Vera L. te Velde

I am a behavioral economist at the University of Queensland. Nature/climbing/photography/animal/math lover and mom of 3. Mostly non-academic tweets.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

I didn't even brainwash her, but Sasha is already a social scientist. She took a poll of all her kindergarten friends (with her own semi/pre-literate accounting system) and just explained to me that most girls like pink.😍

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

The 5 year old told me "You don't know ANYTHING and I know EVERYTHING!" She's so precocious, not in the way she thinks 😍

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

The twins have attained peak toddlerhood - they are singing Let It Go to the tune of Golden.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

The Eldest Daughter of the house made her $3 aldi Advent calendar last until March 1st. She basically invented the marshmallow experiment, but with a 0% interest rate.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

No one told me parenting as an American ex-pat means ordering gigantic 20kg vats of peanut butter online, four at a time for the free shipping. Someone at Peanut Corporate is really regretting basing policy that on price rather than weight.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

Meeting friends through your kids seems like a great idea but the selection effects are brutal. Who wants to join my antisocial parent group? Kids are banished outside while we watch 3blue1brown, do puzzles, and other things that facilitate avoiding eye contact and small talk.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

I dunno, but it certainly helps with lying with statistics (at the price of grammar)!

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

Dammit... my parenting has backfired. After doing a face painted "lion" that looked more like a flower-raccoon-dog, Sasha told me "That's ok Mommy! If you keep practicing face paint more and more you'll get better!"

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

I didn't expect the great challenge of adapting to AI in higher education to be a lack of large rooms for invigilated exams 😂 Very glad that this logistical crap is handled by other people! even if they are trying hard to pass the buck.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

My Chaotic Neutral 2 year old just told me very seriously and with no context "mommy we don't cut heads [mimes throat slitting]". I'm scared.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

Awoken by a hysterical almost-five-year-old who had a bad dream that Daddy threw away wrapping paper from her birthday party. Parenting is such a joy 😵‍💫

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

During snack time, out of the blue: Elena: "Do you love me so much?" Robin: "yeah". 💞

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

"uhhh I dunno! it just popped up!" am I... a teenage boy in 1999 whose internet-naive mom walked in on him looking at porn, or a middle aged mom whose 4 year old walked in on her looking at lego on facebook marketplace?

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

My husband is like "wife gone, kids asleep, time to run some big Stan models!" and that's (one of many reasons) why he's my husband 😍

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

Sasha's first homework assignment was turned in a day late, with a thin veil over the fact it was done after bedtime in a rush, and incomplete (until mom can access a printer). Following in our footsteps of academic excellence already!

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

if some CCTV footage goes viral of someone riding her motorcycle into a lowering boom gate and getting stuck with throttle/right mirror in front, clutch/left mirror in back, and having to tip sideways and do the limbo while balancing lunch on her lap to get out... it wasn't me.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

When are we going to be able to get the daily news from an AI Walter Cronkite?

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

@Afinetheorem This is fantastic!! The one problem I'm encountering is that I'm constantly accidentally skipping to the next suggestion (and am unable to go back) by hitting backspace when I'm trying to edit the suggestion.

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

I recommend skipping the the-world-is-ending meltdown when the mug is chosen for you though....

[Vera L. te Velde @veratevelde]

Choice minimization is great, but we'd probably be happier taking some choices as seriously as my two-year olds. Should I use my green mug or NASA mug today? Green socks or purple socks?? Every option is delightful!