Both my kids have their own computers. Ages 6 and 8. They also have their own google accounts. Both of which are child accounts with my wife and I as parent account holders. Windows 10 also has some great tools built in for managing kids use. Windows Family Safety takes a few minutes to setup but is pretty handy once done. Screen time and content is easily managed. For added security I also use OpenDNS Family Shield to block any thing online from filtering through. All of these are free services. They have worked well for me. When my kids do play its mostly Roblox. Which also comes with its own parental controls. I receive notifications about their activity on my own devices. As for home rules and screen time we've conveniently tied it to their homework. The Department of Education gives them several of these homework books to work through at home. There's a schedule per term so they have to chip away at a certain amount of work daily. If the school hasn't sent any homework or projects to go through. This is what they have to do. And some very basic rules. Did you brush your teeth? Are you dressed? I don't mind if your toys are laying about but if I ask you to clean it up... Bikes are parked in the garage, not outside and not in the house. No wet clothes or towels inside either. Any experiments with paint, gloop, putty, slime or anything else is on the plastic table only. Its been a bit tough managing screen time and school work during lock down. Especially with my wife and I both working from home. But we take turns supervising workbook activities and have a tutor come in for 2 hours a day 4 times a week. Beyond that I'd say computers have been a great help for the kids here at home. Its not just a play thing for games and youtube. There is a wealth of information at your fingertips. She had a school project where she had to research and make a poster about a famous South African. She then had to memorize a few facts about them and present it in an oral before the class. Through her own google discovery she asked me if she could do her project on Charlize Theron. She learned about voice acting and her roles in animated films. She learned about philanthropy and how many children in South Africa aren't as lucky as her. I remember my son taught himself the basics of reading and counting too. Those alphabet train videos will be stuck in my head forever. At around age 4 He discovered that if he used google voice search then google would spell out what he says in the search bar. 'Show me a blue rabbit' Now at age 6 he is able to google search by typing. He starts grade 1 next year. With supervision computers can be incredible tools for your kids. They're curious by nature and are stimulated by discovery. But when they're funneled into associating computers and phones with games they become lazy. Teach them to use it as a tool and it wont be long before they show you something you didn't know.
