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How to Get Kids to Do Chores: Does the Maya Method Work?

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233 points Xcelerate | 1 comments | 04 Sep 18 00:03 UTC | HN request time: 0.297s | source
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interatx ◴[04 Sep 18 02:15 UTC] No.17906150[source]▶
We pair program with new hires on simpler tasks and gradually build them up. Sounds very similar.
replies(1): >>17906184 #
ngngngng ◴[04 Sep 18 02:26 UTC] No.17906184[source]▶
I'm having my first kid soon and have pretty high ambitions for teaching him to program. Maybe I'll try the pair programming/Mayan chore method to get him up to speed.
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aikinai ◴[04 Sep 18 02:29 UTC] No.17906201[source]▶
Maybe better to first wait and see what he/she is interested in?
replies(2): >>17906431 #>>17906517 #
tokyodude ◴[04 Sep 18 03:51 UTC] No.17906517[source]▶
I don't know where the balance is and I'm not a parent but... I feel like I wish my parents had forced me to learn a musical instrument. My whole fathers side of the family plays/played. Some famiously so. My parents took the "if he shows interest attitude"

I know of almost zero kids that enjoy practicing their instrument as a kid yet I believe the majority of adults are happy for the experience. (I have no data tho). I certainly just wanted to do other things (play with friends) so I showed no or not enough interest for my parents to push/encourge learning an instrument.

Assuming I'm correct following the advice of "see what they're interested in" would seem to lead to worse outcomes at some level.

of course I'm not suggesting shoving things down their throats so to speak rather it seems like there's room for some balance between only encourage their interest and require them to do x?

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1. ngngngng ◴[04 Sep 18 15:14 UTC] No.17909588[source]▶
That's one of my internal struggles as I prepare to be a parent. My parents forced me to do soccer and piano, even though I was terrible for years and years. Now i'm a pretty decent soccer player, and very skilled pianist.

I want to give my kids the opportunity to pursue wherever their interests take them, but at the same time, I think most kids could use some pushes to be well rounded. I definitely needed that.