Moms who are scientists

[american_mama]

If you are a woman and a scientist, or love science and always studied it even if you aren't one currently, what was your play like as a girl? I ask because my 8 year old daughter loves science. Great, wonderful, DH is an engineer and I can totally see her being an astronaut, meteorologist, physician, or engineer some day. She adores "Nova Science Now" or "Nature" on PBS, and, of lesser quality, BainPop videos online, and will talk about and expand on what she sees there for weeks.

But I am wondering if I am encountering some conflict between what I expect her to like and what she likes. For instance, I was an avid reader as a child, almost always fiction. DD likes to read and pores over Magic Schoolbus or fact books about weather or animals and simple storybooks, but isn't too interested in better quality fiction. This frustrates me, that the only fiction she'll read is really simple stuff, and it just dawned on me today that maybe a lot of kids who like science aren't that into fiction? DH certainly wasn't. If you're a woman and a scientist, what did you read in elementary school?

On the other hand, DD1 loves to play imaginative, play-acting games like Barbies, Polly Pockets, or animal figures. Many times, her outdoor involves acting something out (playing "Dog and Owner" is common) while she and her friends are roving around the playground. This is very similar to what I did as a child.

My latest question is about piano. We have zilcho exposure to piano or music in our household, but I thought DD might like it, especially the reading music/math part of it. She said she was interested, then backed away when I said she'd have to practice. I don't know whether to push, whether to invest the $150 or so in a keyboard just to see, or whether I'm pushing what I did and what I expect a girl to like on DD.

Obviously, many of my questions are just about how to discern my child's interests, how to separate the girl I was from the girl DD is. But her interest in science is strong, so I thought I'd ask for some input from the other scientific ladies on this board.

P.S. I bet you haven't often been called a "scientific lady," have you? :-)

[ThreeofUs]

Imaybe a lot of kids who like science aren't that into fiction? DH certainly wasn't. If you're a woman and a scientist, what did you read in elementary school?

I was interested in the things your DD is interested in, but I also read everything I could get my hands on. Every type of fiction, non-fiction, etc. Even product manuals and shampoo bottles. Weird, I know!



My latest question is about piano. We have zilcho exposure to piano or music in our household, but I thought DD might like it, especially the reading music/math part of it. She said she was interested, then backed away when I said she'd have to practice. I don't know whether to push, whether to invest the $150 or so in a keyboard just to see, or whether I'm pushing what I did and what I expect a girl to like on DD.

I played, and wasn't so happy about practicing. But it was a discipline that was good for me, and I have always wished my mom had been more encouraging of practice. I had friends whose moms made a practice schedule and held them to it (within reason, kwim?), and they really felt better about piano and themselves.


Obviously, I'm not a perfect analog for your DD. But I was and I bet she is in many ways like other kids - needing the same help to develop discipline, etc - but maybe differing a little in tastes.

GL to both of you.

[Elilly]

I played dolls, school, doctor, office etc. But by about 2nd grade, I wanted a microscope for Christmas. I also enjoyed my National Geographic cards about different species of animals that compared sizes, habitat, diet etc. I don't remember being an avid reader though!

[Momof3Labs]

DS1 loooooves science with a passion, and it wasn't until this year (2nd grade) that we've been able to get him to read more fiction. It just really bothered him that some things were made up (a mouse riding a motorcycle? a vampire bunny?). He's finally coming around but not to the better fiction yet. These days, he'll go for Encyclopedia Brown or historical fiction over other types of fiction. I think that he'll get there eventually - perhaps this summer we'll tackle Harry Potter.

In fact, I just stuck a price tag (for our MOMs resale) on a book called Cool Facts for Kids that he rejected because there was something in there that "wasn't true."

[cono0507]

I like "scientific lady"! :)

I read with a passion as a kid. I can't recall exactly the age, but The Little House series many times, all sorts of Choose Your Own Adventure stuff. Babysitters Club. In junior high I couldn't get enough of the "I'm 16 and dying of cancer" genre. LOL. All the Judy Blume stuff. I lived at the library and would read anything, really.

