My 10-year-old spends up to 5 hours a week learning to code. Here are the best resources I've found to help him get ahead in his future career.

• Joel Gratcyk's son Wesley spends a few hours a week learning to code in Python, PHP, and Swift.
• Wesley started taking free courses when he was 7 and uses both online and library resources.
• Gratcyk said that whether or not Wesley goes into coding, he'll have an advantage in his career.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Joel Gratcyk, a 41-year-old freelancer and stay-at-home dad in Illinois. It's been edited for length and clarity.