I love being a geeky mommy and figuring out what that means for me with Harley. It’s a daily journey as I try to learn how to be a mommy, and a geeky mommy at that. However, there are some awesome ladies who are further along on the path and have some really cool ideas that I’m totally going to steal. Welcome to the Geeky Mommy Files, where every Friday, I will be introducing you to one.
I first encountered Lynette when I was looking into the state of women in tech in South Africa. She is one of those incredible super moms – running her own business while raising two adorable kids. As more of a techno-geek, she has some interesting ideas about how much tech kids should be allowed to us, as well as some fun ambitions for courses for her little ones.
What makes you geeky?
I spend my spare time playing with apps and reading up on tech trends 🙂
Also I would rather spend any spare cash I have (or sometimes just my credit card) on acquiring the latest gadgets – I am an early adopter when it comes to technology.
Is your partner also into geek culture?
YES
How have you shared geek life with your spawnlings so far?
Both my kids have had an early start to technology, from their leap frog books at birth. My son (who is now 10) would play linux games at age 3 (hubby set it up on his pc) and Hannah (now 8) got the hang of the iPad in 2010 at age 2 (I got my hands on an iPAd 2 weeks after it was launched). Since then they both have been on scratch programming courses and code during their spare time. They both love building lego and are Minecraft obsessed. Both also love playing video games on the play station and wii.
I used to blog back in the day, here is one about Hannah : http://mystechblog.com/post/6672399980/top-5-ipad-apps-as-tried-and-tested-by-hannah-age
What are your plans for future geekery with them? (if any)
They will both be doing robotic courses later this year. I am hoping to also get Ryan involved in advanced programming courses. Unfortunately the school he attends does not offer Computer Science as a subject at high school so my goal over the next 2 years is to find a suitable high school that offers a computer science course that he will enjoy.
How does being a geek change your parenting style? (if at all)
Not at all. We are a tech family and the kids somehow just integrated with us. Hannah also loves the arts (drama) but has a love for technology too. She watches Apple Keynotes with me 🙂
If you could give other moms one piece of advice, what would it be?
Find your rhythm with your child. Everything needs to be utilised in moderation of course, but I noticed there are opposing views about how much tv/game/tech time a kid should have. I am strict when it comes to age appropriate games (like tv viewing) and I try to let my kids have a healthy balance. Likewise I totally respect other moms who choose to minimise the amount of ‘geek’ time their kids are allowed. All parents are different and everyone needs to find what works for them. I will support my kids love for tech as long as it interests them.
You can find Lynette on her blog, twitter, and Instagram, as well as her company on twitter and Instagram.
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