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Just a thought - humans have evolved to learn not by schooling, but by watching and taking part. It's part of the human condition for children, especially boys, to learn by watching men of the tribe as they go about hunting and gathering and making tools etc. Girls are different, and like to play with nuts and berries (calm yourselves, gentlemen), but boys like to make tools. Anyone doing hand tool work is like a flame for a child's moth brain.

I tend to use it to advantage: "Hold that for me, would you?" If you involve them, they will have the best day of their young lives (or rapidly get bored and wander off in search of a screen) and you get a Santa's Little Helper, and the client thinks you are a god amongst men. Kids are brilliant fun, if you take the time. Of course, being on site means time is a limited resource and you are stressed. If you have a persistent watcher, just tell him what you are doing as you go, and he will follow you around all day and pick up whatever you just dropped.

My offspring claim to have learned to swear by helping me with plumbing, so that was useful. Hopefully they learned not to be plumbers at the same time.
Yes, my son used to pester me carrying screw drivers etc, what do you need now Daddy?

Just until he was big and strong enough to help, then he seemed to have a change of heart.
 
Talk to the parents beforehand. Say that you spread your tools out when you work - show them some sharp chisels and saws as examples of what you are using (a lot of people don't know what chisels are) and explain that you can't have children coming into where you work. If they fall and land on any of these things it could be A&E or Ambulance time. You might be holding something or underneath something and not spot the kids - so THEY have to keep them away.
If they need something from the space (bike helmet / coat ) parent has to come with them.
If you give written quotes for your work - politely state this on the quote and then bring it up if they don't stick to it.
Worst case scenario - make something similar to a wet floor sign and put it there as a physical / visual reminder.
 
Build a giant portable play pen to work in and keep the buggers out, then flog it to the parent's to keep the kids in :LOL:
 
I thought this topic would bring out the stereotypes, I could almost predict who.

Those kids are going to pay for your pension and healthcare, show some respect, old people these days, grew up without any boundaries and now look at them.
No, I've paid for my pension via NI contributions over my working life. The state pension is NOT a benefit. As for boundaries, us "old uns" had plenty that have gone by the wayside or are just ignored by subsequent generations
 
The Kevin B wilson song The builder seems appropriate!
But seriously the lack of parental control goes back several generations at least, Corporal punishment was banned in schools in 1986 35 years ago, those kids are now parents & even grandparents.
I saw this in my last job as a D&T technician in a school the behaviour of the kids was getting worse year on year, i packed it in 18 months ago, god knows what its like now.
 
Kids can ve annoying, even my own, but parents are a lot worse. Don't waste your time talking to them, they won't discipline their little angel. Talk to the kid instead. I always find that works well. A quick scare story about how someone's finger got chopped off on site with blood everywhere will sure keep them at a distance.
 
Kids can ve annoying, even my own, but parents are a lot worse. Don't waste your time talking to them, they won't discipline their little angel. Talk to the kid instead. I always find that works well. A quick scare story about how someone's finger got chopped off on site with blood everywhere will sure keep them at a distance.
And definitely keep them watching 😀
 
No, I've paid for my pension via NI contributions over my working life. The state pension is NOT a benefit. As for boundaries, us "old uns" had plenty that have gone by the wayside or are just ignored by subsequent generations
Sadly, that isn't how pensions, apart from annuities, work. Payments are made from current contributions (or borrowing). There is never a pot to get pensions/benefits from. Whatever the tax is called.
I have every sympathy with Ben102009, having spent 40 years hosting other people's children in my school workshops. However their safety was always my main consideration. I consider it a real achievement never to have had a serious incident in my lessons, in all those years. But I had to take several colleagues to A&E for stupid accidents.
 
No, I've paid for my pension via NI contributions over my working life. The state pension is NOT a benefit. As for boundaries, us "old uns" had plenty that have gone by the wayside or are just ignored by subsequent generations

It's a common misunderstanding. State pension expenditure actually comea from current government income.
 
No, I've paid for my pension via NI contributions over my working life. The state pension is NOT a benefit. As for boundaries, us "old uns" had plenty that have gone by the wayside or are just ignored by subsequent generations
A common miss-understanding.
You paid for the people who were old when you were paying, there were substantially less of them, they lived far shorter lives and cost dramatically less.
But that’s ok, everyone contributes to society as it is needed, I’m sure you wouldn’t start complaining about the people providing for you now.
 
