How much time spent on the computer

[moosh]

My ds is 4 and is on the computer about 2 hours every other day. He only plays learning games, ABC and 123, winnie the pooh. Even though the PC is on for two hours he gets off every half an hour to play with something else then he'll get back on. He is never on there after 4.00p.m (we tend to put on CITV or CBeebies) as I feel it can stimulate his brain particulary before bedtime. Just wondered how long other mumsnetters children are on the computers for. His pre-school teacher said that they should only be on there for 15minutes, but by the time he's got on there for 15 minutes, he'll have to come off. What do you all think? Thanks

I don't think it matters what everyone else will say, it's what works for you. If you feel that it is a positive force in his life, then great. If not then good luck!!!!!!!!!!

nah just saying it isn't all bad- good for hand eye coordination as well If it pisses you off that he's on there so much then perhaps set strict time limits, but if it doesn't worry you so much then don't worry about what anyone else thinks.

I will now be the subject of total hatred....but here is the 'list' of the 'tech' type things we have aquired over the years to 'amuse' our brood:
We have 3 boys and......3 playstations,1 Nintendo NES,1 Philips CD-I,2 Sega Megadrives, 1 Gameboy Pocket , 1 gameboy Advance,a P.C .... as far as the playstaions go we end up having 'back-up' copies made as we have to have 3 so all 3 can play at once- and due to ds1's dyspraxia,up to age 9 he was still 'mouthing' things such as the controllers/wires- so we have lost count of controllers---needless to say we buy most of this second hand!!!!

Just wanted to 'show' the difference between a 'normal' family and us...as i feel estranged from the human race due to by 'tolerance' of allowing my sons' to use thes things!

The ONLY regret i have is that up to 6 months ago ds2 was an 'obsessive' about "Beyblades,Bionicle Lego,Hot wheels cars and Transformers" - and NEVER played with either sibling...so in the days before i started to 'view' him as ?Aspergic? I encouraged him in his 'interest' in watching ds1 play his PsOne Digimon game- whet i didn't realise (till a week or so ago) was he was memorising every single possible detail- so that when he began to play the playstation- DIGIMON is all he will play.....we are now in the situation where i feel WE have 'pushed him' into playstation....when though obsessive about certain toys - at least he had a 'limited' varied interest- now he has abandonned those toys.

This i believe is the 'difference' between a NT child who'd rather be in their room playing their playstation (rather than sipping cups of tea with their family)- as opposed to a Autistic child who is -as Jacqui Jackson described her son Luke on a BBC learning Zone programme- 'as if pulled by a thread....drawing him back to his playstation/computer- only 'tolerating' eating at the family table as they know they will soon be back upstairs' (i cannot remember 'exactly' what she said here and now...but that is 99% correct!!!