I took piano lessons from grades K-9. I went through phases of how I felt about it at the time. I hated being forced to practice but loved playing and I am SO glad my parents didn't let me quit. They didn't always force me to practice. Instead, they made me suffer the consequences of showing up at my next lesson unprepared, having the piano teacher give me a talking-to and that usually got me motivated enough.

I'm glad my parents supported my interests like it sounds like you are doing. It isn't every girl who asks Santa for a book about how the Space Shuttle works... :)

[lowrioh]

I was really not that into science when I was a kid.
I had a wide range of activities I liked to do..everything from "making" my stuffed animals clothing to building forts in the woods. I think I got really interested in sewing around that age, probably because my grandma was willing to sit and teach me. I was also into cooking and baking...which is a type of chemistry if you think about it.

I was a voracious reader as a kid. I was the kid who had a flashlight in bed because I was up past my bed time. The majority by far was fiction.

I took piano lessons from first to ninth grade and although I was really terrible at it, I actually got a lot out of it. We actually just got a piano with our new house and I have started playing again. Before we got the piano, I was planning on picking up an inexpensive keyboard for DD when she was old enough.

[SnuggleBuggles]

My childhood bf is a scientist and until she was 14yo she showed no signs at all at being interested in science.

Beth

[scrooks]

I like "scientific lady"! :)

I read with a passion as a kid. I can't recall exactly the age, but The Little House series many times, all sorts of Choose Your Own Adventure stuff. Babysitters Club. In junior high I couldn't get enough of the "I'm 16 and dying of cancer" genre. LOL. All the Judy Blume stuff. I lived at the library and would read anything, really.

I took piano lessons from grades K-9. I went through phases of how I felt about it at the time. I hated being forced to practice but loved playing and I am SO glad my parents didn't let me quit. They didn't always force me to practice. Instead, they made me suffer the consequences of showing up at my next lesson unprepared, having the piano teacher give me a talking-to and that usually got me motivated enough.

I'm glad my parents supported my interests like it sounds like you are doing. It isn't every girl who asks Santa for a book about how the Space Shuttle works... :)


This pretty much describes me exactly. I LOVED to read!

[bluestarfish18]

I used to consider myself a scientist. I have a degree in the science field, and shortly worked in the field. What really egged me on were Zoobooks...remember those magazines from the 80's that featured a new type of animal every month?

My dad worked for NASA for a long while and even gave me my first place mat....of the periodic table of elements. We're a little nerdy :)

[crispychicky]

I'm a total science mom! I'm an engineer (or enginerd) by trade and have my degree in electrical engineering.

Like you daughter, I also really liked watching Nova as a kid and nature shows about animals. However, I was not an avid reader. I did read some, but would seldom sit down to read for pleasure. I would have much rather gone outside to play :thumbsup: (I did like the Chose Your Own Adventure books though. I had forgotten about those!)

I think it's great that your DD does lots of imaginative play in addition to her science interests. I think that's a sign that she's well rounded.

About the piano, I definitely think it's a good idea. People who are good at math and logic tend to also be good at music. BUT, I would start with maybe a cheapo electric one and give her a few how-to books and let her play with it on her own. If she decides that it's fun, THEN perhaps start talking about lessons. Being told you have to do something like practice as a kid tends to suck all the fun out of it and make you hate it.

Sounds like to me you're doing an awesome job raising her!:cheerleader1:

[Nyfeara]

I used to watch every animal/nature show that was available. My mom picked up a set of animal encyclopedias from a garage sale - you don't want to know how much time I spent looking those over & teaching myself the scientific names of the animals, etc.

We read a lot too, but outside of Ranger Rick type magazines and other fact-based science books, I liked fiction but wasn't into the typical set for my age. I liked books that had very science-type details included. I liked things where there were details about the types of plants that a medicine woman might use, or how people would make a house of things found in the forest, how to tell plants apart for different purposes, that type of thing. I was also into mythology and things about ancient cultures/archaelogy.