A silly little phrase I like is it takes a village to raise a child.
Every person who visits us for work has full exposure to our six year old unless or until they say otherwise or he plays up which he mostly doesn't.
Nobody so far has said anything negative, and are always to my recollection pleased to explain what they're doing.
He doesn't get in the way, doesn't stay long, has a nice chat with someone new and hopefully learns something.
Anyone who is truely negative toward his presence probably won't be asked back. Obviously, distant kept with anything dangerous.
 
I suppose unlike many companies with pension shortfalls because once they had a large workforce paying in they now have a much smaller one but with a lot drawing on the pot, the government may be seeing a larger percentage of people collecting but at the same time with low unemployment there should be many paying in. Then they have pushed the retirement age out which is costing many woman about £50 K and men £18 K and some may not even reach retirement so saving government some more money, some forced to continue to work even with failing health.
 
No, I've paid for my pension via NI contributions over my working life. The state pension is NOT a benefit.

That is not how it works, there is no fund, and it precisely is a benefit (nothing wrong with that).

Edit: sorry, doing that thing of replying rather than reading down the rest of the unread thread, the point's been made.
 
Three, pushing thirteen! Little angel is always asking can I help, what does that do? Type questions

I just take the time to let her use the safer tools in a very controlled environment. Scares the S*** out of granny though. Can I use the sparkly nails?(bright galv). Quite happy banging them in with her own hammer and knows to turn it round and roll to remove them.

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can I help with the concrete, I know about concrete.
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and then proceeds to fill the foundation piles.
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The problem with private sector pension funds is the Government. A gross over simplification:
In the 60s and 70s company pension funds were not allowed to be overfunded so some companies took pension holidays, some just took pension holidays to improve profitability. Then the rules caught up with the increase in life expectancy and the rules were changed so many funds were then underfunded but not by great amounts. Margaret Thatcher changed the taxation of pension funds by reducing their tax exemption by a few percent, the deficit was by then a few billion. Gordon Brown then took away the pension fund exemption altogether pulling in about £7 billion per year in taxes which increased the pension fund deficit by about the same amount annually. A government minister when questioned about this said "we can spend it better than they can" a quote that sticks in my memory. It was quickly over £30billion in deficit and I think reached over £100billion but my memory may be faulty on this figure. The effect on the pensions industry was that most companies stopped offering a defined benefit pension and moved to defined contribution schemes. The profitability of pensions investment companies declined and a large number of large pension companies moved out of the market selling their portfolios to zombie schemes which did little to try and increase the value of the funds just sat on them and took the commissions. British private pensions which used be one of the best in the world were completely ruined.

The impact on large companies was their profitability was reduced as they had to pay more into pension schemes, this made them targets for takeovers which resulted in pension funds and thereby their pensioners getting stuffed. Many good companies were broken up, sold off and the bits moved overseas or closed.

My own pension got caught up in all of this and ended up worth less than I had contributed. I would have been better off stuffing the money under the bed even allowing for the tax benefits of pensions.

Rant over for today :)
 
Three, pushing thirteen! Little angel is always asking can I help, what does that do? Type questions

I just take the time to let her use the safer tools in a very controlled environment. Scares the S*** out of granny though. Can I use the sparkly nails?(bright galv). Quite happy banging them in with her own hammer and knows to turn it round and roll to remove them.

View attachment 113873

can I help with the concrete, I know about concrete.
View attachment 113874

and then proceeds to fill the foundation piles.
View attachment 113876
How wonderful for you! What a joy, my first grandchild is just six months old and can’t wait for this sort of interaction. Their minds are like sponges so you’re doing exactly the right thing I think.
 
I love that post above @Sheptonphil - my daughters (twins) used to be the same and when my son came along he definitely proved the adage that everything is a nail in the eye of a young boy with a hammer!

It seems every generation thinks the kids of the generation before were far better behaved. If I think back to some of the stuff me and my brother got up to I think we'd have given the youngsters of today a good run for their money.
 
Three, pushing thirteen! Little angel is always asking can I help, what does that do? Type questions

I just take the time to let her use the safer tools in a very controlled environment. Scares the S*** out of granny though. Can I use the sparkly nails?(bright galv). Quite happy banging them in with her own hammer and knows to turn it round and roll to remove them.

View attachment 113873

can I help with the concrete, I know about concrete.
View attachment 113874

and then proceeds to fill the foundation piles.
View attachment 113876
Start em young
Here are mine on flooring and second fix electrical
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