Bitcoin Mums

GM! Parents (homeschoolers in particular), what are your thoughts on memorisation and repetition? I used to be vehemently against it, but then I read that neuroscience paper (see my previous notes) and my inner “tiger mom” is itching to order *all* the worksheets… #parentstr #kidstr #school #homeschool #BitcoinMums #bitcoinmoms

GM #parentstr!

GM! Here’s what neuroscientists think of the various education philosophies that are floating around (and have been for at least the past couple of generations). By no means is it comprehensive, but an interesting but of light reading anyway. (It’s an excerpt from the paper I linked in the previous note — go back and check that out if you want to). #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #education #parentstr #kidstr #momstr

Reading an interesting paper on the necessity of “old-school” learning like memorisation in an age of AI. Here’s a good excerpt of its POV: “‘Why memorize it when you can look it up?’ Yet this modern mindset carries a paradox. Just as schools and students began relying on calculators and the internet, a significant shift occurred. Decades of steadily rising IQ scores—the famed Flynn Effect—suddenly leveled off and even began to reverse in several high-income countries. Although IQ is undoubtedly influenced by multiple factors, considerable evidence suggests this educational shift away from explicit content instruction and memorization, combined with increased reliance on external memory aids and continuous digital distractions, has actively contributed to declining cognitive performance. Full paper available as PDF download here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5250447 #parentstr #education #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #school #schooling #homeschool #homeschooling

GM!

Dinnertime woes: why is it so common for kids to struggle with vegetables? I sneak them into smoothies and ground beef etc. but are there any veggie-convert kids out there? I’ve heard of some kids loving them from the start (lucky you 😭) but how about kids that don’t, how do they eventually make the 180? (In true maxi style, my one loves steak 😅) #parentstr #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #carnivore #kidstr #kids #parenting

I’ve mentioned before that I found Dr. Vanessa Lapointe’s “Discipline Without Damage” a useful book on understanding child development and behaviour. I’ve just picked up her new(er) book, “Parenting Right From The Start”, which addresses everything from newborn to about 3 — but I think that even if your child is older, if you haven’t done the “work” of resolving your own past triggers/traumas, you could benefit from it too, because goodness knows raising children brings out the absolute best AND worst in you! I’m only about a fifth of the way in, but here are a couple of quotes I really like about the neurological need for connection (as opposed to disconnection strategies like time-outs and loss of privileges when the kid isn’t “behaving”. Or, if you like in psych-speak, attachment parenting vs. behaviourist parenting): “Our role as parents is to promote our child's development rather than create circumstances or conditions that get in the way of it. When children don't get the connection they need they cannot be released fully to their developmental pathway.” “Unfortunately, our current parenting culture […] suggests parents are supposed to toughen up their little humans and get them ready for the real world. But the job of parenting is not to grow children who are hardened. Rather, it is to grow children who are hardy, resilient, and who will contribute to making the world a better place.” #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #parenting #mumstr #momstr #kids #kidstr

I’ve followed the “AI-driven” Alpha Schools for a little while, and this article gives a few more nuggets than the others I’ve read about how the school works on a daily basis. Alpha School is just one part of this longform piece, and to be frank, I think the whole piece is a little disjointed and trying too hard at finding a common thread among disparate communities (Effective Altruism, Alpha School, The Sovereign Child (anyone read it?), unschoolers…), but if you imagine reading each section on its own, it’s still a nice little slice of the education zeitgeist. https://archive.is/Id6ay #mumstr #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #parentstr #parenting #kids

Dipping into the topic of “aristocratic tutoring” (see: a couple of notes ago), I thought, strange that today’s aristocratic kids go to school. So I decided to look up the school that the British royals send their boys to, and how it was founded. Guys, I’m sorry to say that even “elite” Eton was founded to upskill the slave class (whom they controlled) while the elites themselves continued to hire private tutors. Something to be reminded of if you think sending your kid to a “good school” is the only thing that matters. #parentstr #mumstr #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #education #school #unschooling #sovereigneducation

