The day finally came; we broke down and gave Mathew his very own computer.  This was not a sudden move, Mike and I have debated this issue for the last four years. Yes, four years! Prior to this moment, it never really seemed necessary for Mathew to have his own computer. If he needed to go on a computer, he could use the IPad or mine. Besides, it was easier to monitor his time, which was very limited for a good reason. It is extremely difficult for Mathew to self-regulating his time on the computer. Honestly, technology is a mind suck for most people, including me.

So why did we have the sudden change of heart? Actually, it was a no brainer, this year Mathew is doing a research paper for school. Sure, he could hand write the paper in cursive, but that would make the process unnecessarily painful and much longer. The timing seemed perfect, therefore, for Mathew’s 10^th birthday he received his laptop that has been sitting in a box for the last four years. Yes, four years – hey, it still works.

Although, Mathew knows that he does not have free reign over his computer, he is now testing every boundary possible. Therefore, if Mike or I say no, it seems perfectly reasonable for Mathew to ask the other person, just in case they weren’t listening or forgot what was decided. All kidding aside, Mathew attempts to be reasonable with his computer and so far has not sneaked onto it, yet. I am sure that door won’t stay closed forever, but I hope it will for a little bit longer though.

It has been an interesting process watching Mathew customize his computer and explore its limits. It actually took three weeks for him to lock himself out of the computer, a bit longer than I would have guessed. Thank goodness, Mike is good with computers and was able to unlock it. It also taught us to have the master control over the computer, thus Mathew now has secondary control. It is and will be an incredible learning experience for all of us. Mathew has this wonderful ability to approach new situations with wild abandonment. He has a passion for figuring out how things work and flow. It is amazing to watch him explore his computer. He is investigating its abilities and inner workings.

The first project Mathew used his computer for was the outline for his research paper, which was very extensive and detailed. It ended up being five typed pages. It was fascinating to observe him create the outline. Now, if you have ever created an outline on the computer, I am sure you can imagine how frustrating the process was for Mathew. The computer kept trying to organize and format the information into the outline while he was inputting the information. Most of the time, it was wrong and very frustrating. It kept creating new tabs and trying to control where the next line would start. What I found amazing was that Mathew was able to figure out several ways to correct or approach the outline to reformat it. He was really exploring the functions. Even though, I suggested that once he gets the information typed, we could then help him format the entire outline all at once. Oh no, that was not the way he wanted to do it, so he kept trying and exploring. It was wonderful to see him work through his frustration and continue forward.

We are exploring this new territory with Mathew. Funny, but I actually feel good about it. The research paper was the perfect catalyst. At what age or situation do you think is an appropriate time for a child to have their own computer? Please share and I will continue to share.