Parents, how do you raise BTC-proud children? \ stacker news ~bitcoin

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Parents, how do you raise BTC-proud children?

2092 sats \ 23 comments \ @cryotosensei 3 Oct 2023 bitcoin

I’m sure you won’t consciously go out of your way to orange pill someone but what if that someone is your own child? Would you take specific steps to mould his mindset the right way and let him be assimilated into the Bitcoin Standard as soon as possible?

If you are already a parent, I would like to know any insights that you may have on the topic of raising BTC-proud children. My toddler is four years old. As reluctant as I am, I am teaching him the ways of the fiat world - the value of various coins, how to save, how to budget etc. So I have some time to prepare myself mentally about how to raise him properly.

I was thinking that games could be the right avenue to introduce him to sats. Apps like Zebedee have pretty attractive games. Maybe he would take to a few of them and enjoy gaining some sats through playing.

Anything else that you are doing?

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366 sats \ 3 replies \ @kepford 3 Oct 2023

I don't have a lot of tips and tricks so I'll focus on the core. Number one they need to respect you and have a positive relationship with you. Your actions need to match your words. Talk is cheap. Action is where it is. Kids are great BS detectors. Words matter so teach your kids. More importantly take ownership of their education both at home and in whatever school they attend. I'm a big proponent of home schooling but the key is to take ownership. That doesn't mean you do it alone.

One last thing, don't seek to raise good kids. Seek to guide your children to adulthood as moral men or women with integrity. I didn't really understand bitcoin until my children were in their teens but they respect my word and actions. They have the option to get paid for chores in bitcoin and do so. They self custody their own bitcoin now and I hope what they have learned and seen from me will stick.

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @Bitman 3 Oct 2023

Wise advice from @kepford here. Letting kids rely on their BS detector is a sound life skill these days - pushing a kid can do the opposite that you want.

I've never pushed mine - they've done work to get Bitcoin. Be prepared that it might be all about the price for them at first though.

You might be inspired by the wisdom in Aesop's fable where the sun and the North wind have a competition : https://fablesofaesop.com/the-north-wind-and-the-sun.html

20 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 4 Oct 2023

Tbh it was all about the price for me at first. Thanks for sharing the fable - enjoyed reading it

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 4 Oct 2023

I’m loving what you say. I’m a teacher irl and know just how important keeping my word is. The kids need to know where I stand and that I mean business. Nothing else matters.

So what’s the most dreadful household chore you manage to get your kids to do? 😉

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @SimpleStacker 3 Oct 2023

I showed them a Tuttle Twins episode on Bitcoin... it was actually pretty well done and explained the issues with fiat nicely!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 4 Oct 2023

Thanks for drawing this to my attention! I have never heard of Tuttle Twins before!

Also, Episode 3 of the new Futurama season features Bitcoin mining? In the episode "How the West Was 1010001," the main characters owed a debt to the robot mafia and were hence forced to travel West to "Crypto Country”.

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @chungkingexpress 3 Oct 2023

I did an episode talking about this on The Transformation of Value Podcast: 🎧 Growing Up With Bitcoin: How Kids Learn About Money and Value with Bitkiwi Paul

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 4 Oct 2023

Nice! I see that it’s on Fountain, will listen to it

20 sats \ 0 replies \ @lunanto 3 Oct 2023

Zebedee offers a lot for the Bitcoin lIghtning Network community

20 sats \ 0 replies \ @joyepzion 3 Oct 2023

Let them play THUNR games

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @southside263 3 Oct 2023

its easy.

any children born after 2009 can pick up bitcoin easier than adults.
i run a bitcoin node that my 2 year old recognises the "B" and knows it represents "something"
i put bitcoin stickers on my skateboard and around the skatepark - my 5 year old has noticed this.
my 8 year old asked me this week "how does bitcoin work?"
LN wallet..?