Happy Monday Nostriches! #mumlife #parentstr #mumstr #momstr

I have friends who are TTC (trying to conceive) or pregnant recently and knowing that I’m a huge nerd who basically designed a PhD-level reading list for myself to learn all things pregnancy and early childhood, asked me for recommendations on what to read. After about 40 books, I have four picks: 1) On pregnancy: Expecting Better by Emily Oster. I currently subscribe to Oster’s ParentData newsletters and while I will say I don’t always agree with her data-only approach (eg. sleep training), Expecting Better was helpful for a first-time pregnancy, especially because there are so many old wives’ tales, and it’s just nice to have some clarity and at least a starting point that helps you research further and ask the right questions. (Which is how I now approach ParentData). 2) More on pregnancy: Nurture by Erica Chidi. Most people know very little about the physiology of pregnancy and their options on the medical front. To be honest, I was a little afraid of giving birth and read about a dozen books on this subject alone. This was by far the most empowering in terms of teaching you the biology, how to advocate for yourself in medical settings and also simply in tone. It was like being able to interview a friend who is also a hugely experienced midwife. 3) Infant brain development, especially sleep: The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum. As alluded to in the first book rec, I don’t believe data is everything (I can’t stand epidemiology in general) — science is a huge piece of the puzzle, and this is a brilliant book by a neuroscientist who has studied infant brains for years. The gamechanging takeaway in this book for me is that sleep training is not ok, the neuroscience doesn’t support it, even if the data seemingly does. In short, sleep is a biological need and you can’t “train” it when they’re infants (even when it appears you did and you’re undisturbed for a full night, it’s not because the baby didn’t wake up, they would have, but you’ve trained them to not ask for you, which is terrible for their stress hormone and they will end up having trouble with it their whole lives). 4) Behaviour: Discipline without damage by Vanessa Lapointe. I read a ton of behaviour books and for me, none made more sense, and was more applicable than this one. Many other popular ones had lots of scripts, and while they gave me a general understanding, I didn’t feel like I knew how to embody all that as a parent. Something that really clicked for me in this book is the idea of a parent having “swagger” — to show confident, kind leadership without having to be permissive and watch your boundaries melt away, while also being empathetic, approachable and trustworthy. The theory is that kids need a leader to model and go to for safety etc. and that consistent boundaries provided lovingly are really the best thing you can give your children. It’s “gentle” parenting but by no means permissive. I’ll add that I have no specific recommendations on books about education. I read quite a few (you’ll see some quoted in previous notes), but I find each to be very focused on the author’s philosophy/method/curriculum of choice. They were all helpful in giving me an idea of what’s possible, but ultimately choosing one is like choosing an education pathway, whereas at the moment I’m more keen to observe my own child to see what works. So unfortunately that means I think you should read all of them 😂 But one easy conclusion from having read so many is that schools as we know them are a complete sham, they are designed to create worker bees, even elite schools (they just churn out higher paid worker bees, ahem, bankers). If you’ve read any of the books I’ve mentioned or have other recommendations or thoughts, do comment and share! Maybe this could be the beginning of a little #BitcoinMums Book Club…? #momstr #mumstr #kids #parentstr #parenting #bitcoinmoms #family #pregnancy #education #children #dadstr

Came across an interesting article about “aristocratic tutoring” ie. one on one learning that was the norm for rich families. They hired tutors, usually experts in their subjects, and the kids learned incredibly deeply and quickly. (The author notes it was once the norm to teach kids to read at 2-3 years old; that was the hook for this article because he taught his kid to read referencing these methods). It’s very much the opposite of “schools” as we know it and quite similar to some forms of homeschooling. However, more “free” or “play-based” philosophies will tell you not to bother with reading until around 7, or “whenever they need it, they’ll learn it” kinda thing. Aristocratic tutoring also reminds me of concepts like Alpha School in the US, where they use AI screen-based learning to complete academics in 2 hours per day, and the rest of the time, the kids learn life skills or other skills they’re interested in like sports or carpentry. Article here: https://www.thefp.com/p/i-taught-my-three-year-old-to-read-tutoring-education-culture #mumstr #momstr #homeschool #unschool #bitcoinmums #bitcoinmoms #kidstr #education

Storytime: I started this account when my daughter was 1 and a bit. As a new mum, I had (and still have) no idea what I’m doing, but the logic was that Bitcoiners think differently – about everything – so surely that would apply to #parenting too. Or maybe it doesn’t and I’m just being too optimistic 😂 So, tell me, has Bitcoin affected how you raise a family, and if so, how?

Hello Nostr, I’ve been away a long, long time! How’s parenting going for you these days? #bitcoinmums #bitcoinmoms #momstr #mumstr #parentstr #kids #kidstr

This is so lovely ❤️ nostr:note1dmc27ljsgpx2rfkz489c6gg2qdrjeg07mret4c6mucev9rh6ls7qmwsnp0

A very belated Happy New Year everyone! Things have been slow for me on Nostr because life has been way too busy – but I just wanted to come on to share another parenting book I’ve been reading, Discipline Without Damage by Dr. Vanessa Lapointe. I know the title sounds a bit ick but it’s actually the best book I’ve read so far about not so much “disciplining”, but connecting with your kids, which is way deeper than punishment-reward cycles and even Dr Becky who, as much as she was a great intro to gentle/connection parenting, now strikes me as a bit too scripted. Here’s a little excerpt I really like about finding your way when you’re basically at your wit’s end: “If you ever blank out about how to respond to your child, remember this: hold relationship as your bottom line.”

Hey friends, I'm back after a loooong stint (mostly because of solo parenting, oof)! How have you all been? How's #parenting going this holiday season? #bitcoinmums #bitcoinmoms #kids

Where in the world is a garbage truck called a "dustbin lorry"?! Quite funny sometimes when you buy books from all around the world 😂 #English #mumstr #momstr #kidstr #kids #parenting #family

Just read this in Summerhill School by A. S. Neill and extrapolating beyond school and childhood, is this why society isn't as free as we want it to be? "Freedom works best with those who have enough combined free emotion and free intelligence to absorb it." Back to unschooling or "free" schools, he's saying that only those with average and above IQs should be doing it. Is this a bit harsh? Or is it simply real talk? #parenting #mumstr #momstr #kids #kidstr

"My view is that a child is innately wise and realistic. If left to himself without adult suggestion of any kind, he will develop as far as he is capable of developing. Logically, Summerhill is a place in which people who have the innate ability and wish to be scholars will be scholars; while those who are only fit to sweep the streets will sweep the streets. But we have not produced a street cleaner so far. Nor do I write this snobbishly, for I would rather see a school produce a happy street cleaner than a neurotic scholar" - A.S. Neill, founder of Summerhill School