Tips for Parents of a Budding Scientist

When a child is "into science" and likes "sciencey stuff", what can a parent do to keep the flame alive and help fulfilling a dream?

In almost 20 years spent toiling in a laboratory I have learned a few things about science that may not be common knowledge. I share them here.

A scientist is naturally curious and inquisitive. Kids ask many questions and in an ideal world mum & dad not only know the answers, but also how to explain things in a simple and correct way. Hard indeed but this is what we should always aim for.
The worst thing one can do is to dismiss a question by giving a wrong, oversimplified reply. The problem is, even a question as simple as "how do we know that the earth is round?" has no straightforward answer. I think however that it is good for a child to learn that there are things that mum and dad don't know. It is never too early to learn that the world we live in is a very complicated place, and the laws of nature have been a source of puzzling and amazement since ancient times.
A difficult question becomes the opportunity to say "let's find it out together" and demonstrate how to learn something independently. And a blissful moment may come when your answer is "great question, no one knows that, one day you may be the one who finds it".

Your local library is your best friend and beats Internet most of the times. Books are great when it comes to structured, organised and well-explained information. It always surprises me to see how many good books there are, explaining complex information in accessible ways. 
One of the tricky questions above triggers a trip to the library and you come home with a book packed with facts - maybe even the answer you are looking for! Your child does not need to read it all, just flipping pages can give the idea of how science moves in fields, and how wide and deep a single field can be.

Internet is great when you are looking for activities. Whether it is making home made pH indicator strips from red cabbage, or extracting DNA from strawberries, there are many things that can be tried at home with little equipment and easy to find ingredients.

Maths matter, maths don't matter much. Like it or not, maths have become increasingly pervasive in science even in fields that are not obviously maths-based. On the other hand being a maths genius is not strictly necessary. Personally I struggle with abstract concepts and I have colleagues a bit slow with their times tables. Our maths is not stellar but good enough to get the job done.

Coding. As a scientist, chances are high that you'll have to code your own tools or collaborate with people who code for a living. The sooner you start, the better. There are many resources for children, young kids can start with Scratch while Python (maybe with Pygame) is great for high schoolers.

LEGO or any other modular building toys are a great way to develop a specific set of skills that are missing from traditional school curricula: the ability to design, create blueprints in our mind and turn them into reality. It's hard work disguised as play.

Cooking or baking. This may sound odd, but a child that learns to cook learns that reality is not made of perfectly interlocking elements (as opposed to LEGO mentioned above) and that processes are influenced by innumerable variables on which we have limited control. By cooking you experience first-hand the complexity of the world. Any other hands-on crafting activity is good, but to  my knowledge cooking fits the bill at best.

Anything fostering teamwork and collaboration. The age of the lonely scientist having eureka moments in cupboard-sized laboratories is over - if it ever existed. Science is collaborative, being a good communicator and team player is critical. So if your kid likes to code for hours alone in his bedroom, look for another loner in the neighbourhood and make them code for hours side-by-side. They may even have conversations!

... That's it. I hope you find some of this suggestions useful!

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