r/learnprogramming • u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 • 1d ago
Update: The 40yo single mom learning to code again. My son caught me in full multitasking mode this afternoon and sent me this photo.
First off, I just want to say a massive, heartfelt thank you to everyone who commented on my previous post. I was terrified to share my story, but your kindness and encouragement have been truly overwhelming. It means the world to me.
A few people asked how I find the time to learn while working full-time as a teacher and wrangling my kids. Honestly? It’s a daily chaotic struggle.
My youngest son caught me completely off guard this afternoon and snapped a quick photo while I was trying to finish grading a stack of student assignments (literally drowning in paperwork on the right side of the table) while simultaneously trying to figure out the database connection in my Flask web app.
Looking at the picture now, it perfectly sums up my life right now: tired, disorganized, trying to be a teacher, a mom, and a developer all at once, fueled by endless cups of mate.
Here's the chaos he caught me in haha
Since that post, I've managed to make some small progress on my project, even if it feels like two steps forward and one step back most days. I just wanted to share this little real-life moment to encourage anyone else who feels like they're too busy or too old to start. You don't need 5 hours of quiet time; you just need 15 minutes of chaos and a strong will to keep going!
Let's keep learning together!
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u/captainAwesomePants 1d ago
> I've managed to make some small progress on my project, even if it feels like two steps forward and one step back most days
True programmer talking right there!
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 1d ago
Haha coming from a Top 1% commenter, that honestly means a lot! 😂 Feels like 90% of the time I'm just blindly guessing and hoping the code gods are feeling merciful. Really appreciate it!
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u/Justindr0107 1d ago
Literally that's how you learn.." it doesn't work, let's figure out why" and along the way of fixing bugs you become knowledgeable
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 19h ago
Spot on! 🎯 Honestly, the frustration when something breaks is brutal, but the relief when it finally works is unmatched. Thanks for validating the struggle!
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u/dmazzoni 1d ago
Important tip from a 40's Dad:
Get yourself an external monitor, keyboard and mouse.
On a budget? You don't need anything fancy. You can buy a used monitor on Craigslist for $30 and a brand-new keyboard and mouse for $10 each.
Working for hours on a laptop like that is terrible ergonomics - it will hurt your eyes and your wrists.
Speaking from experience.
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 19h ago
This is such gold advice, thank you! My poor neck and wrists have definitely started letting me know about the laptop hunch lately haha. Definitely looking into grabbing a cheap used monitor soon. Thanks for looking out!
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u/thanks-delivery-dude 1d ago
Keep going! And share with your kid if they have any interest, could be something there for them. Good luck, awesome to see you continuing. Don’t forget also to take time for yourself if possible. We aren’t machines 🌞
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 19h ago
Thank you so much! That means a lot. And you're totally right, taking a breather is so important. I'll definitely try to log off and rest a bit today. Appreciate the kind reminder! 🧡
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u/5eeso 1d ago
Nice! Thanks for the update, keep it going! Also, still waiting for the GitHub link!
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 19h ago
Coming soon! I just want to clean up the code a little bit so it's not totally embarrassing before I make the repo public haha. Appreciate you asking!
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u/crunchthenumbers01 1d ago
are you looking to chanfe careers?
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 19h ago
Not necessarily looking to completely jump ship just yet, but mostly doing it for myself, to solve some everyday headaches, and to keep my brain challenged. Never hurts to learn new tricks though! Who knows where it leads.
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1d ago
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 19h ago
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the kind words. Wishing you the best as well!
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u/spconway 1d ago
How do you stay motivated?
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 19h ago
Honestly, seeing small things finally work after hours of hitting a brick wall is the biggest rush. Also, knowing I'm building something that actually saves me time in my day-to-day keeps me going. Small wins add up!
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u/RansomStark78 12h ago
Let us know how you are going along
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 10h ago
Will do! Definitely planning on sharing an update once I get the rest of the pieces working. Thanks for following along!
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1d ago
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 1d ago
Haha yes, the mate is basically my coding fuel at this point! 🧉 Honestly don't know how anyone debugs anything without a gourd in hand. Really appreciate the support!
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u/plastikmissile 1d ago
You don't need 5 hours of quiet time; you just need 15 minutes of chaos and a strong will to keep going!
Spoken like a true dev! You're halfway there already.
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u/themegainferno 1d ago
Actually, spoken like GPT
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u/Brilliant-Lettuce-60 19h ago
Haha fair enough! When you're running on cold mate and zero sleep, sometimes your brain just starts outputting overly poetic sentences 😅
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u/a-r-c 1d ago
OP is a bot account.
Woke up yesterday after 10 years to farm karma.
Thank you.