source: stockvault
Warning: Please do not treat this as a checklist to judge your kid by. These are factors that may make your child more inclined towards tech if they are present in his/her life. Here are
signs that your kid is a techie.
1. S/he shows signs of technology addiction.
This is not necessarily a positive sign, of course, but it's a fairly reliable indicator. If your child spends a lot of time watching TV, playing video games, using the computer, or all of the above, it means s/he has become facile with technology enough to be addicted to it. Beyond that, however, what other signs are there? The following are also signs that your child may have a higher intelligence.
2. S/he is a fast learner.
If you can leave your child by himself or herself, and she can figure out how to solve problems or handle situations on their own, then s/he can figure out how to use gadgets on their own. Furthermore, it makes it more likely that they would like playing with and using gadgets themselves.
3. S/he has interests in different fields, such as music, arts, reading and writing, cooking, etc.
This might puzzle some viewers. How does an interest in music/drawing/writing etc peg your child to be a techie? Well, the idea is that some children are genetically wired with the temperament that makes it easier for them to learn skills. If they show a higher interest in learning a certain skill, than they are malleable to learning the skills needed to handle technology.
Note that I was careful not to call it a talent, because this is such a loaded and misunderstood word. A talent for music does not translate to someone being a great musician. That talent needs to be nurtured and developed by long deliberate practice to become great. This also applies to techie kids, of course; if you give them the freedom and the opportunities to learn how to use technology early on, they will get much better at it as time passes by.
4. S/he is emotionally secure
This may not seem that relevant, but it is. Kids with high self esteem will not worry about what other kids think when they indulge themselves in 'nerdy' techie endeavors. They will be open minded enough to understand why other kids do not like what they do, and will happily do their own thing. Of course, this does not protect them from being bullied or just feeling different, and you need to be on guard for that, but overall they should be confident enough to play with nontechie friends. If they have problems with sociability or self-esteem, they have to be handled appropriately, but overall emotionally secure children are more likely to follow through in their interests.
5. S/he has parents or other family members in tech who can enable their interest
May people in the realm of technology, such as Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, and countless others benefited from having had relatives who were also in technology. More than inspiration, these relatives helped them get their first exposures and big breaks into the field.
6. S/he wants to know how things work.
Many of us take it for granted when we grow up, but truth be told, many of us do not know how our computers or tablets work. Most of us would not understand heads or tails of the parts of a stopwatch. Most of us have probably forgotten how batteries connect circuits, even if we made night lights that ran on potatoes as children. It’s that kind of curiosity that you find in a techie kid early on, and that is the quality that you want to nurture in them.
7. S/he likes building things.
Now, this is not a trait found in all techie kids, but it’s definitely something that can set them up in several different fields. Of course, it’s easy to imagine that if they play with brick toys, they would want to grow up to be engineers. However, builders are just as likely to become programmers or artists.
8. S/he can be left to his/her own devices (so to speak).
A techie kid is not easily bored, if you give him/her something engaging. And yes, you could give them an iPad, or leave them in front of a computer, but they could be just as interested with a notepad, paper and scissors, a (toy) musical instrument, a RC toy, a die cast car, a kite, etc.
9. S/he has a boundless curiosity of the world beyond what he sees.
If your child will sit down to listen to a story about pirates or Roman gods, or keeps asking you questions about how many countries there are in the world and what languages each country has and things like that, it reflects a desire to learn more about the world beyond them. This is a great characteristic! It means your child is also capable of seeing the bigger picture.
10. They tell or show you they are techies on their own.
At the end of the day, you can see for yourself if your child has an inclination towards tech, gadgets and science. Some of them will even tell you themselves.
If these signs are not present in your child's life and you want him/her to get more into technology, you can take the initiative to bring them in. You can introduce them to people who are in the tech industry, and nurture skills that would be useful to them as techies later. Of course, you also need to set reasonable limits to their exposure to gadgets, and let them explore nontechie activities (sports, social play) as well. Whatever you do, make sure to keep their happiness and well-being in mind. Do you want to feature your techie kid?
Do you have a proud parent moment of a tech kiddie?
