[joelhooks]

So far none of my kids have really cared about coding at all. We’ve got python books, js books, ruby books, scratch, Lego Mindstorms, arduinos... they aren’t interested. Definitely wouldn’t pick it up unless prompted.

We home educate, so they have access and time to explore.

Nope.

Our oldest picked it up after a 6 month stint making sandwiches when they were 17.

“Dad, can I still learn to code?”

I miss the days when “tell turtle forward 50” was amazing.

[xstartup]

I and my wife discuss programming matters in front of our kids. And my kids listen to the discussions and want to be part of it.

Then I start teaching the basics, they are a bit more willing to hear.

Here the incentive for them is to be part of the club where interesting things are happening.

We laugh at coding jokes which kids don't appear to understand which leaves them confused.

So, it seems they are aware they lack some understanding because of which they are unable to understand us.

The same idea has worked for math, playing musical instruments like keyboard/ukelele, physical exercises like skipping ropes or air pushups.

If I simply give them a computer or ukelele, they won't be interested as they don't know how to hold a ukulele or have no one to tell them how to hold it right and how to fuse a chord progression with the strumming pattern. These things are not obvious by just watching or hits and trials on a guitar/ukelele.

[icc97]

> "tell turtle forward 50"

I actually am reminded of this a lot when using SVG: [0]

> Pick up the pen and move it to 50,50

> Put down the pen and draw a line to 100,100

[0]: https://css-tricks.com/svg-path-syntax-illustrated-guide/

[deltateam]

my first [uninformed] thought is that there is no external reason why they would want to

for me its typically to build a tool, or get paid + subsidize my own ventures from getting paid. my own ventures are run much cheaper because I don't need to pay a developer.

after hitting the glass ceiling doing dev work for other people, one of those coding reasons became obsolete, simultaneously this means the cost of having other devs run my software ventures is also much more practical. having devs onboarded means I can also throw random unrelated tasks at them to build the tool I imagined. I may not have any reason to want to code anymore

A kid raised at this socioeconomic level may not see a reason why they need to.

I also was never interested in coding before real world problems arose. Academic stuff, and book lessons never stuck for me.

also, yes they could simply be not interested.

[ChikkaChiChi]

You may want to look into Minecraft and some of the automation modifications. I know older versions of Minecraft you can get have mods like ComputerCraft that let you program a Turtle to mine for you :)