Child labour - when did you start you kids off in DIY

[mc281]

I have two sons, 14 and 11, both are pretty useless.

The 14yr old is worst, he can't even open a box of cornflakes without making a mess of it. I was quite impressed with a plywood smartphone speaker he made at school but it was all cnc and laser cut.

The 11yr old has a bit more about him on the practical side but he just likes taking things apart........ Anything you buy him lasts about a week before you find it perfectly disassembled, he just takes things apart and leaves all the pieces lined up like it's a kit ready to be assembled, it's a bit scary if I'm being honest

Engineer!

 

[scockram]

Today I've been mostly doing masonry drilling!

 

[Doug B]

Both of my sons had turned pens for their teachers amongst other things before leaving primary school so I started them early the problem was once they started secondary school they got into gaming on psp’s & unfortunately any interest in woodworking was lost.
Im hopeful that that initial interest will be renewed as they are both now at the stage of buying their own places though it might well also be a case of “Dad can you just”

 

[Logger]

My son showed no interest in woodworking growing up, but decided to take a gap year and earn some money before going to university. He came and worked for me and is now taking a 2nd gap year to stay working (although he is planning to go to uni next year).

What is interesting is that even 3 years ago, i could show him an oak door we had made and he would barely glance at it. Now he takes great pride in what we are producing and appreciates the beauty of the timber.

I never pushed him towards woodworking and it was him that asked to work with me. I don't think he will stay doing it, but as we get involved with complete refurbishments as well as joinery, he has learnt some plumbing and electrical skills that will help down the line.

 

[Keith 66]

I learnt from my Dad who built & did up several boats in the garden. When our son came along I did the house husband thing & from about a year old he came with me to my boatshed, not for too long but enough to get used to it, From about 3 he helped me with stuff & played in the woodshavings under the boat i was rebuilding at the time. We made model boats & dens & dams in the woods. When he was about 9 we acquired an elderly fibreglass rowing boat from Barking boating lake & did it up, she was rigged with sails & went really well.
Not long after one of my mates gave us an old Faryman diesel engine with a burst water jacket so we fixed it.
It carried on & last year aged 27 he launched a 30 ft sailing outrigger canoe that was built from recycled parts.
He works as a test engineer & is highly practical & doing all right.
I feel i have succeeded!

 

[Fergie 307]

My daughter put together (with a lot of supervision) 3 IKIA wall cupboards just before her 4th birthday, she is 15 now, I think that was the last thing she made. My sons show less interest, although I refuse to work on their cars unless they are there and at least pretending to be involved. I did try the "if you want me to do it get a quote from a garage first" approach, that can backfire if they are told something is a 2 hour job and I take a second more then I don't know what I'm doing - see where they get it from.

My son and daughter both took their turns passing me tools whilst working on cars and in the house from a very early age. Neither showed any interest once they got older. My daughter, now in her 20's, will put together Ikea stuff and do very simple DIY. My son, in his 30's, can barely change a lightbulb. Both have turned out pretty well in all other respects, and very proud of them. Goodness knows what will happen to all my tools when I snuff it, but I suppose it won't matter to me

 

[Keith 66]

Every craftmans worry is that somebody will just skip their tools, When i cleared Dads workshop there was so much stuff but i found homes for it. The best i kept, some i sold, some i gave away to the local mens shed.
Fortunately my son knows the value of good tools & knows where to offload the ones he wont want!

 

[paulrbarnard]

Every craftmans worry is that somebody will just skip their tools, When i cleared Dads workshop there was so much stuff but i found homes for it. The best i kept, some i sold, some i gave away to the local mens shed.
Fortunately my son knows the value of good tools & knows where to offload the ones he wont want!

My worry is that my wife will sell it all for what I told her it cost.

 

[Mickjay]

My worry is that my wife will sell it all for what I told her it cost.

I've often thought that but then realised it won't be my problem