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Raising a Nerd … The Clueless Way

“What are gravitational waves?”

“How do I develop an app for my phone?”

“Can I take apart the DVD player and see how it works?”

If these kinds of questions are common in your home, then you need RaisingNerd. This unique parenting blog is dedicated to all the (often clueless) parents of current and future Nerds*.

Once considered outcasts of the so-called popular mass and relegated to managing film projector delivery in school, Nerds have never been more vital to the very operation and survival of civilization! OK, maybe overstated that…but not by much.

Our Nerds and Nerds-to-be are the future scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, and world leaders. Sure, they get sucked into the occasional three-hour Minecraft session, but who do you think created Minecraft? A Nerd! And that Nerd sold Minecraft for $3 billion to Microsoft, which, of course, was invented by the Nerdiest of all Nerds, and currently the richest man in the world!

But sometimes, becoming a Nerd – someone whose passion for making, building, creating, and thinking about things defines their very existence – can be a bigger challenge than being one. Especially if that future Nerd’s clueless parents haven’t the foggiest idea how to build an Arduino circuit board or even how to encourage and guide them on their journey to Nerd-dom.

This was the challenge we faced with our own Nerdlings. But have no fear! You are not alone or helpless anymore.

We live in one of the greatest eras in history where you have easy access to resources, from STEM learning to online tutorials to “clueless” blogs like this one. Today, anyone can program a computer, build a robot, or invent the next BIG thing. The best news is that your kids don’t need a lot of money, books or even a Ph.D. parent to make these things happen.

All they need is one simple thing: Curiosity. If you tap into that basic curiosity, your junior Nerd will be on his or her way. 

So, whether it’s computers, robots, science, space, art – whatever – that interest your Nerd(s), we are here to help.  Please feel free to send us your ideas, questions, and challenges (or even story requests), follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and we’ll do our best to help transform you from “Clueless Parent” into a “Nerd Champion” faster than you can say…

Nerd-ON!

* You are such a Nerd that you even took the time to look up my references. You may be asking yourself why is Nerd always capitalized. Why? Because Nerds are awesome and they should always be formally introduced. Silly question.