I'd start with something other then C++
I like C++, but I think a complete newb would be better served by starting with something with simpler syntax, no compiling & linking steps etc. A command line interpreter so you can try out statements on-the-fly and see how they work. Something simple, but with enough 3rd party libraries & such that you aren't immedietly limited by a "teaching" language. My reccomendation is ussually python, but it's not the only option.