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Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

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Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Certainly beats me, but I think it helped that for both parents this WAS really their source of income (teaching and writing), and that they had gotten to the point that doing this stuff was also their way to cope with the stress of daily life. Like, with cooking, everyone was involved, or when they'd watch a movie, it was a family affair with a healthy amount of commentary or analysis. It's hard to explain, but its…

I would have to submit that family's situation is rare. My dad did what he could to help me, bought me computers, subscriptions to Creative Computing magazine (I'm dating myself here, read early 80s) and letting me be me. My mother was not academic in any way. She was HS educated in the rural south and didn't contribute to my academics in any way. My father had a MSc in engineering and designed flight systems. He was…

Your parents' situation describes my marriage somewhat. I'm a software developer and (at least in my own evaluation) am an intellectually curious person. My wife is comparatively uneducated, not a good thinker and not very curious at all.

We had our first baby this year and I'm the one who does all the research and evaluation to ensure that we're taking care of our baby well and doing the things to help our child be setup for success later in life.

The problem is I work full time and she stays at home and is the primary caretaker. So I'm not there most of the time to give intellectual input.

As someone who seems to have grown up in similar circumstances, do you have any advice to make the best of this situation?

And just curious. Don't have to answer if this is too personal. How was the dynamic between your parents given the intellectual disparity? And what was your attitude and experience growing up with this disparity?

For myself, I love my wife dearly and she is a kind and loving person, but the intellectually disparity is a cause of disappointment at times. Of course, I don't express that directly. I just lower try to lower my expectations and find intellectual stimulation in other arenas.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#82
post #73

Mine are in that age range. Here’s what I try. * When they ask a question, I often say “I don’t know” in order to stimulate a discussion rather than just telling them the answer, and also to make it clear it’s OK not to know things. * As well as “I don’t know”, I might also ask them why they think something and whether they would like to do a test or experiment to help them find out. I’m not talking science experimen…

All great points, but I never say "I don't know" if I actually know an answer. I've always provided answers to my kids (both biological and students I've taught) if I know the answer. It often then stimulates further discussion and can lead to even more complex questions.

As an example, my son often asks me scientific questions, and I provide the answers, and we talk a little around the subject. Eventually he stumped me though, when he asked if you were travelling at the speed of light would you cast a shadow. At that point I actually had to say "I don't know" and we ended up asking Twitter for an answer, and we both learned something.

https://twitter.com/Coding2Learn/status/715247765547270144

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#83

I had the pleasure to spend a few years with an incredibly creative family, in all domains (family unit consisted of nobel prize winner, renowned academics, award winning authors, artists), and the one thing which always stood out to me was how they had such a deep culture of rewarding curiosity, thinking, and exploration. I have no idea how conscious it was on the family's part, but it seemed like everyone in that f…

I just watched The Royal Tenenbaums again. (It's available for free right now on Amazon Prime!)

This sounds like the fairy tale version of that. Probably doesn't make for great cinema. But I imagine a lot of people here would have loved to have grown up in a family like that.

I think I would have. Then again I asked to be excused from the honors program in elementary school because it conflicted with PE. (Begged to get back in once I hit junior high and got my first taste of an ordinary junior high English class.)

Royal Tenanbaums trailer just because I love this movie:

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

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would have to submit that family's situation is rare. My dad did what he could to help me, bought me computers, subscriptions to Creative Computing magazine (I'm dating myself here, read early 80s) and letting me be me. My mother was not academic in any way. She was HS educated in the rural south and didn't contribute to my academics in any way. My father had a MSc in engineering and designed flight systems. He was…

Your parents' situation describes my marriage somewhat. I'm a software developer and (at least in my own evaluation) am an intellectually curious person. My wife is comparatively uneducated, not a good thinker and not very curious at all. We had our first baby this year and I'm the one who does all the research and evaluation to ensure that we're taking care of our baby well and doing the things to help our child be…

I would buy lots of childrens books and read aloud when possible. If you can make reading a natural activity your kid will benefit greatly later on.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would have to submit that family's situation is rare. My dad did what he could to help me, bought me computers, subscriptions to Creative Computing magazine (I'm dating myself here, read early 80s) and letting me be me. My mother was not academic in any way. She was HS educated in the rural south and didn't contribute to my academics in any way. My father had a MSc in engineering and designed flight systems. He was…

Your parents' situation describes my marriage somewhat. I'm a software developer and (at least in my own evaluation) am an intellectually curious person. My wife is comparatively uneducated, not a good thinker and not very curious at all. We had our first baby this year and I'm the one who does all the research and evaluation to ensure that we're taking care of our baby well and doing the things to help our child be…

+1 to this, how can help cultivate curiosity for a willing adult participant

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#87

I had the pleasure to spend a few years with an incredibly creative family, in all domains (family unit consisted of nobel prize winner, renowned academics, award winning authors, artists), and the one thing which always stood out to me was how they had such a deep culture of rewarding curiosity, thinking, and exploration. I have no idea how conscious it was on the family's part, but it seemed like everyone in that f…

This answer is gold. I came to respond but this answer hits the proverbial nail on the head.

You do not teach a kid to think, you provide and environment that allows them to. They will learn to do this on their own.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#88
I grew up in a very poor household where the emphasis was on getting good grades so you could go on to get a wel paying “job”.

Please don’t do that to your kids. If you have the means (not everyone does), check in with them on homework, for example. See what they’re learning about — and ask them questions about it. Show curiosity and interest. In my opinion, that is a good way to jump start your child’s curiosity. Help them understand the significance of what they’re learning - if you’re able to.

Ask them to question things. I grew up in a household where I took textbooks and papers as all being fundamentally correct and true, and that’s not always the case. Skepticism is a good thing. Encourage your children not to take things at face value but dive a bit deeper to understand if something really makes sense or if it’s even true.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would have to submit that family's situation is rare. My dad did what he could to help me, bought me computers, subscriptions to Creative Computing magazine (I'm dating myself here, read early 80s) and letting me be me. My mother was not academic in any way. She was HS educated in the rural south and didn't contribute to my academics in any way. My father had a MSc in engineering and designed flight systems. He was…

Your parents' situation describes my marriage somewhat. I'm a software developer and (at least in my own evaluation) am an intellectually curious person. My wife is comparatively uneducated, not a good thinker and not very curious at all. We had our first baby this year and I'm the one who does all the research and evaluation to ensure that we're taking care of our baby well and doing the things to help our child be…

Sounds like my situation. I cope in a similar way.

What i tell myself is that a happy mom is probably more significant than most scientific advice about average kids. I think twice or thrice if i really want to push for something. One example I would have pushed for is "no rewards for good grades but for effort" but she actually agreed immediately.

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