this post was submitted on 11 May 2025
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[–] ThePantser 112 points 3 weeks ago (19 children)

In reality and about 50% of the time:

Kid shows interest in something and the parent leans into it and encourages them, buys them the best stuff.

Kid gets burnt out on the thing and never touches it again.

Source, my daughter who loved art, then cooking, then tennis, then.....

[–] [email protected] 53 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (4 children)

Dont get discouraged. Kids who sample or dabble in many interests are more likely to be top performers in their field later in life.

edit: I cant find the actual study at the moment, but it was covered on No Stupid Questions, so they will have provided a citation.

[–] agamemnonymous 24 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah the move is to be supportive, but follow Adam Savage's policies on gear: start with the cheapest option that's serviceable, and go for the best stuff once the cheap stuff breaks (or you get good enough to justify the good stuff).

I've dabbled in a lot of hobbies and I follow this principle. Sometimes I get bored, and the low investment was well worth the experience of experimenting. Sometimes I keep at it intermittently, but the cheap gear is sufficient for my use. Sometimes I get good enough to justify the upgrade.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

This is a great policy for amateur (ham) radio. Start with the $25 Baofeng that barely receives and transmits all over the spectrum*, then grab the Alinco or TYT, eventually working one's way up to Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu, etc.

A good transceiver is expensive so working up to the big boys is definitely worth the investment if the hobby takes hold.

*Baofengs are probably the worst first handheld transceiver (HT) because they are so poorly designed and quality control is non-existent. A new ham with a Baofeng is likely to become frustrated and give up. Check out the various ham radio/amateur radio communities for better suggestions for starter HTs if ham radio is of interest to you.

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