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei OP 4 Oct 2023

I think having BTC stickers all over the place is a simple, yet effective idea. Thanks, mate

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @southside263 5 Oct 2023

i remember by nephew and my kids recognizing the 'golden arches' of McDs when they were 2 years old.

so also, the bitcoin brand is a real thing :)

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @ladyluck 3 Oct 2023

Getting your kids school to integrate Bitcoin related games and services

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @fm 3 Oct 2023

Apps like Zebedee have pretty attractive games

Please dont gamify money. its the worst to a child. he will seee it as gambling money learn about how money is a store of energy teach him to take responsability of his own saved energy. you as an adult can discern and use ZBD, a kid.. thas a risky move

110 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei OP 4 Oct 2023

Thanks for the words of advice. Interestingly, my four-year-old already understands the concept of energy. I shall go on this route and develop his understanding further

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @southside263 5 Oct 2023

kids trade toys...

bitcoin is money...

better they learn as kids, instead of when they are raising kids getting REKT lol

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @Bitman 3 Oct 2023

You could start them up very safely by utilizing a Bitcoin testnet wallet.

Here's a good one that has already been mentioned on SN.

This should make it fun and without any stress of making a mistake.

It's also got a section where they can learn too. Plus, they can experience faucets - even though tbtc coins/sats are obviously worthless.

Then you can wean them onto proper BTC when they're ready.

If they've got an android phone there's an app hosted on Fdroid that they can download called Bitcoin Wallet [Testnet]

But the one I'm more familiar with, and has the educational section, is this one: https://github.com/thunderbiscuit/padawan-wallet

With this app you might have to go through an extra few hoops.

Again download and install F-droid via their website (allowing the android phone to install apps from unknown sources), then download the app called Obtainium and allow the app to install apps. This is a really nice app that allows you to search, download and install apps from trusted sites like github.

Come back to me if you need any help.

Good luck with your Palawan's Bitcoin journey!

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei OP 4 Oct 2023

Thanks for the links! Will get back to you when I need help

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bitman 4 Oct 2023

No problem. Glad to help if I can.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @TomK 3 Oct 2023

Starting early to pass responsability and having discussions about earning money, saving it and not spending it for nonsens. I think nowadays with smarthphone and easy to use btc wallets I would start practicing transfers quite early and motivating to build a visible own stack. We for example reduced the fiat shopping attitude by not having a TV (like my parents) and organising a very vital family life with tje fams of my bros and the others of my wife's. It's a process and You should define basic principles together as parents that help You to navigate because there will be wild things happening that You can't control easily.

Wish You a good hand on the cards!

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @brave 3 Oct 2023 freebie

You start by having them place Bitcoin related games where they learn all about the fundamentals of Bitcoin

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 5 Oct 2023

How to raise BTC-proud children

Be a person with integrity. Your words must match your actions because your children are watching. Habits are best absorbed than taught.
Watch pop culture videos where the characters discuss the use of Bitcoin. For instance, Season 2 Episode 3 (Bitcoin and the Beast) of “Tuttle Twins” features Bitcoin? The twins need to decide which is better when selling their dad’s old video game - Bitcoin or fiat. Also, Episode 3 of the new Futurama season features Bitcoin mining? In the episode "How the West Was 1010001," the main characters owed a debt to the robot mafia and were hence forced to travel West to "Crypto Country”.
The use of visuals helps since it concretises the abstract for them. Paste Bitcoin stickers all over the place so that children become familiar with it.
There is a dilemma in which whether parents should use games from THUDR or Zebedee. On the one hand, children get sats easily and in a fun way. On the other hand, they will come to associate gamification with Bitcoin and establish a neural pathway that Bitcoin obtained through gaming is gambling.
Letting your kids use a Bitcoin testnet wallet could scaffold them in picking up the ropes of Bitcoin more conveniently. There’s a Bitcoin Wallet [Testnet] app that you can download for your kids from Fdroid.