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How many computers?


Mandylubug
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When we moved from AZ to GA last year; I had just purchased a new laptop for my college work. I saved my old laptop for my kids to use but have since LOST the ac adapter. We, at the time, had a desktop computer hooked up to our tv and watched "tv" on the internet with netflix and hulu instead of a cable tv provider. Now that we are settled back in GA, My husband and I each have our own laptops for college studies, the "tv" desktop is now in the kitchen for the boys to use for TT and NOW I have found the ac adapter for my old laptop for another child to use for spellingcity/starfall and the like. I was all excited about that thought until I realized WE HAVE FOUR COMPUTERS!!!!!???????

 

What is it going to be like when all four kids are teenagers. All of these electronics, are they REALLY neccessary or did we just get a bit carried away, ha ha! I was also considering buying two more kindles for the kids to share... The electronics numbers are just adding up in our house. Perhaps, I need to add extra insurance to our house insurance?!:001_huh:

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I can see our number of electronics growing slowly in the years to come.

 

Currently, I have a laptop, on weekends my husband brings home his work laptop, and the boys use our old desktop. I also have a Kindle Fire, that might start getting used more by others - I use it mainly as a reader right now.

 

I can see us getting a simple notebook for our oldest in the next few years. He is starting to type his "papers" (paragraphs and creative writing assignments.) Both, my older boys do typing everyday and work on xtramath. As they start typing more, we are going to run into a time issue with the desktop. Also, I starting to feel that my oldest should start to slowly learn how to find information on the internet.

 

Most likely, we will stick with getting note books and laptops so that they have to come to a common room to be plugged in. I am not a fan of kids having computers in their rooms. I want my boys to continue their love of reading. I know one of my boys would have a very hard time reading if he has a computer to use whenever he wanted. I feel it is my job as a parent to train him and teach him self control in all areas of his life. For this child, managing his time with technology is going to be a struggle.

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I can see our number of electronics growing slowly in the years to come.

 

Currently, I have a laptop, on weekends my husband brings home his work laptop, and the boys use our old desktop. I also have a Kindle Fire, that might start getting used more by others - I use it mainly as a reader right now.

 

I can see us getting a simple notebook for our oldest in the next few years. He is starting to type his "papers" (paragraphs and creative writing assignments.) Both, my older boys do typing everyday and work on xtramath. As they start typing more, we are going to run into a time issue with the desktop. Also, I starting to feel that my oldest should start to slowly learn how to find information on the internet.

 

Most likely, we will stick with getting note books and laptops so that they have to come to a common room to be plugged in. I am not a fan of kids having computers in their rooms. I want my boys to continue their love of reading. I know one of my boys would have a very hard time reading if he has a computer to use whenever he wanted. I feel it is my job as a parent to train him and teach him self control in all areas of his life. For this child, managing his time with technology is going to be a struggle.

 

I absolutely agree! We are very pro technology. My husband is an information systems major in college, so naturally tons of discussions revolve around computers. I was also raised in a technologically advanced household growing up and I want my kids to stay on top of technology. Some don't feel it important but we do as a family. That being said, I am very much a "family room" computer user.

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We have two desktops - one has an extra monitor so I can be on the computer the kids watching something educational on the side... its nice in case we encounter something I need to explain/pause.

 

Playstation 3 streams netflix in the living room... DH & I each have smart phones and DS1 has an ipod loaded with audio books and selected games (no internet access via ipod)

 

we're pretty pro-tech. Our next purchase will probably be a kindle, and we have an old desktop that is going to be refurbished for DS2 next year (he's doing BJK5 via distance learning)

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Both my husband and I have our own computers. We have one for the kids at home to use. My oldest has his own computer. So 4 spread across 7 people. One more would make things a lot easier. My two high schoolers need the computer more and more for school work, so it's hard to juggle everyone's use.

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We have three desktops (mine, DH's, and DD's), I have a netbook, DH has a laptop (for work,with docking stations and external monitors/keyboards at both home and work), and we're getting an iPad (just ordered it yesterday).

 

However, the desktops are old-10 years in the case of mine, although there have been some piecemeal upgrades). DH prefers to buy really, really good computers that are somewhat future proof. DD's computer was being discarded from DH's office, so he brought it home for her, and it's actually newer than mine. I don't know if the iPad will end up replacing my netbook or not.

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We have two netbooks, one BIG "laptop" (it's so big we consider it a more portable desktop - 24" or something crazy), a Kindle Touch, an iPad, two iPod Touches, two iphones and an iPad. The touches we had before the iPhones and are old second gens. They basically do games and audio books. The big laptop is nice to have to put on Discovery Streaming or something because then everyone can see.

 

Never fear, though! My kids are outside more than they are on electronics AND watching TV combined. I'm constantly making sure their screen time is <1hr and their play/imagination time is far beyond that.

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We have 3 laptops and DS has a desktop in his room that he built. We also have 2 smartphones, 2 iPod Touches, and 4 Kindle Fires. We have 1 printer, but the computers are wireless, so it doesn't matter.

 

I have no problem with technology. We are gadget geeks here. I think our kids need to be able to use this stuff and I see few downsides.

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Everybody but the baby here has their own desktop. The "baby's" desktop should be up and wired to the television for streaming video but it's undergoing repairs. We have one laptop that's older but useable, one that's older and has some problems (broken hinge) and a new one for using as a true portable.

 

But, this is a school. The kids' machines are their school machines and often all three are working on something online simultaneously. DH and I have specific uses for our machines and he does a lot of hobby projects for other folks that require the laptop.

 

And of course, you can't play multiplayer games together unless everyone has their own machine. ;)

 

Our printer is networked so we only need the one.

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My husband is an IT guy so we have a varying number of working computers at any given time. Right now we have three desktops and three laptops, for four people in the house. We also have parts and makings for probably another two working desktops if he put them together. Each boy (6 and 8) has his own desktop, I have a laptop, and my husband has the other three computers.

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Let's see...3 laptops, 3 desktops (about to add 2 more), 5 Ipods, and 2 Kindles. We have 4 gaming systems too.:D All our computers are linked to one printer but we have two. (I don't let the dc use the color printer.) We are a very tech literate family. There are times during the day that the two oldest are typing up a paper, dd9 is doing TimezAttack, ds5 is doing ReadingEggs and dd3 is doing BobBooks on her Ipod. It's very quiet here during those times.:tongue_smilie:

 

 

Luckily we don't have anyone (as of yet) that seems to tend towards screen addiction. In fact, I don't think dd9 has turned her computer on in the last month! Like a pp said, my dc get plenty of time for playing, reading, exploring etc. Right now the older two took the middle two down to the forest to act out a fantasy role play that dd14 wrote. They've been down there for almost 3 hours!

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