Seizing Control of Vanessa’s Computer

One of the ways to keep Vanessa occupied is to sit her in front of a computer “tuned” into the Sesame Street website. You can see in the photo how attentive she is to the computer monitor. The trouble is that she also likes to press the keys on the keyboard which, as you might expect, may occasionally interfere with the web browser, causing it to load another page, switch to another application, etc. I can’t take the keyboard away, because she wants it. She’ll also struggle for control over the keyboard and mouse even when I need to click onto another webpage for her.

So when, for example, the video on the current page has ended, she’ll complain. When I try to move on to the next video for her, I can’t , because she won’t let me have the keyboard and mouse.

I’ve figured out a way to fix that. We’ve got a wireless keyboard and mouse on that computer. I move the keyboard and mouse onto another table (i.e. the one that I work on), and then put in an old wired keyboard in front of her. It’s a real keyboard, so she doesn’t complain. She doesn’t know it’s not connected (yet…). She hasn’t asked for the mouse, but I suppose if she really wanted it, I’ve also got a spare mouse around.

So now with the connected wireless keyboard and mouse on another table, I can conveniently control the computer for her. I’m quite pleased with the arrangement.

Vanessa’s going to be 2 years old tomorrow. I wonder at what age she’ll know how to surf the web on her own…