddite) and work with children teaching them how to research properly as well as develop their reading skills. What concerns me is that, despite tons of international research proving that regular reading for pleasure far outweighs anything else in its positive effects on pupil achievement, the idea persists that computers are more important. Lots of posts here mention using computers for research - I hope this means that the children are doing far more than "googling". I also hope that they all have shelves full of books or tons of e-books that they are reading regularly.

In my experience - lots of it - children are generally not good, productive users of computers. Yes, they know how to google silly YouTube videos, spend ages on Facebook, chat, play games etc., but they don't know how to do research properly. My DSs used a family PC from quite a young age, but we also took them to the library to get books to help with homework. Then I taught them how to search for websites, evaluate the ones they found, look for information, compare what they found with the stuff in books and put together something useful (not cut-and-paste) from all of the sources. DS2 once said that he hated having a librarian for a Mum, because I made him do it properly!

Now he is at Uni and is very grateful for all the things I taught him. Both DSs got computers in their rooms in their mid-teens, BTW!

I would say yanbu for the cost and if its for the inernet. However my first computer was when I was 7 bu tthat was in th e80s and for games and learning. so I have to say it may not be a really bad idea.