toy laptop horror

[ladymuckingitup]

I have obviously mortally offended my MIL this year. She has given DD (just turned 3) a Budz 'my first laptop'. It has a gazillion incomprehensible and age-inappropriate games on it, and - worse - plays the world's most annoying bleepy music. I don't really like the idea of this sort of toy for kids this age, but DD is thrilled. She keeps saying she is just like me now. I don't think I can live with the noise.... I know it sounds ridiculous, but I am beginning to wonder if I can replace it with something less offensive. I would just take out the batteries, but she is SO chuffed at being able to play music and make sounds. She claps along to the 'music'. So I am wondering if there is such a thing as a toy laptop which she could use for pretending she has a computer, but which will not make such horrifying and constant noise. I see no reason why it should pretend to be educational! If anyone has any ideas, I would be very grateful.

OMG that sounds horrible! Why not just get some software for your laptop that your DD could play on? We had a BabyWow Cd bought online for DS1 which he loved (but I'm not sure of the age range).

hasn't it got a volume control?

Well the thing is that what I really want to do is take the toy laptop away. But I feel too mean doing that without offering her a replacement. She is so thrilled to have her own computer, but in an imaginative play sense rather than actually playing with it as it is intended. Not sure you actually could play with it as intended tbh though....

... and yes it has a volume control. You can turn it from loud to VERY LOUD.

I found if you put lots of sellotape over the speaker it is much nicer

Oh I love those toys, why would you want it louder rather than off?

The babywow software I mentioned is aimed at 9mths-3yr olds. We use it on the Media Centre TV for DS1, it is good because he can play on it by just randomly pressing the keys. You can order it from their website

What a good idea mummytheresa. I will try that.

I dont mind things that make noises, but I dont like loud noises.
Most of my ds's things were 'customised' this way when they were small.

yes, a couple of layers of cardboard taped over the speakers does the trick

Hmm... think she might clock the cardboard! I have been scouring the web in hopes of finding a less offensive toy laptop but have had no luck at all. Maybe there's a gap in the market!

Isn't there a vtech one?

Yes - have just been looking at the vtech website. Looks disconcertingly similar to what we've been given! Any idea whether it sounds less irritating? I think I now have a sort of pavlovian response (run! hide!) to objects resembling the offending toy, which is a bit unhelpful.

I fear they are all the same, but I haven't had first hand experience of the vtech one. I am interested to find out though as am sure we will be looking for something for DS1 soon.

vtech one is irritating too. But my children get a lot out of the incomprehensible games, actually.

Let her play with it - if the games are age inappropriate she will get bored of just making bleeping sounds and play with something else.

Ds has a whole tidy bin full of these things all bought by my parents. He spends most of his time playing with his nice and quiet wooden Thomas track.

I'd leave her to it if i were you.

Just try and tolerate the noise for a short while because ime these types of toys are short-lived and she'll be bored of it in no time at all ...that way you both win

I find that batteries running out are a fantistic way of an irritating electronic toy to be forgotten - "we just don't have any new batteries/ any charged at the moment darling, sorry"