Moderation at all times is the key. The amount of time spend on the PC alone, guided by a parent, coupled with the type of software being used is paramount to ensuring your child's introduction to the digital world is a win-win situation. The time to start your child computing is when:

1. You're ready. It's critical that you know the basic programs and how to get around the PC before you introduce the PC to your child.

2. Your child is able to sit still on your lap or on a chair for 10 minutes. You must be able to engage your child long enough for them to enjoy different aspects of the programs. If your child is fidgety and his/her attention span doesn't last even 10 minutes, let him/her be. Your child is not ready and won't enjoy the PC.

3. You have time to spend together with your child. Avoid using the PC as an electronic babysitter. Instead, make it a partnership and an activity that both you and your child share and enjoy. This is called shoulder-to-shoulder learning. Don't' worry if your child isn't interested in the PC. Bright colours and lights, the cartoon characters in animation, sound effects, familiar faces in a digital family video clip and digital music will naturally draw in children. Once you've decided it's time for your child to get computer-smart, start by protecting your PC investment. The idea is to balance accessibility with respect for the hardware. Sometimes this can be tough with the younger children.

Here are some do's and dont's to keep you from going insane:

Placement: I advise placing your PC where it can be monitored, away form the craziness of the kitchen and your child's room. A good compromise is an extra bedroom, study or a corner near a main traffic area that allows you to check up on your child and the PC while demonstrating the PC's importance.

Order: Ensure the area near your PC is always tidy even if you're generally a slob. Be disciplined and not allow your children or yourself to eat or drink while at the keyboard. Also enforce a tidy-up rule where each member puts away his or her own materials after use. Break the rule and you lose computer privileges for a specified period.

Cords: Never allow your cords to dangle around the computer. Tangled wires are a safety hazard. Toddlers can pull on them and send a piece of expensive equipment or component crashing down on themselves. Always ensure the wires are taped up and tucked safely away.

Backups: Keyboards can be replaced but financial or family files can't. Be sure to back up these files regularly on a tape or another backup device. Check out the various devices available at any computer store. As you introduce the PC to your children, remember the best thing you can do for them is to get them comfortable, interested and excited about the computer without overwhelming them. Every child is different and will take to the PC at his or her own pace. It has as much to do with using good parenting skills as it does with technological competence. Toddlers and young children have short attention spans and limited eye and hand coordination so keep it short and easy. The primary school children want recognition and want to master something and feel a sense of achievement and competence. They like having control over something and feeling good about being good at what they do. So it's a great time for them to learn to touch-type and expand their computer skills. Don't forget the praise and positive reinforcement.

1. Give it a "kid look": First impressions counts so add-on programs that have colourful customised opening screens, friendly animated grids and simple start-up buttons. Tailor it to your children's tastes. Try Microsoft's Plus! For Kids and Edmark's Kid Desk Family Edition. These programs are great for young children, as its easy navigation teaches them to be independent.

2. Take on kid-size controls: You can shop around for brightly coloured keyboards with extra large keys, gadgets that enable children to use pointing devices to draw pictures or operate programs, all designed to make it easier for little fingers to operate the PC.

3. Splash on colour and fun: Consider colourful screen savers featuring animals, super-heroes and their favourite cartoon characters. Rotating screen-savers weekly or every two weeks helps keep things lively.

4. Upgrade to better sound: High quality sound is just as important as flashy graphics. Ensure you invest in a good set of stereophonic speakers.

5. Get an adjustable seat: Buy a chair that is adjustable and preferably with rollers. Being able to raise the seat and move the chair closer to the keyboard is heaven for toddlers.

Try these tips to minimise your toddler's computer calamities:

Start the introduction to the PC with them on your lap. Keep them on your lap as long as needed with you directing their moves.

When your toddler graduates from lap to a chair, ensure he or she has good posture and sits 16 -20 inches from the screen.

Ensure the volume is comfortable for both of you. Tip: learn how to set the master volume for your speakers.

Give your child a container for CDs. Teach your child to put away her software and the importance of taking care of the CDs. It also gives your child the opportunity to find the CD he or she wants to use.

Read to your toddler. Reading stories made for the PC is a great way to introduce your child to words and language. Vary your tone and inflexion. Pronounce words clearly and 1 use different sentence structures. Nursery rhymes are good starters for children.

Repeat programs over and over. Repetition is an important part of your child's intellectual development and your computer will never be tired reading the same old story again and again.Set time limits and seek balance. For some, 10 -20 minutes is more than sufficient while other kids stay glued to the PC for hours if given the opportunity. Toddlers need to explore, it's how they learn. Their play is their work, so make sure they do spend time away from the computer doing other things and interacting with other children.

Set your toddler a specific time to use the PC. With bigger children around toddlers very often are last on the priority list and often lose out. Let it be known that a certain half an hour belongs to the smallest member of the house.

(The writer is a senior manager with Intel Asia Electronics)