[trales]

Chem prof here. Played with Mr. Wizard's world book of experiments and a microscope. I also loved to cook and play with Barbie.

[JenChem]

I'm a chemist now, but I didn't know I wanted to be one until I was 20! As a kid I devoured books (all books). But if you are leaning toward scientific reading my recommendations are those monthly animal magazine (previously recommended), monthly animal cards (I seriously had 3 boxes worth of these and I loved sorting them), and a book about outdoor games and crafts.

[mommyp]

I'm a scientist, but didn't really get interested in it over other things until high school I guess? I just read everything I could get my hands on as a kid. I also took piano until I was around 15 when the practicing was getting to be too much with my other interests. I also went through love/hate phases with the piano, but I'm very happy that I can read music and I still sing in a choir occasionally. My sister and I played with lego and built a lot of forts and we did lots of imaginative play too. She is an MD now, and she didn't like reading at all until she was around your DD's age.

[Avispa]

Biologist here (PhD). As a child I was reading tons, and everything (fiction, non-fiction, cereal boxes, etc). I also liked to play outside a lot and was into sports.
I played piano from 8-14 yrs old, basically stopped when my parents didn't insist I play anymore. I didn't like practicing, and although I wasn't bad at it, for some reason I didn't feel that I was good enough. Now I totally wish that they would have encouraged me to continue.
I think what children like at a young age does not necessarily determines what they will end up doing. I think the most important thing is to not let your own tastes determine what your DCs should try on. It sounds like you are doing a great job at letting her follow her own path!

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

I'm a total science mom! I'm an engineer (or enginerd) by trade and have my degree in electrical engineering.


So funny! I have "enginerd" down as my occupation on Blogger. :D

I have a CompE undergrad and a EE grad degree.

I LOVED reading as a kid. In 2nd grade, I read Little Women in the 2 weeks I could check it out from the library. I remember that vividly for some reason. I think that was the year I read most of the OZ books. I loved those. I also liked music. I took piano lessons through 6th grade and enjoyed them.

I did 3 sports a year from 1st-5th grade (tball/softball in the Spring, soccer in the Fall and swimming in the Summer). I was okay to not that great at soccer and softball and pretty good at swimming.

I'm not sure I was every like a super science person. I'm more of a math person.

I did want to be a palentologist when I was in K/elementary, but doesn't everyone? :p

[StantonHyde]

I loved, loved, loved science. I didn't become a scientist--math and chemistry are the bane of my existence :D

But, I loved all those Tell Me Why books and I read tons of Nancy Drew Books and every freaking horse book I could get my hands on. I loved being a nature detective and growing vegetables.

I was not in to dolls--stuffed animals, yes, but not dolls.

I think the key thing to cultivate here, is curiosity. Just keep feeding all the science stuff you can. My DD loves paleontology stuff--doesn't know the names of any of it but wants to discover and go on adventures and she really is interested in "Early Humans" and evolution (at 4!). DS is a big time science kid--Legos, Star Wars, and mysteries.

They love science facts, I think, because they can hold them to be true and they make sense of the world that way.

[MizMojoLaveau]

I am in the physical science field (private industry). I was interested in science as a child, but I read, read, read everything. Any type of imaginative play was big for me. Like your daughter, I had only initial interest in musical instruments. It was splitsville once I learned that I would have to practice often. Ended up in percussion as it was not as demanding to just keep up once you learned the basics, so there is a thought for her!

[clb]

I am an engineer. As a kid, I always read a lot... including the smithsonian, nat geo and popular science mags my parents had around the house. My parents were big at having magazines and newspapers for us to read. I think they still get and read 3 daily papers (WSJ, NYT and a local) and a few dozen magazines. My mom was of the idea that if she made material available and saw my parents reading we kids would follow along.

At 14, I begged for piano lessons. I didn't last too long. Found the practice boring.
I always played and was good at several sports. I think that sports can help with discipline and confidence.

[shilo]

i think i was a lot like your DD. i loved and was interested in 'everything about everything' from a young age. i loved to be outside. had a big imagination and although i did play with dolls and my little pony and barbies, by 2nd-3rd ish grade, a lot of that play centered around themes like barbie takes her horse to the vet or natalie (my cabbage patch doll) needs surgery ;). you get the idea. i was also really lucky that we had a program here called lyceum as well as the off-site GATE program in my district growing up here which exposed me to a ton of scientific topics as well as the whole concept of scientific inquiry from a very young age. i couldn't get enough of all the hands-on science stuff anywhere we went. in fact, i'd say my future was pretty much decided for me at age 7 when i dissected my first fetal pig and frogs and cow's eyeballs and got to see how the inside of our bodies work first hand. i.was.enthralled.

i also did not like to read for pleasure at all when i was younger. i'm not sure if that had to do with my love of science at all or not. i just didn't really like chapter stories. i liked short stories like in magazines, or like someone else said, things like instruction manuals or the ingredients list on things held an odd fascination for me. i loved to watch programs on TV where they explained how things worked and loved all the old pbs nova programs on everything from biology to genetics to weather. i was definitely a kid that wanted to know the 'how and why' and certainly loved to day dream too. but chapter books? it was like pulling teeth. and i LOVED all things science fiction at that age too... but on TV (ruh roh), not to read. my mom was a sci-fi fanatic, so things like star trek and star wars and V were much more likely to be on the TV when it was on than the cosby show or game shows. (also, fwiw, my dad is a CE and EE, my mom is a PT, so science was just kind of 'in' our house, all the time).

also, i was and am still not a visual person at all - i am a very dominant auditory learner. still to this day, i am an extremely slow reader. it wasn't until i stumbled upon a (gasp) romance novel late in high school, that i discovered there were chapter books i actually enjoyed reading. i did go back and forced myself to read a lot of the classics in college. but i don't/didn't enjoy them. austin? yuk. f. scott-fitzgerald and salinger? not my thing. dostoevsky, hemmingway, steinbeck - i can make it thru, but i certainly don't enjoy it and it's usually something i put down and pick back up constantly b/c they never really 'hook' me. huxley and rand are easier to get thru, but again, not at all what i reach for to escape now a days.

as far as music, i played the flute and piano from 7-9 and then switched to the french horn at 10. i played horn in school and outside youth symphonies all the way thru high school and played all four years in undergrad. but i hate to practice or play by myself - again, it's like pulling teeth. my enjoyment in music was as much social (as in making music together and especially in listening to and picking out the subtleties) as for the love of music solo. i know everyone's experience of music is different. that's mine.

hth.

[egoldber]

I have degrees in math and statistics, do I count? :p

As a child I read everything, but my fiction tended toward mysteries (Nancy Drew followed quickly by Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers :ROTFLMAO:), and I did read a lot of nonfiction. As an adult, I read almost exclusively nonfiction. I have very little interest in most fiction, with some exceptions. I did a lot of imaginative play with Barbies and horses.

I have some of your same frustrations though with my older DD. I am always amazed and slightly disappointed when something that I *loved* as a child is not a hit with her. I'm not sure why.


I also read everything I could get my hands on. Every type of fiction, non-fiction, etc. Even product manuals and shampoo bottles. Weird, I know!

Funny you say that. My older DD is like this. She will literally read the shampoo bottles in the bathtub, the ingredients in the toothpaste while brushing her teeth, etc. We have to be VERY careful that we don't leave anything laying that we don't want her to read.

[newg]

My mom got me a subscription to National Geographic for kids and I read that cover-to-cover every time it came........I loved historical fiction, mysteries....just about anything that I could get my hands on.
I hated the piano, but I picked up the saxaphone in sixth grade and played that 'till highschool.........my mom still has it under my bed at her house ;)

[squimp]

I'd just follow her lead. I wanted to be an english teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a musician, and probably at least 15 other things before eventually becoming a PhD environmental scientist. Just follow her lead - if she likes something, give her more of it. Magic treehouse books? Science camps? There are so many things that we didn't have as kids. I did always love nature, and read all the national geographic mags my parents collected when I was a kid. I also loved looking at the encyclopedia, and reading medical books. But luckily no one ever made me feel odd for doing so.

