NOW CLOSED: Share with BT how you would help (or have helped) your mum, MIL or gran get online this Mother’s Day. You could win an iPad, worth £329!

[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by BT as part of their Get IT Together campaign to ask you for your top tips for getting the older generation online.

And BT would love you to help spread the word about their campaign, too. They're aiming to help 100,000 people get online by the end of this year.

If your mum, or somebody else you know, isn't online, why not help them get there this Mother's Day? As the internet is such a brilliant way to keep in touch with family, share photos and shop online for gifts for the grandchildren what better Mother's Day gift could there be?

According to BT, about 8 million people have never used the internet, and, as Gabby Logan, spokesperson for BT's Get IT Together campaign, says it's often just lack of confidence that stops them getting started. "Maybe they feel daunted or worry they are going to do something wrong," says Gabby. "If your mum isn't online, like my mum wasn't, why not spend some time with her and help her take those first steps? Get IT Together BT's Get IT Together website has step by step advice and videos to help you both. I'm sure she won't look back - my mum certainly didn't!?

Please do use this thread to share your tips with other MNers, and with BT, about getting your mum, MIL, grandmother or anyone older get online - whether you've done it already or are just gearing up for it.

Tell us your stories, too! How did you/will you approach it? Will/did you get your children involved? What does/will your mum or MIL most like to do on the net? Will she be/is she already a Gransnetter?

Everyone who adds a tip or story to this thread will be entered into a prize draw, from which one lucky person will win a 16GB iPad 2 worth £329. Please note your comments may be used on the BT pages on Mumsnet. Your MN nickname may be used along with your quote.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

My mum's not bad with the internet, seeing pictures of the grand-kids on facebook is a real draw for her. But if anyone can find a way to introduce her to text messages I will be interested!

Would be great to get my grandma online (not sure they have wifi in heaven tho!)

You have to be kidding me. My Mother, who is in her 60s now, is one of the most technologically minded people I have ever met. This woman has two laptops a desktop AND and ipad and I swear we had this conversation at Christmas.

Mum - "Why don't I facetime you in the evenings. I've been facetiming your sister and your neice what about you?"

Me - "Whats facetime?"

Mum - "well, don't you have an iphone? Oh, you only have the iPhone 3 and you need an ipad or an iphone 4 for facetime dear so you really ought to think about upgrading if you want to be able to communicate like I do with your sister."

Me - Er, well I can't upgrade for a bit.

Mum - "Well Thats no good really. Ooh well I'm asking, are you on twitter as I want to boost my followers."

I think that the internet is bloody brilliant for Mums, grans and the rest as it allows them to spy and interfere with their children and grandchildren remotely and at will.

However I have had to put her in her own group on Facebook so she stops bloody well making embarassing comments on my facebook status!!

I'd introduce her to skype, then she could see/talk to all her relatives abroad whenever she wanted - so much better seeing the far-flung grandchildren than receiving occasional photos. Also, she could check out my blog and see whats going on in my life every day!

My great gran is ninety and can't see or hear too well. I think she would love an ipad so that she can keep in contact as she can't get out much any more.
And it would keep her knees warm.

My mum is a technophobe ("what's wrong with the library and books?!)

If she used the internet at all, she'd get better deals on mobile phones, utilities, shopping etc etc.

I can only get her online, with a user friendly computer which is very intuitive to use. Or take her down to the local library and try out a PC!

My Granny

It took us a while, we lived out in Germany and she was in Scotland, and when we first got the internet she still insisted on phoning us, but at that time computers were still expensive to buy.

We moved back the the UK, but were still a whole country away and eight hours in the car from my Granny. Things were starting to come down in price though, when my Papa passed away we gave her a computer to encourage her online.

Showing her the games she could play online was definitely the hook, and being able to instant chat and share photos on Facebook was almost like being together again. Very slowly, one fingered typing together, but the next best thing all the same.

She did eventually move to the same town that we were in, I helped her to sort out her computer and get internet in the sheltered housing just down the road, but sadly passed away along with my Auntie in 2007. Once BT get the internet in heaven, I will be a happy gal. I miss her so much.

My aunty (82) really loves china, pottery. etc. - I can see her really loving/getting the point of those websites which sell you odd plates/saucers/cups from much-loved or discontinued patterns, to make up your set. And she was vv moved when we showed her her father's WWI enlistment document on-line. All she really needs to do this for herself (apart from a laptop, obviously) is someone to help her save her favourites as shortcuts. And some good, inexpensive (ha!) techincal support on tap. So a subsidised phone IT helpline for pensioners wouldn't go amiss. (Not that she'd be averse to a visit from a nice young man to sort out her IT queries while she plied him with cups of tea and lemon drizzle cake served on the aforementioned china plates...)

We have recently given both my mum and my MIL smartphones. My mum doesn't use the internet on hers yet, I'm not sure what contract she's on so I'd need to check that out first. I don't think she'd use it much anyway, maybe just checking the weather forecast or the news.

My MIL on the other hand, is really enjoying hers and uses it for FB (gp see pictures of the grandchildren), emails, travel info, maps and the kindle app. My DH and I helped her set the phone up but she's pretty good with technology so once we'd shown her a few things she could customise the phone properly. It made a really good present.

