He'll Learn Much More Than I'll Ever Know

Think back to the first time you interacted with a computer. What was it for? Was it work? A game? What was the game like? How old were you? My father got a computer - a word processor - when I was about 7. The games on it came on big huge floppy disks. My favorite game was "Ghost Town," A game where you could actually give the game two word commands (get rake, go north, climb ladder) and it would "take" you to the next location. Via description. There were no graphics, just words glowing green on the screen.

Nicholas is three and a half. He knows how to turn his computer on and off. He can turn the monitor on and off. He knows how to open an internet browser. From there, he knows which bookmarks on his bookmarks bar will bring him to the Wiggles, and which will bring him to Sesame Street. He can navigate to the games he likes to play. He knows how to click and drag with the mouse, and how to scroll up and down to find what he's looking for. In fact, he is more comfortable at the computer than my mother is, and as soon as he learns to read, I'm sure he will be able to teach her a thing or two.

There are a whole host of issues surrounding the computer these days that my parents never had to even consider. The internet - my three year old is on the internet. How long before we have to start glancing over his shoulder and see which chat rooms he's visiting, or who has been sending him email? Not to mention talk about the fact that there are some sites he simply shouldn't be visiting? Already one issue has taken me by surprise.

It was only last night, while Steve was making dinner and I was setting the table, that Nick walked up to us bending his hand. "It hurt when I go like this!" he said. Steve immediately responded with "Don't go like that!" But I looked and realized... it was his mouse hand. Not only can my three year old connect to the internet, he is already damaging his joints from clicking his mouse. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. From clicking his Cookie Monster Mouse.