Happy Tuesday!
I am delighted to share this second episode with you, where I talk with Sylvana and Eamon about the importance of treating children as whole people, taking their thoughts and feelings seriously from the time they are born. They speak 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 and I hope it will resonate and spark discussions with you as well!
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.
Who are my guests
grew up between France, Columbia and the US. She’s an energising, articulate and present lady, and I just love talking to her about the many lives we both had before living in Lyon. Sylvana is the “American coach in France”; she’s helping founders and CXOs navigate difficult times by asking them the right questions. She hosts the podcast Life By Intention too (and kindly offered some advice as I got started 🙏).Eamon is such a friendly person. It is hilarious to hear him talk about what surprises him most in France and about French people. (There’s enough there for a one-man show.). He is a software engineer with a decade at Apple in the Bay, now with GreenGot, a French fintech company and neobank supporting the ecological transition.
I met them both at our children school’s ‘welcome picnic’ two years ago. They had just made the move from Santa Cruz, California to Lyon. I value the move they made as a family, the ‘experimental’ mode in which they are stepping into this new life, their efforts to belong to this new community, Eamon’s dedication to learn French, too.
Without further ado, dear parents, Sylvana and Eamon!
… and follow NewKid on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube and Pocket Casts :)
What we talked about
00:00 intro
01:24 a singular choice you made
treating our children as whole people, taking their thoughts and fears seriously.
10:36 a mainstream idea you agree with
cultural exposure & school exposure, practicing being in a different place and navigate the challenges of being around other humans (aka away from constant protection & shields from their parents)
15:50 why a montessori school
collective, project-base, alternative to the traditional school I didn’t like, learning le savoir-être (the be-how) vs le savoir-faire (know-how) ; considering the student as a whole person, with space and freedom to go at your own rate
23:30 montessori vs waldorf
I later asked Perplexity the main differences and similarities between these two methods ; here’s a summary:
- Montessori emphasizes independence, practical life skills, and early academic learning through hands-on materials and self-directed activity. The teacher acts as a guide, and the environment is carefully prepared for individual exploration.
- Steiner-Waldorf prioritizes imagination, creativity, and group learning, with a strong focus on the arts and delayed academics. Teachers lead through storytelling and rhythm, and classrooms are home-like, filled with natural materials.
Both approaches share a commitment to holistic, child-centered education and hands-on experiences, but their philosophies and classroom practices differ significantly in the balance between structure, creativity, and the timing of academic instruction25:56 a discipline you wish was taught at school
the how, aka don’t get in the way of curiosity!
32:30 a thing you inherited and wanna pass along
S: you’re never alone when you’re alone, you always have yourself. “Oh, I am such great company!”
E: risk taking, giving a try
40:37 a thing you inherited and wanna stop
S: prepare for motherhood, take care of my own personal baggage
E: be a really present and loving father ; be affectionate ; be a friend so they know they can come to me whenever they need
44:59 one single trait
S: growth mindset, making any obstacle not an obstacle anymore
E: knowing some basic programming concepts to understand how our computers work
51:11 how can tech help
there are some great coding program for kids (Scratch / PBS Kids) but ;
the later the better ;
if you’re gonna use this tool, you should know about its limitations, what it is good for, the implications of these choices, aka how to make an informed choice.
1:03:16 advice to your earlier selves
E: patience
S: refill your own ressources (chips)
1:04:47 recommendations
E: Becoming You, The First 2000 Days of Life (Apple TV)
S: Listen, Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges, by Patty Wipfler and Tosha Schore:
I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did recording it! If you’d like to drop a comment on this episode, feel free to do so. I’ll see you soon!
Yours,
Mathilde
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