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I might get downvoted for sharing the following anecdote. I've a niece whom I absolutely adore. I try to steer her now and then to software development as a ca

I might get downvoted for sharing the following anecdote. I've a niece whom I absolutely adore. I try to steer her now and then to software development as a career. She's 14 so I don't expect much focus out of her, but her curiosity for it just doesn't seem to be there. Her brother is 11, and it couldn't be more obvious to me that he is much more adept at tinkering, even though I've never broached the subject with him. My niece will usually agree with me so I'll stop talking, then go on facebook or netflix or look up kardashian news (not a stereotype, this is 100% what happens). I'm still trying to figure out a way to reach her, but so far every effort has been met with active disinterest. She says she likes the perks that I seem to get (flexible hours, work from home, decent pay, etc.), so at least there's hope she could still be drawn to that eventually

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
Trouble is kids are taught from an early age what things they should like. Even if you don't tell them they shouldn't do certain things, their friends, society, the media will. That's not to say you should force your kids to follow the career of your choosing. Nor is it to say it's necessarily because of the above that they have developed such interests.
Mz 11y ago
You need to find a way to package your message in a more appealing manner. My oldest son dragged me into playing Master of Magic by telling me "It is like SimCity (my favorite game)." and helping me play it to emphasize the civilization building aspects. :-) (Edit: I'm his mom.)
jack-r-abbit 11y ago
Some might advise you to keep pushing her and pushing her because "we need more women in STEM" and all that. I would advise you to just let her be. We like to teach our children that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up. So... maybe she doesn't want to be a software developer. "We need more women in STEM... even if we have to drag them kicking and screaming", said no one ever.
- facepalm 11y ago
  I used to ridicule my sister for liking Barbie dolls and books about ponies. She grew up to become a physician despite playing with dolls in her youth, so I think all is well.
- TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
  What is needed is to stop pushing women out of STEM (believe it or not, many girls are attracted to it) and encourage them to get into it to the same degree we do for boys. You're absolutely right that force is not the way to go.

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago

Trouble is kids are taught from an early age what things they should like. Even if you don't tell them they shouldn't do certain things, their friends, society, the media will. That's not to say you should force your kids to follow the career of your choosing. Nor is it to say it's necessarily because of the above that they have developed such interests.

Mz 11y ago

You need to find a way to package your message in a more appealing manner. My oldest son dragged me into playing Master of Magic by telling me "It is like SimCity (my favorite game)." and helping me play it to emphasize the civilization building aspects. :-) (Edit: I'm his mom.)

jack-r-abbit 11y ago

Some might advise you to keep pushing her and pushing her because "we need more women in STEM" and all that. I would advise you to just let her be. We like to teach our children that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up. So... maybe she doesn't want to be a software developer. "We need more women in STEM... even if we have to drag them kicking and screaming", said no one ever.

facepalm 11y ago
I used to ridicule my sister for liking Barbie dolls and books about ponies. She grew up to become a physician despite playing with dolls in her youth, so I think all is well.
TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
What is needed is to stop pushing women out of STEM (believe it or not, many girls are attracted to it) and encourage them to get into it to the same degree we do for boys. You're absolutely right that force is not the way to go.