Tell us what you think of Time for a Story - and have a chance to win £25 M&S vouchers

[HelenMumsnet]

Time for a Story, featured in Windows Live Messenger, is a new activity that gives you the chance to read to your child/grandchild and interact with them via a computer when you're away from them.

For a full run down on what this involves click here

We're looking for 10 volunteers to put this new technology to the test. You need to be an adult with children (or grandchildren) aged between two and five years. You need to be registered with Windows Live Messenger on a PC (sorry, no Macs) and have an internet broadband connection. You need access to a webcam and headphones and microphone (or a webcam with speakers built in). We will need your feedback by the end of Monday November 17th.

If you think you fit the bill and would be interested in taking part in the trial and offering feedback on this thread, please give us your details here

The ten people who are selected to take part and offer feedback will be given £25 of M&S vouchers.

ooooh yes please

me too

ah balls I can't do it! The cam is on the mac.

buy one for the other pc
seriously I would, they are cheap
and it looks cool this thing

I am up for that looks good

I'd do it, but work is broadband, home is still snailpace 52k - the joys of rural living....

A good idea though.

no macs
that is down right discrimination you guys

What's with the age 2-5 thing?? The DSs are 9 and 6 and I still read to (with?) them.

Pah!

i'll do it.

i originally thought it would be pants but the ad looked good, although the child's mannerisms resemble pingu to me

Pick me, I need chocolate money !!!

Ds isnt quite 2 yet... 20 months. His Granny lives 200 miles away - they would both love this - can we enter? Please please please.

ok i have rambled on and i think that means i deserve to be chosen
xx ei xx

i forgot to fill in my blinking details last night!!
prob won't get picked now.
poo.

Bum, I have no webcam.

Grrrrr.

But LOL at M&S vouchers.
You can all go mad in the Per Una aisles

Fab idea for those who will use it!
If I was away I would use it for story time.

Whose grannies are proficient at the internet though? My two adore their gran who now lives over 3 hours drive away, it would be great for them if she could interact with them in this way, but I doubt she'd even be able to turn on the pc!

Ds's granny is only 53 and is a whizz on the pc!

Have signed up - both dh and I are away overnight for work, dh more than me - he travels a lot. DD would adore to be read to via MSN

I'm lucky enough to see DGC every day, but this would have been wonderful when my children were small and to keep links with other members of extended families and friendship groups.

Hi, My mum could do it with my 2 and half yr old - we both have webcams and windows!! (on the computer too! LOL) I do read to my kids everyday so be best if Nanna did this!

test

Have just used this with my Mum (200 miles away) and my 2 year old sat on my lap. He loves Noddy anyway and was beaming that he could see his nanny reading him the stories! My mum loved it. Her screen was different to our screen our pictures were animated when mum clicked on the links. I think its an absolute delight that being so far away my mum gets this interaction with my son. I think he's too young to be sat by himself at the computer listening to the stories (He'd trash it!) But i could see that it would become a lovely weekly treat. I imagine when there is a full library of stories to choose from this could be very popular. My mum was very complimentary. Was easy to use and said she would definately subscribe and it was a great treat to be able to volunteer.

WOW.
We tried it last night. and it was a HUGE success!
Took us a little while to get started. (the person who is doing the reading has to launch it. trial and error to figure that out)
but once we got going...
DS (3yrs) listened to every story at least twice! My mom didn't realize until nearly the end of the first story that if she pressed certain words there was animation. DS really liked that. He's handy with a mouse so it didn't take him long to figure out taht HE could control the action by clicking on the characters. He had a ball.
He didn't want it to end!
The best bit for me was that I got to chat with my parents, update them on things that were going on here then they could have time to bond with DS while I went to get dinner on! Talk about a win-win situation!
The only downside right now is that there are only 3 stories. But hopefully they'll expand that so Gramma won't get bored reading the same one over and over and over...
So to sum up: FANTASTIC! I loved it, DS loved it and my parents loved it!!

Oh my word, this was a world of pain to set up but that's down to my technophobe parents rather than Windows messenger. They're not old and doddery, they're in their 50's and Mum uses a pc at work every day but they're still beyond awful at anything technical.

The programme itself it great, once it was set up we were fine, the kids and grandparents loved it. It wasn't clear enough that the story teller has to instigate the call which cause us some confusion at first. It would be really good if we could have instigated the call and then handed over to my parents to take on the role of storyteller. (the least they have to do the better, it really is that painful)

Obviously the range of books available will need to increase, stories which appeal to a reasonably wide age range would be good, Noddy's a bit young for my 4.5yo.

Overall though we thought it was a really neat little programme and enjoyed using it.