Ways for a Five Year Old to Earn Computer Time

Five year olds enjoy playing on the computer.

Computers offer many benefits to kindergarten-aged children. Using age-appropriate educational software or playing games on the Internet teaches children to enjoy learning and can help improve their memory, motor skills and confidence. For parents who want to let their 5 year olds use the computer, let them earn this privilege.

Good Behavior

You can reward 5 year olds with computer time for doing what you ask them to. However, since you want your child to behave properly because that is the right thing to do, it is most effective to make the computer time reward a natural consequence of good behavior. For instance, it's better to say, "If you pick up your toys fast enough, you will have time to play on the computer for 15 minutes before dinner" rather than "If you leave the park without throwing a tantrum, you can play one computer game."

Sticker Charts

Sticker charts help motivate young children to stop bad behaviors, such as whining or throwing temper tantrums, by giving them a reward when they earn a certain number of stickers. For 5 year olds who enjoy using the computer, computer time is an effective reward for their sticker chart. Since young children need a short time between their good behavior and their reward to stay motivated, ideally you should make the reward dependent on a small enough number of stickers that your child can earn computer time every day or every couple of days.

Completing Chores

Convincing 5 year olds to do their chores can be difficult, since chores are often boring and children don't put the same value on completing chores that parents do. One way to help encourage them to do their chores is to make computer time a reward for finishing their daily chores. If you want your 5 year old to make his bed, feed the dog and set the table for dinner every day, then -- if he completes those tasks without you having to remind him -- you can give him some computer time after dinner.

Good Computer Manners

A 5 year old's computer time should be earned by demonstrating good manners while using the computer. Good manners include sharing the computer nicely with siblings, visiting only the Internet sites that his parents have approved, never eating or drinking while on the computer and never banging on the keyboard or hitting the monitor when he becomes frustrated. If he fails to behave properly while using the computer, he may lose his computer privileges and have to earn them back by, for instance, waiting a few days to use the computer again.

References

• ERICDigests.org; Computers and Young Children; Susan W. Haugland; March 2000
• AskDrSears.com: 10 Techniques to Shape Children's Behavior
• EmpoweringParents; "I'll Do It Later!"6 Ways to Get Kids to Do Chores Now; James Lehman
• Focus on the Family; Age-Appropriate Chores; Sheila Seifert; 2009
• Kids Computer Lab; 1-3 Grade; Terra Kirsch