I'm so torn on exactly what to do for my month-old firstborn kid. I love him so much, I want to raise him with all possible advantages, but I don't want to create a living death zombie student out him- I figure my best bet is just to try and have fun. I know it might benefit him for me to discipline him into playing violin at 3, learning to read by 2, soldering projects by <unreasonably low age for electrical engineering here>, but I don't think I could handle that if I were him, and I don't want to impose that on him.
But I DO have that plot- to show the way. To do interesting stuff and invite him along. To keep my door open and try to tempt the poor tyke ever-so-subtly into reading, programming, talking, laughing, telling jokes, and all the like.
We joke that he's going to discover sports and use them to rebel against me, because I'm no good at most of them and can scarcely imagine something so uninteresting as "Playing Catch"- but if he's interested in it of himself, I'll follow along- it's only fair if I'm trying to tempt him to follow in my footsteps, that I allow him to guide me, too! I just- mean, I'm waxing all peotic and shit here- I really just intend to interact with him about as much as he'll let me, have as much fun as we can together, and when opportunities arise (lazy summer days!!?!) - throw in some volcano making, some quark songs, some amateur electrical engineering, some mod programming in there- I want so much for the folks who says that "Play is the best education for a child" to be right, that I reckon I'll give it a go. :D
For now, at a month old, that involves me talking to him just about endlessly- telling him stories (mostly that I make up out of my head, he and I have made some good ones so far!! :) ) and yammering about the news, the weather, the holidays, philosophy, math, genetics, etc., and then listening when he makes noises back and telling him how much I love to listen to the noises. :D
I don't know for sure if it will work out like I hope, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Uh, will report back in 17 years? :D
But I DO have that plot- to show the way. To do interesting stuff and invite him along. To keep my door open and try to tempt the poor tyke ever-so-subtly into reading, programming, talking, laughing, telling jokes, and all the like.
We joke that he's going to discover sports and use them to rebel against me, because I'm no good at most of them and can scarcely imagine something so uninteresting as "Playing Catch"- but if he's interested in it of himself, I'll follow along- it's only fair if I'm trying to tempt him to follow in my footsteps, that I allow him to guide me, too! I just- mean, I'm waxing all peotic and shit here- I really just intend to interact with him about as much as he'll let me, have as much fun as we can together, and when opportunities arise (lazy summer days!!?!) - throw in some volcano making, some quark songs, some amateur electrical engineering, some mod programming in there- I want so much for the folks who says that "Play is the best education for a child" to be right, that I reckon I'll give it a go. :D
For now, at a month old, that involves me talking to him just about endlessly- telling him stories (mostly that I make up out of my head, he and I have made some good ones so far!! :) ) and yammering about the news, the weather, the holidays, philosophy, math, genetics, etc., and then listening when he makes noises back and telling him how much I love to listen to the noises. :D
I don't know for sure if it will work out like I hope, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Uh, will report back in 17 years? :D