Teachign my Dad (76) how to use a computer....

readyletsgo

So I am moving back home to live with my dad(76y/o) for a year. Paying him some rent some bills the usual. He's happy enough to have me there.

So I started to think is there anything else I could do while I am there for the year and thought he really needs to learn how to use a laptop or something.

He did a course a few years back, basic sort of stuff, how to turn it on, getting solitaire working (nothign with the internet tho) etc but this was about 8-10 years ago and hasnt been near a computer since, his memory isn't great now so he wouldnt have a clue what to do with one now, and can also be a bit frustrating too as in you teach him something he does it then forgets it very quick, I understand its all about patience . He doesnt get out to much at all these days either and is a bit of a horder with newspapers and doesnt really look after himself too well so I have an opportunity here to maybe try andhim change for the better but its up to him too...

So my plan would be maybe to teach him for an hour a night maybe 2 or 3 times a week on the basics and maybe find a website that provide basic print outs for him to read, like the course he did years ago and then, when/if he is comfortable enough I could help he invest in a budget notebook to use himself.

So I guess my question is, can any of you guys on here recommend to me a website that would have all the basics I could print out for us both to use to make this a slightly easier process to do?

Would anyone have any tips on ways to make this an easy and fun experience for both of us?

EDIT: also how would I say this to him without him getting a bit panicked about learning somthing like this.

Thank you so much for any advice you can give!!!

RLG

RedXIV

Me and my dad taught a course to eldery and computer illiterate and the one mistake my dad made was he didn't make the stuff relevant. He taught them to type letters and do budgets in Excel while I showed the two old ladies in the back how to play solitare and check email.

Find something your dad is interested in and show him how to learn more about it online. e.g. if he's into cars, show him car websites, everything from where to buy, restore, view etc.

Also, StumbleUpon is a fantastic tool, it brings you to random sites of your list of interests so you get more familiar with different styles of webpage!

Finally, if his memory isn't 100%, I'd create a file on the desktop for any logins and passwords he may decide to use.

readyletsgo

RedXIV wrote: »

Me and my dad taught a course to eldery and computer illiterate and the one mistake my dad made was he didn't make the stuff relevant. He taught them to type letters and do budgets in Excel while I showed the two old ladies in the back how to play solitare and check email.

Find something your dad is interested in and show him how to learn more about it online. e.g. if he's into cars, show him car websites, everything from where to buy, restore, view etc.

Also, StumbleUpon is a fantastic tool, it brings you to random sites of your list of interests so you get more familiar with different styles of webpage!

Finally, if his memory isn't 100%, I'd create a file on the desktop for any logins and passwords he may decide to use .

Thats some brilliant advice right there RedXIV thanks for that!

Yeah he loves all the WWII stuff, farming, banking stuff.
I would think 'the internet' might be a bit too much to show him right off the cuff, I think getting him to even get used to using the touchpad on my laptop instead of a mouse might be a bit of a struggle but I am determind to get him used to it. I do have a spare usb mouse somewhere so might use that instead of the touchpad

He does say sometimes that he loved playing solitaire but it was so long ago now. So I think thats best to start with to refresh his memory as you said you tought the two ladys this way too.
I do feel older ladys are more open to learn things then men (or maybe thats just my dad haha)

Good print outs with pictures of what to do would be a good idea as he would read through these himself when I am not there during the day if it strikes him to do so.

Thanks for the reply!!!

Spread

That's a great idea readyletsgo! For one, it stops him having to buy a newspaper. And all his teenage songs on you tube

readyletsgo

Spread wrote: »

That's a great idea readyletsgo! For one, it stops him having to buy a newspaper. And all his teenage songs on you tube

Lol yeah its one way to get him to stop buying newspapers and holding onto articles he thinks we may be interested to read, but we keep trying to explain to him that he just has to tell us about an article and we can read it online instead of reading it in a paper from like 5 months ago.

And yes he can catch up on all the Rebecca Black vids and other such rubbish lol

looksee

Before you do the 'I'm going to teach you....' bit, have the computer open at something you know will interest him and say, 'look at this dad', then maybe go on to another page and show him a bit more. Then 'there's loads of stuff like that, you might like to find out how to find it'. And leave it at that to simmer for a bit.

Couple of days later 'find' something else and show him, and then begin to ease round to asking would he like to know how to do it. No pressure. Leave it if he doesn't.

You might find that you moving back in is enough for him to cope with initially, take it gently. No rush.

Jellybaby1

Deffo you should find sites on subjects he's interested in - how about gardening, or sport. There is so much stuff available on the 'oul w.w.w.

Funny story - I remember introducing an elder gent to the internet many years ago when we first got the internet (dial-up). He was a keen gardener and I just entered a search of 'gardening'. Unfortunately that was very early days and there was damn all on the web. He was a very disappointed man!

Best of luck!

aujopimur

Show him some porn, he won't forget that too easily.

readyletsgo

aujopimur wrote: »

Show him some porn, he won't forget that too easily.

If i could I'd thank this X100!

annascott

My mother (76) started computer courses earlier this year. I was visiting her recently and left her with my laptop looking at holiday sites while I went out. On my return, she had left explorer and gone into firefox, opened numerous sites and even accessed the cookies! She was adamant that she hadn't touched anything.

Moral of the story: Never underestimate the damage that a parent can do to a computer....

Morag

This might help.

http://www.eldy.eu/
http://www.internetbuttons.ie/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZPJvwAEA94