NewKid

Mathilde Baillet

NewKid is a podcast where I sit down with parents and talk about the singular choices we make raising our children today: what we would love to nurture, and how could technology serve us on this mission.

Episodes

  1. #7 | Using AI to Help Our 3 & 5 y/o Kids Learn, with Lydia & Kevon

    6D AGO

    #7 | Using AI to Help Our 3 & 5 y/o Kids Learn, with Lydia & Kevon

    Let me introduce you to Lydia and Kevon. Their energy, their relentless desire to turn ideas into experiments into products, together, is an inspiration. Lydia’s a math tutor, Kevon’s worked at the crossroad of tech and education for years. She’s the determined, achieving mother passionate about how to get students (including her own kids) cultivate interest in learning ; he’s the creative, tinkerer dad exploring how the latest tech tools can enhance learning possibilities, spicing up what schools provide, now empowering 12-16 years old to get out there with their unique projects. They are the parents of two daughters, 5 years old Avery and 3 years old Audrey. Together, we talk about:- navigating between creative learning and the school system learning- children meltdown and the Whole Brain Child- homeschooling vs “semi-homeschooling”, making time to bond with your kids- local vs international schools in Hong Kong, homework and the pressure to perform- knowing what you love and pursue it, teaching girls toughness- what makes a good partner and teammate : enforcing what you said, being on the same side, (then) talking, taking responsibilities over- Alpha School, reimagining the teacher's role- AI x kids : carefully embracing AI to enhance learning 00:00 Introduction: Meet Lydia & Kevon01:48 Family Background & Professional Journey04:16 Building Fun Sheets: A Family Project06:56 Challenges of Raising Young Children16:01 Parenting Styles & Handling Meltdowns24:25 Education in Hong Kong: School Choices & Pressures32:00 Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling42:40 Nurturing Traits: Independence, Toughness, and Curiosity47:46 Communication & Partnership in Parenting54:26 Bringing Creativity into Learning57:12 Building in Public: Kevon’s Journey with Public Lab1:01:33 Exploring AI in Education & Parenting1:08:14 Thoughts on Alpha Schools & AI-Driven Learning1:20:59 Book & Resource Recommendations1:24:35 Worldschooling & Cultural Exchange1:27:19 Final Thoughts dig deeper:- approaching music differently: https://instagram.com/p/DOxcAG6E5Fk- how Alpha School works, by founder Mackenzie Price: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENdAWT6N0V4- The Anxious Generation, a book by Jonathan Haidt: https://jonathanhaidt.com/anxious-generation/- Brave New Words, How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing), a book by Salman Khan, founder of Khanmigo and the Khan Academy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/740806/brave-new-words-by-salman-khan/- The Whole-Brain Child, a book by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson: https://drdansiegel.com/book/the-whole-brain-child/- The Disengaged Teen, a book by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop: https://www.thedisengagedteen.com/

    1h 27m
  2. #5 | Bonding through Building (a Plane), with Natasha & Latham

    SEP 19

    #5 | Bonding through Building (a Plane), with Natasha & Latham

    In this episode, meet Natasha and Latham, homeschooling their two children around a pretty unique project : building an airplane! Together, we talk about down to earth topics like what's a usual weekday in their family, the cost of building an airplane, the tools they’re using to support their home education, the social aspects of homeschooling too. We also take a step back, dig deep into topics like what they learnt from their time in the military, the sense of identity when you give up a pretty exciting career to dedicate 100% to your children's education, we talk about doubt, about the pressure to “get it right”, about bringing your son’s desire to work with his hands into an academic setting so that he could unlock that same level of learning. Overall, we talk about team work, about adversity, about resilience, about togetherness and identity. Enjoy! 00:00:00 Introduction & Meet Natasha and Latham00:03:50 Natasha’s Background & Family Dynamics00:06:10 Latham’s Background & Transition to Homeschooling00:10:25 Deciding to Homeschool & Family Decision Process00:14:59 Homeschooling Both Kids & Daughter’s Journey00:17:56 What Keeps You Up at Night? Parental Concerns00:20:00 A Typical Homeschool Day00:23:05 Structuring the Day & Learning Styles00:28:46 Measuring Progress & Academic Growth00:32:46 Social Aspects of Homeschooling00:36:30 Support Systems & Community00:39:00 Financials & Building the Airplane00:42:00 Kids’ Big Projects & Aspirations00:45:00 Documenting the Journey & Introspection00:48:00 Parental Identity & Non-Judgment00:52:00 Military Lessons & Parenting00:56:00 Tech, Social Media, and Screen Time01:00:00 Final Thoughts & Book Recommendations01:01:30 How to Reach Out & Closing More about them, and the references they talk about: https://newkid.ai/p/ep5-bonding-through-building-a-plane

    1h 39m
  3. #4 | Nurturing Freedom and Seeing Kids as Sunset, with Carina & Franco

    SEP 2

    #4 | Nurturing Freedom and Seeing Kids as Sunset, with Carina & Franco

    In this episode, we explore being back in Hong Kong after two years in London, giving children a fair amount of freedom at a very young age, picking up schools, inspiring teachers and more. 00:00 – Introduction: Meet Carina and Franco, parents raising two young children in Hong Kong with a unique approach to freedom and independence. 01:30 – Family Background: Moving between Hong Kong and London, and how their experiences shaped their parenting. 03:00 – Parenting Philosophy: Embracing being the minority in Hong Kong by encouraging freedom, independence, and limited extracurriculars. 06:00 – Balancing Love: Honest stories about sibling rivalry and the challenge of giving equal love to both children. 09:00 – Language & Culture: Navigating bilingualism, cultural expectations, and the influence of tradition in Hong Kong. 13:00 – School Choices: Picking schools based on happiness and strong teacher-student bonds, not just academics. 18:00 – Extracurriculars & Free Play: Why they intentionally limit activities and prioritise unstructured family time. 22:00 – Reflections on Upbringing: How their own childhoods and inspiring teachers influence what they want to pass on to their kids. 27:00 – Technology & AI: Thoughts on introducing AI, screen time policies, and preparing kids for a changing world. 32:00 – Core Values: The importance of self-confidence, family connection, and leading by example. 36:00 – Inspirations & Final Thoughts: Who inspires them, what they hope to pass on, and advice for other parents. 39:00 – Outro: Reflections on parenting, support, wrap up

