[wiradikusuma]

I feel depressed.

My boys are 8 and 4, and they're both only interested in "hack and slash" computer games, so I bought local co-op like Ninja Turtles and Castle Crashers. I tried giving them "puzzle" games, they're not interested. I tried giving them books (and I also read the books for them), they always "Daddy can we play games".

Still thinking how to make them interested in programming. The Pi I gave them, they use it to play YouTube only.

[getwiththeprog]

With respect, may I suggest that you think about spending more time with them, rather than providing for them.

It sounds like they have watched lots of TV and need to have better role-models around and interacting with them.

Maybe (if you have the financial capacity) take a holiday and go explore the world with them without any youtube or games.

I would not allow them to use youtube! But don't beat on em! Kids just follow what they see around them - so to change them you will have to change their environment.

All the best, I imagine balancing work and income with good kids is difficult. My advice, if you earn enough to eat and have a house you earn enough.

[prawn]

If my children watch YouTube, it is with me and I'm choosing the content, or giving them options to pick between. We generally watch documentaries. Where necessary, I provide extra explanations, or paraphrase subtitles for the preschooler. If I pause and ask them a question to have them understand why something is happening, they seem to enjoy the challenge. I hope that it makes them interested/interesting and inquisitive people.

Examples of things we've watched recently:

Behind the scenes Korean street food videos: https://www.youtube.com/@yummyboys

Transport journeys through Africa or Asia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN_6jfIoYE4

How various things are grown or made: https://www.youtube.com/@eater plus many others

Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory

Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin

Mark Rober

etc

[turtleyacht]

Model out games on paper. Graph paper. Give them crayons and markers.

Tape up a board game out of construction paper and cardboard. Glue stuff to popsicle sticks. Create adhoc, six-sided dice.

Use a firewall to block sites.

Programming is modeling abstractions. Don't need a computer for that. Stepwise refinement, encapsulation, and problem decomposition can all be demonstrated without a machine.

Model a linked list with a stages in a game (on paper). A graph is just a path of streets to the ice cream shop. A tree is an upside-down version of the one outside.

Teach them to make something out of nothing, first principles. Read with them.