bethben Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 Here's my dilemma. My son is slightly on the spectrum so gets really obsessed with things at times. He stayed up for 48 hours once because he was spending all his time on a forbidden device. He also has tried to delve into the bad side of internet browsing but our filters kept him out and he wasn't smart enough at the time to get past them. He knows now how to get past all sorts of blocks now and has limited time on a mac that I've parental secured as much as I can. As his 19 year old brother has mentioned, he's incredibly computer savvy. He is very interested in computers and programming. Right now, he has a Kindle Fire that has no internet and a curfew. He likes typing notes to himself on that and has asked for a bluetooth keyboard so he can do that better. I want to get him a tablet of some sort but it really has to be super parent secure. How can I help him delve into more of his passions without my dh and me going crazy trying to protect him from himself? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 Do you think he might enjoy something like a 3D printer? There are some nice options available, and many prices are lower than last year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 (edited) If he only has a Kindle, how does he do programming? I came to the (admittedly obvious) conclusion a few years ago that pretty much any teen can run circles around pretty much any adult when it comes to computers. We can pretend that we are in control and can impose all kinds of restrictions, but they are all pretty easy for any reasonably determined modern kid to get around. I totally get that protecting them online is more concerning for some parents than others, for all kinds of reasons. If your son is interested in computers and you want to encourage that, he really needs one of his own. A good laptop can go a long way (not Mac if he wants to program). There’s endless cool tech he’d probably like, but I’d start there. He can’t learn if he doesn’t have the basic tools. At 15 you might need to give up some control over his internet use. I know it can be messy, but teaching smart skills will serve him much better than simply imposing strict limits. I absolutely understand all kids—and parents— have different needs, but it seems to me he needs space to learn what he wants to learn, if that’s your goal. Edited December 6, 2019 by MEmama 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 They can actually do a whole lot of programming on a Fire.......my ds proved it. He did have internet. He basically removed the kindle system and I believe it now runs with Linux. He still plays his games occasionally on it ......games he programmed btw. We let Ds back online after a year or so totally off at maybe 12 or 13. My mom gave him the fire. For months it was Fire only and if I said drop it he had to right then. I had no clue what I was looking at most of the time but I knew I wasn’t looking at my fears. He entered programming contests etc on the fire. He used to read me hilarious emails from the professional running the contest about his need to be upgraded off the fire!😂. Working really hard to learn was so good for him although I felt huge mom guilt at the time. Eventually we allowed him to do hard physical labor to earn enough money for a basic desktop, so we could walk by his room and see. He taught himself so much programming wise. Now has cyber security degrees. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 Early retired Software Engineering Consultant here... I suggest two (2) possible gifts for him. One involves HW (Hardware) which is the thing you began this thread with. I suggest, a low-end Laptop. Either Windows 10 or Linux. With Linux on it, he can do anything... And my other idea is instruction. From Coursera.com They have some awesome courses. MOOC courses that are free and others you can pay for and get a certificate. Or, a program combining a number of their courses from one school, that ends in a Certificate. You can look at the top of the home page and you will see that some of their courses are prepared by schools with awesome reputations. If he has a serious interest in any of the courses they offer, that would keep him occupied. Good luck to him! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.