    1h 7m
  4. #3 | Unwrapping Unlimited Screen Time, with Lindl & Steyn

    JUL 16

    #3 | Unwrapping Unlimited Screen Time, with Lindl & Steyn

    01:07 intro  03:30 Montessori schooling and Taking Children Seriously 04:59 about to relocate: from a Montessori school to homeschooling with a tutor 11:25 Lindl’s experience as a homeschooled kid 14:52 Steyn’s experience in a mainstream school 16:09 the ideal mix 17:36 what’s an exceptional tutor 20:00 Steyn’s focus : the ability to feel and sense, to better solve problems 24:42 Lindl’s focus : be true to yourself (about manners, too) 25:28 about discipline 25:57 the non-coercive approach : how do you make other people feel 29:21 screen time : creating an environment where they will flourish 31:32 how their kids deal with screens 32:58 crafting the environment 37:38 building a YouTube look-alike app using AI, involving kids in the curation 40:20 Minecraft and creativity ; video games 41:49 watching stories together  46:48 screens and boredom 51:01 trust the process 52:39 no time outs  53:44 dealing with crisis and sibling rivalry 59:39 Taking Children Seriously 01:00:58 The Sovereign Child 01:02:16 disagreements 01:07:05 AI and kids : from fact checking to video generation 01:11:30 AI and what to be hopeful for 01:15:11 content they’d like to share with parents (see below) 01:18:24 about their life philosophy : "I don't know what can be more important in life than how we make other people feel, which makes it easier to raise your kid in a non coercive way" ; "being able to say I am sorry"

    1h 21m
  5. #2 | Sylvana & Eamon : treating children as whole people, embracing loneliness and the growth mindset

    MAY 20

    #2 | Sylvana & Eamon : treating children as whole people, embracing loneliness and the growth mindset

    In this episode, Sylvana and Eamon talk about the importance of treating their children as whole people, taking their thoughts and feelings seriously from the time they were born. They talk about the benefits of (alternative) school, about learning how to love being alone, about how you instigate and nurture a growth mindset, and why - although crucial to them - they think it’s too early to teach their daughters computer programming. It’s been quite a passionate exchange!  00:00 intro01:24 [singular choice] treating our children as whole people, why it matters to them10:36 [mainstream choice] school as the place to navigate the challenges of being around other humans15:50 why a montessori school23:30 montessori vs waldorf25:56 [wish was taught at school] don’t get in the way of curiosity!32:30 [from their own education, the good] embracing being alone, risk taking and giving a try40:37 [from their own education, the less good] the importance to prepare for motherhood, to be a really present and loving father44:59 [the trait they're trying to nurture] growth mindset, knowing some basic programming concepts51:11 [technology serving this mission] helping kids make informed choices1:03:16 [advice to your earlier selves] patience & refill your own ressources1:04:47 parenting resources that Sylvana & Eamon recommendwrap up1:07:50 wrap up Dig deeper:• coding programs for kids, Scratch• making sense of the past, the Landmark Forum• toddlers growing, around the world, Becoming You, The First 2000 Days of Life• creating healthy connections first, Listen, Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges, by Patty Wipfler and Tosha Schore

    1h 8m
  6. #1 | Sandra & Yotam : aiming at raising a trilingual, equanimous and social child

    MAY 2

    #1 | Sandra & Yotam : aiming at raising a trilingual, equanimous and social child

    In this episode, we discuss about raising a multi-cultural child - Sandra’s from Colombia, Yotam’s from Israël, kiddo’s been born and raised in Australia: the sense of identity, the ability to communicate in multiple languages with the extended family. We talk about discipline. We explore the importance of routines, their three-question routine at night (1. your favorite part of the day ; 2. something that made you laugh; 3. something you didn’t like). We dig into what’s most important to nurture, in that case for them equanimity, knowing where you come from and being able to make friends. We also talk a bit about how they see technology serving their 5 year old kid and as he gets older. About being flexible on things that matter less (short videos while you brush your teeth) and strict about just a few, important things. I couldn’t wrap this up better than with Sandra’s own words: “I want our son to have the financial intelligence of Yotam and my social intelligence”00:00 intro02:34 raising a trilingual child, why it matters to them, the challenges10:19 discipline, how they are trying to stay away from what seems to be the norm in Australia14:45 the importance of routines19:58 traits they're trying like to nurture : equanimity, a multicultural background, the ability to make friends29:25 technology and raising a kid34:45 AI tools for kids40:53 parenting resources that Sandra & Yotam recommend46:50 wrap up Dig deeper: Seen, a film about parenting, about knowing where you come from (aka your own childhood) to make more informed decisions as you’re raising your childMindHeart, about gentle parenting (esp. targeting Latin American parents)Parent.tv, about helping parents navigate specific questions along their parenting journey, video content behind a subscription wall (Sandra actually translated their content to Spanish 😎)Maggie Dent, about raising boys, and her books From Boys to Men and Mothering Our Boys (that I haven’t read yet but certainly will)(bonus: the dino friend we came across last summer)

    48 min

About

NewKid is a podcast where I sit down with parents and talk about the singular choices we make raising our children today: what we would love to nurture, and how could technology serve us on this mission.