I'd also encourage her to get outside and examine and play in nature. I spent all my days outside from age like 8-12 hunting salamanders and crawdads in our backyard creek. I'm sure that has as much to do with my current study of streams and landscapes than anything else.

[LMPC]

I'd just follow her lead. I wanted to be an english teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a musician, and probably at least 15 other things before eventually becoming a PhD environmental scientist. Just follow her lead - if she likes something, give her more of it. Magic treehouse books? Science camps? There are so many things that we didn't have as kids. I did always love nature, and read all the national geographic mags my parents collected when I was a kid. I also loved looking at the encyclopedia, and reading medical books. But luckily no one ever made me feel odd for doing so.

I'd also encourage her to get outside and examine and play in nature. I spent all my days outside from age like 8-12 hunting salamanders and crawdads in our backyard creek. I'm sure that has as much to do with my current study of streams and landscapes than anything else.

squimp, I think we would have been very good friends as kids :waving4:

I'll just add that my father always had a saying about reading "I don't care *what* you read, just read something and read what you like!" I believe that this instilled a love of reading in both my brother and me....we were never turned off by reading because our parents let us read what we wanted....from Mad Magazine to the Bronte's! As adults we developed our own tastes in reading. And we both read a lot as adults!

[cvanbrunt]

PhD in behavioral neuroscience, here. I also was a voracious reader as a kid. Lots of fiction. I still love kiddie lit. Big into the whole nature/animal thing as well. I read all of those "sciency" magazines. I was a decent musician as an adolescent. I was in a pretty prestigous youth symphony, took lessons from the principal player in the symphony but stopped playing when I went to college. I can remember the moment I became interested in science and decided that was my future career. It was in advanced biology class and we had a unit on hormones and behavior. The world made perfect sense to me in that moment. I never looked back. I love teaching and I love being in the lab. I like being in lab with students. There is nothing cooler than asking a question and being able to design and conduct an experiment to answer it. Well, maybe there are cooler things out there........

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i guess i could be considered a science mom (have phd in electrical engineering). i was a major math/science geek growing up. i did love to read though a lot of what i read was typical girly fiction like Sweet Valley Twins and the Babysitters Club. I did like some science-y books though, especially about space etc. re: tv i was never into Nova or the science shows, i was more into Punky Brewster and Nickelodeon (though i did love "Square One"..one of my favorite memories from the 80s was watching that). I wasn't really into Barbies but i did like playing with baby dolls. Oh and i looved Legos. Back then there weren't any of those "girl legos" that were colored pink and lavender but i didn't really like those anyway, i liked the sets where u could build gas stations and hospitals. oh and i also liked science kits too. i guess it was a mix..in some ways i liked what other girls liked but in otherwise i was very different. that's true even today. even though i could be considered a science geek, i do like things that most other "normal" (Lol) women like ..i like expensive handbags, high heels, makeup, going shopping, etc.

and re: piano, i took piano for a year or two when i was in 4th grade. i liked it ok, but i never really had the discipline to keep practicing so i gave it up. but i would give it a try. my DH (also a science nerd) started violin at that age and he got really into, played in an orchestra up unitil college. i guess it just depends on how much they are into it.

[squimp]

squimp, I think we would have been very good friends as kids :waving4:

I'll just add that my father always had a saying about reading "I don't care *what* you read, just read something and read what you like!" I believe that this instilled a love of reading in both my brother and me....we were never turned off by reading because our parents let us read what we wanted....from Mad Magazine to the Bronte's! As adults we developed our own tastes in reading. And we both read a lot as adults!

You may be right - a teenager up the street gave me a pile of Mad Magazines when I was in 5th grade. I was totally hooked, and I'm surprised my parents let me read them!