My mum did an adult education course which gave her all the basics of how to get online, and she's never looked back. She is a keen user of Skype too, as my brother now lives in Australia.

I forgot to add, her favourite pastime is now eBaying! She sells anything which isn't nailed down.

Another thing I'd recommend, is to get her watching one of the shopping channels on TV, like QVC; when they are selling computer equipment. They are really good explaining things - why you need a particular feature, what RAM is, who needs what, i.e those who like playing games, or for those who just need a laptop for emails. I have learnt a few bits and bobs from them too. Not to necessarily buy from them (the after service is fab though), but they talk in a language non-techies understand

My grandmother-in-law is 91 and has never owned a mobile phone let alone a PC. Last year her most favoured grandson and his two children moved to the US. GMIL was devastated and we thought that Skype would really help her stay in touch (for free) and see her great grandchildren grow. after

After various demonstrations on our computers things weren't looking hopeful - she didn't understand the mouse function at all and without a mouse or touchpad you can't get far. This is where the simplicity of tablet computing is great. We tried her on an iPad and the touch screen function was perfect for her. However she still found the multiple icons confusing. Eventually we bought her a iPad, deleted as many icons as possible, set up Skype with saved password etc so she had to do bare minimum and then practised with her daily. By concentrating on one function we managed it. She is now a Skype fiend! Her confidence has grown so much that at christmas she asked for a second icon so she could read the FT online. She is quite amazing for a ninety something.

Son is a total computer geek to the point of obsessiveness . In-laws just call if they have a problem with pc or Ipod and he tells them what to do - their very own help desk! He now desperately 'needs' an iPad so hence this post.

We find that both 'Grandmas' really like Skype as a way of connecting visually and aurally with us and their grandchildren. They are both embracing technology but still find it a bit superfluous to requirement (in a way that their husbands don't!). But Skype they love particularly for seeing the small changes in their grandchildren (as they don't see them very often) from week to week!

Getting my Mum online was never going to be an easy task, especially when you consider the fact one of her favourite stories involves her spending large amounts of time opening and closing the fridge when they first put lights in them because she thought it was magical!

However, after years of prodding the thing that finally tipped her over the edge was the realisation she was missing out on all the family gossip through Facebook etc.

So promoting and actively encouraging internet stalking for family gossip reasons is my top tip for getting Mums and Grandmas online. They will be logging on so quickly you would never believe they couldn't do it all along!

Many elderly folks simply can't spare the extra money needed to pay monthly for their internet access. My tip, well, rather hope, would be that this barrier could be removed or drastically reduced, to encourage more elderly mums (and dads) to grasp the opportunity available to them to boldly launch themselves (using whatever help they need along the way) into the modern communication phenomenon that many younger folks already use daily.

I would also love to see schools encouraging their young folks to share with a grandparent/s on a regular basis, their basic internet skills, thus both encouraging personal contact with a generation they sometimes would otherwise only pay 'lip service' to, and opening up an ultimately two-way learning experience for all concerned (they may not be internet savvy, but most grandparents will have a wealth of knowledge that if tapped into, could benefit many a youngster of today).

Also, wouldn't it be wonderful if BT, as a service to the community, could, for elderly folks, find a way of (given that many have no doubt been with BT for years and years and years), ( offering those loyal and long standing elderly generation customers, a simple, no-nonsense and very minimal cost (or dare I suggest free) internet package, with, importantly, free customer support and maybe regular, easy access, 'golden years, golden moments, golden opportunities' tutorials and forums, where folks could come together and learn what the internet has to offer them and/or share what benefits they have found in using it. We keep hearing about Silver Surfers, but in this Olympic year, why shouldn't our older generation be aiming for Internet Gold!

My Mum is 70, in poor health with a chronic condition, and I'm pretty certain she's agoraphobic too. I've constantly trying to persuade her to get online since it'll open up a whole new world of social contact for her.

She's quick minded, loves a good debate, loves shopping and I keep telling her that these are things that she can really exercise through the internet. She can also discuss her condition with other sufferers, and this in particular I feel would give her a new lease of life. I don't want her to feel alone, ever.

Carry on with your new campaign BT! I'm certain that we'll eventually persuade her to get online.

My mum uses the internet to keep in touch with my brother who is in Afghanistan at the moment. I set their computer up with Skype and a webcam and they had a lovely chat with him today for Mother's Day. It helps her so much to be able to see him on the screen and chat rather than just hear a voice on the phone or read a letter. Mum and Dad have both been suprised how easy it is to communicate with someone thousands of miles away and even better that it is free!

My Mum uses the internet all the time now but it wasn't long ago I had to show her how to open emails. Since then and with me and other members of the family giving them tips here and there both she and my Dad have started usng email, helping the dgc's with homework online and Mum has recently organised a family holiday including booking airline tickets etc online.

They are not overkeen on shopping online though and so a few times they have researched what they want to buy by surfing the internet and then I have ordered for them. I think they have got the hang of it now though

Thanks for all of you who added a comment or tip - all much appreciated

The winner of the iPad is.....zipzap! Well done

well done zipzap