Do I want to enroll my 8-year-old kid to a coding class?

 Just last week I got a call from an executive from a company asking whether I would be interested in enrolling my kid to a coding class. Before replying to his query, I questioned him how he got my contact details because he already knew I have a son who studies in 3^rd grade. That bothered me. He replied nonchalantly that his company’s app was installed in a phone which provided the phone number, perhaps by someone at home or kid himself. He in fact tried to justify saying it’s a Samsung brand phone on which it was installed. I seriously doubted all those things as I don’t have that brand phone at home and none at home have installed it. Anyways, without any argument on this I told him I’m NOT interested.

Let me first begin listing some of the common activities a 7-8 years old would be busy with:

• Academic learning involving:
• 2-3 languages, expanding vocabulary and grammar.
• Mathematics that might include addition, subtraction and basic multiplication may be.
• Other subjects about nature, environment and general knowledge.
• Games such as cricket, badminton, cards, LEGO, mobile/computer games etc.
• May be, learning some musical instruments, singing, dance or karate.
• Household interests like cooking, understanding ingredients etc.

And now let me try to explain what ‘coding’ means without going into details. Broadly speaking, coding is a process of writing some lines of code, which will subsequently go into some machines like computers or mobile phones, and finally make them do some intended tasks. These lines of code, also called programs, can be written in different computer languages which have their own ways (syntax - grammar and vocabulary).

To accomplish this, we need to:

• Understand how things work from those machine’s or system’s perspective
• Learn and understand a programming language and its syntax
• To write those lines, we need to understand the whole process involved; Understanding the task for which you are writing the code, constructing the logic and details required to get that done

So, as you can imagine, this coding would require a person to have a capability to grasp all the different aspects of the system, or a task for which the code is written, importantly the programming jargons and other logical and mathematical calculations; at least basics if not high level.

The company folks who are planning to provide coding classes to young ones MIGHT be doing following things:

• Exposing the kids and their parents to the world of coding.
• Making the whole coding experience for the audience an intuitive and interesting with small app development and real use cases.
• Providing some techniques or simulators that might make things easier.
• Not trying to explain in-depth and complex aspects etc.
• (Regardless of all the above, they need to target the right audience IMO)

But I believe:

• The onus is on the parents to decide what their kids need and try to understand the details first before putting their kids through things. There might be many people out there selling products, classes and things, but it's you who have to decide what's best for you and your kids.
• Coding is not a one-time activity that you do it once and done. It needs commitment and need to keep practicing it regularly just like any other activities like playing a musical instrument or learning non-native language.
• Nobody should go overboard in portraying coding a means of getting rich overnight. Nobody in the right minds will knock at your doors and try to buy any simple app for big bucks.
• No need to portray it as a big service to the nation too. (I mean, seriously?!)
• It’s not a mugging up activity where you just do what is told without much understanding. In fact, I hated it when the 2nd grade class syllabus asked kids to mug up different frame/copy/paste/save operations of a random Animation app as part of school computer subject.
• Age, capability & their interest must be considered. Kids should be able to understand the details otherwise they get will get stressed out and, in the process, they start disliking it. Why do you think many kids/grown-ups hate mathematics?! 😛
• Young kids are quick learners, but that doesn't mean you start teaching them rocket science. The building blocks should be in place. And in a way the education system is doing that job (Whether it needs an update or correction is altogether a different topic for some other time).
• Keep in mind, coding is one of the many skill sets out there. You cannot simply  expect an 8 year-old kid to understand how bank finances work, or internal organs of our body & their functionalities, or how a car engine  works, unless he/she is a super kid with a great IQ.

Considering all these aspects, I would NOT want my 8-year-old kid to go to any coding classes right now as I want him to enjoy what he is currently doing i.e. enjoy school classes, playing games, making friends, understanding feelings, etc. When its right time let him understand what coding is and if interested venture into it.

Comments are welcome.

Parenting

Recently, I came across a rather obnoxious video in which a kid is being taught in a very wrong way. In fact, she is slapped hard by her own mother while being taught. What was more disturbing in it is the fact that the kid is just around 3-4 years old and all her rage and emotions against being taught aggressively is ruthlessly ignored. The kid turns quite violent too and pleads desperately asking her mother to tell politely but to no avail. Instead of realizing the gravity of the seriousness and the torture the kid is going through, the mother is recording the whole ordeal.
And just guess what the kid was being taught?! She was learning the numbers "1, 2, 3, 4, 5". This is like the first set of lessons one starts with. And how is it being handled? Atrocious!

I'm sure many of you would have already come across this video which I am talking about in Whatsapp groups or Facebook feeds or for that matter in the news articles. [11/09/2017 Updated: I had provided a youtube link to the video which apparently is removed now.]

And today I came across one more article which reported that she is singer Toshi's niece. But his statement about this whole incident astonishes me further. He says (sic):"Ek maa ki mamta hai, judgment nahi kar sakte hain. Jisne usko 9 months kokh mein rakha hai. Ab agar bachche zidd karenge toh unko padana likhana chod dein kya? Bachon ko paalna asaan nahi hota. (One can't judge a mother's love for the child by seeing a short video. If children throw tantrums, then should we stop teaching them? It's not easy to raise children)".
I wonder what's more pathetic, the attempt to convince or the reason provided.

Now, I know many would feel that this behavior of the concerned mother isn't a big deal. They would also say that this is not something unusual in this part of the world. They will even try to further explain that there is a need to be strict with the kids otherwise they would become stubborn, and beating the kids doesn't mean the parents don't love them and etc. But I have to disagree with those opinions. And I mean it.

I had my own share of experience while growing up, both at receiving end and at the other end as well. I remember my mom being strict on occasions but all she wanted was me to improve, to learn and be good at. And I also know her strictness doesn't mean that she loved me any less. On the contrary, she loved so she was hard on me and my siblings sometimes. In fact, I remember myself also being hard and aggressive with my brothers when I tutored them. And I regret being that way. Wish I knew how to be polite and also effective at the same time. In a way, we all tend to pick things from our parents or from the surroundings we grow and that carries through when we become parents. May be or may be not.
But what I know for sure is that this should stop. People should accept the fact that this is not the right way of teaching or parenting. They should try to acknowledge there are better ways do deal and accept that they were wrong. Nothing wrong in it. It only makes them a better person or a parent.

Frankly speaking, my journey as a father so far has been enriching. I surely have learnt a lot from my 5 year old kid than what he might have learnt from me. At times, I have seen myself being tough on my kid but seeing his reactions I have only learnt that my ways were wrong. It made me realize that I can manage things in a better way and be a better father. Someone rightly has said, 'When we become parents we don't teach, we learn'. I certainly know how the kids, being kids, test our patience and give every reason to lose our cool. But these are exactly the occasions which will show us whether we are good parents or not.

Going forward, I certainly wish to see one change in our society. We all should learn how to raise kids in the best possible manner, understand their feelings, understand how their mind works, the ill-effects of our actions and try to refrain from being hard on the kids unnecessarily. This change in society can only happen if we as an individuals try to learn things by watching others, by reading about kids and more importantly by being the best what we can be.