I meant to reply about piano. I played piano as a kid from age 5 until I graduated high school. I didn't always love my teachers or practicing, but wow I am so glad my parents gave me lessons. I still play and it brings me so much joy.

[DrSally]

I read *a lot* At one point I read the bible cover to cover. My piano teacher was a Kindergarden teacher, and she was my book supplier. Every week after my lesson, she would stack me up with books. I would go through 4-500+ pg books a week (fiction). I think I read mostly fiction.

I took piano from 7 yo to 9th grade, and played the flute for several years as well. I was really good and wish I would've kept up with it. My mom grew up in a musical family, so we had a real piano. I understand buying one or a keyboard is an issue, though, if you don't know if there will be an interest there. We don't have a room for a piano, but I wish we did. I just always grew up with a piano in the house. There were times when I didn't like practicing, but I think it was good mental stimulation.

[motherofone]

I was just called "science lady" the other day by a kid in dd's school. As a kid, I read everything. If it had words on it I read it. My family had a set of World Book Encyclopedias that I adored. Most of the books I got from the library were about dogs. I love fiction and to this day prefer it to non-fiction. I love museums and think that they influenced my delight in learning how the world works.
I loved playing with Barbies and my most beloved possession as a six-year old was the Barbie head with makeup and hair that could be made longer or shorter. I watched TV (Brady Bunch and Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom were favorites.) My family was not nature oriented and I didn't spend a lot of time investigating outdoors. I was forced to take piano when little but hated it. I played flute instead until high school. I requested and received a chemistry set and physics kit when I was a bit older but I mostly liked to light things on fire with the bunsen burner.
My parents never encouraged me (they wanted me to be a lawyer) to be a scientist but never discouraged me. They let me be me. I have a BS in biology and PhD in geology and still get a thrill when learning something new and fascinating.

[essnce629]

I'm not a scientist at all, but science (and math) were my favorite subjects growing up and I started out in college as a biology premed major before switching to nursing and then eventually wanting to become a midwife. As a kid I was really into animals and reading about animals (thought I wanted to be a vet at first) and I LOVED watching all the science shows on tv, especially ones on medical topics and I used to watch all those surgery, birth, and emergency room shows. My mom had a medical book and I used to read it all the time and look at pictures of gross diseases and rashes and stuff! In high school my mom finally got me my own medical book for my birthday! I was also given a set of science encyclopedias one year for a gift as well. I loved reading books about pregnancy and babies too (doula tendencies started early)! I was never really into fiction (except for Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables when I was real young) and I really disliked my literature and writing classes in high school and college (although I was always a good writer, I just didn't like it). I played with my dolls a lot, but I also had a microscope with lots of slides that I remember playing with. I was never really into sports as a child, but I was a cheerleader all 4 years of high school and ran track because I was good at it but didn't really enjoy it. I never played any musical instruments.

It's funny-- DS1 is exactly the same way I was. He's super into science, will not read fiction at all (unless it has to do with a cartoon character!), loves all the science shows on tv, owns about 4 human anatomy books (one which is college level), is not into sports, and says he wants to be a brain surgeon when he grows up! We'll see!

[Tammy]

I loved to read different stuff, but remember liking fiction especially. Although my dad had fact books sitting around and I'd read them as well every chance I got. I loved to play imaginary things with my friends- Barbie, dolls, school, etc. I was also really into sports and spent a lot of time outside doing stuff.
I did take piano lessons but I didn't like it at all and was really happy when my mom finally let me quit. However- she did push me to pursue it for a set amount of time but I think after the one recital I was done. I played the flute in grade school for a couple of years, but didn't have any interest after that. It wasn't that I hated it, I just didn't love it.

I loved animal stuff- live, books, movies, whatever. And my absolute favorite was science classes- especially if they involved dissecting! Truly grossed out my mom but it was so easy for me to learn it and really get into it.
Good luck!

[american_mama]

Thank you everyone! I have enjoyed reading the responses.