Computers are essential in today’s classroom. Young elementary school children are already using them to make report covers and to play simple learning games. Yet as a parent you know that there is more to buying a computer than simply going to the store and picking one up. There are notebook computers, desktop computers and a host of online computer reviews that use the kinds of terms you have never heard of. Relax! There are five iron clad computer buying tips for parents that will make your trip to the computer store a cinch!

When looking at a computer for your child, remember that your child will grow older. While you want it to be useful right now, that your child might still be young, it does need to be able to grow with the child’s growing needs, and memory is the key here. No matter how much memory the machines you are looking at have, plan on purchasing a bit of extra memory and ask the sales clerk to install it for you. This way you will not void the warranty by opening the machine, and if you are concerned about doing it yourself in the first place, this is a great way of avoiding the perusal of confusing computer manuals.

If you are buying a computer for your child and your family to use – and if you are thinking of keeping it in your home office or the living room – then it needs to be Internet ready. As your child gets older, she or he will be doing research using the ‘Net. Never hook up a child’s computer to the Internet if the machine is kept in the child’s bedroom. Too little supervision and too much naiveté on your child’s part may result in some dangerous situations.

Consider the cheap computers that are sometimes available from close out stores. Ask about extended warranties and also the ability of the manufacturer to service a model they are no longer manufacturing.

Add about the preloaded software. Many computers will already have word processing programs preloaded, but if your child is going to be doing reports and sharing files with other students, then a standardized student version of Microsoft Office is a wise investment.

Last but not least, get a good parental control program that will lock out many of the undesirable sites your child may encounter on the ‘Net, as well as a comprehensive virus protection program, which is vital not only for Internet use of the computer but also for the files your child may receive from other students.