First year is brutal, especially if the baby does not want to breastfeed, but afterwards it is sort of manageable, it is like running a side project. I had major issues not only keeping up but doing normal work, but colleagues were very understanding and helped out when necessary.
Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
141–150 of 530 posts
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#142First year is brutal, especially if the baby does not want to breastfeed, but afterwards it is sort of manageable, it is like running a side project. I had major issues not only keeping up but doing normal work, but colleagues were very understanding and helped out when necessary.
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#143By having a job that provides the space for writing blogs, learning and open career paths.
Life is too short to spend coding after work, without space for family and friends.
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#144This thread is slowly filling up with stories of enthusiastic workaholic parents who are disciplined and fit enough to take every single 15 minute break to sit down and get some code out. If you're able to code up a blog engine with one hand while holding your baby in the other, I envy you. I wish I could muster up the energy and discipline to do something like that. But to other readers: for many people this is not…
"Consider letting off-time be off-time and getting yourself a better job :)" - Those two conflict. Most jobs want the next buzzwords in the job description, which you aren't learning in the current job.
Most HR departments won't care if you haven't actually used those buzzwords on your current job.
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#145I have a one year old, and he doesn't let me program.
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#146One of the many great things about children, if you're not a total heartless bastard of course, is that having them really sharpens your mind as to what's important and what's not. Most of these things the HN crowd obsesses over are shit, and the things that replace those things will also be shit, and the thing you make with those things--even if it makes you fabulously wealthy--will also be shit, and if you don't be…
Actually it's also a social thing, not just a skill thing. You Need to know the stuff the other People talk about to be part of the gang. Being part of the gang is rewarded. Being outside is punished (sublty). That's just how humans work.
Social my ass. It's an anti-social thing. If your crew is hating on you for not knowing the latest language/devops/agile circle-jerk when almost everything people use on a daily basis is old-school C or C++, you need to get a better crew.
The only cognitive part of this job that has any long-term value is the math. The rest of it is wank.
Or perhaps a more constructive way of putting it would be:
People who actually have THE GOSPEL, whether it's Jesus or programming or sports or weightlifting or whatever, do not want to shut up about THE GOSPEL. If you are ignorant of THE GOSPEL, they will be overjoyed and love you for it, because it means they now have a reason to share it with you. People who are not like this are usually either insecure, or have nothing to share, or both, and are really just looking for the first reason or opportunity to crap on you, so screw those guys.
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#147I manage by not starting a family and by not having kids (to my knowledge). Too expensive.
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#148The secret is to wake up very early before anyone else to get anything you want done.
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
Best reply as I am concerned. I have a "ToLearn" list that keeps getting longer and longer as I struggle to have some quality time where I can learn and really comprehend stuff AFTER putting my 4 year old daughter to sleep- i too have to stay with her till she is asleep- often with me also going to nap... When I am getting stressed and mad about all those constraints I picture the sweet moments with the knowledge, th…
I have both this "to learn" list and an ever expanding bookshelf (which grows faster than I can read the damn things, mostly thanks to recommendations in HN comments). Being 5 months into the parenting adventure, I seem to get a few hours a month on each side project at the moment! It really does make you prioritise. (And work harder on things I can do on my rail commute than other tasks). I haven't got to the "wants…
My daughter just turned five months.
Her favorite game at the moment is to press all the buttons on my keyboard. Whether or not a computer is remotely nearby.
I might not have much time to bang away on code, but seeing her proud of grabbing and biting a book, is much more exciting.
Re: Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up?
#150with two kids aged 3 and 5 I have about 9 hours of "me" time everyday (unfortunately this includes time for sleep). The choice is yours - the less you sleep, the more you can play around with code.