A daughter taking after her old man

[justafurnaceman]

My four year old asked me last week what I wanted for Christmas. She usually gets me a tie but I have more than enough of those so I told her that a tool would be nice.
We spend quite a bit of time together out in my work shop and I made her a little work bench that she plays, colors, and hammers on. When she's out there with me my projects usually take twice as long because she wants to be involved. If I want to do any serious work like welding I have to do it when she's in bed.
Tonight she brought up getting me a present again at the dinner table so afterwards we got on the Snap-on website and she picked me out a couple of things. She decided that I needed some more screwdrivers.

This is an old picture. It's now piled high with wooden blocks, crayons, tools, and various nuts and bolts. Every couple of weeks we clean up the shop and put away our stuff. She told me that she wants a vise on her work bench like I have on mine.

During the summer I have to keep the floor clean because she refuses to wear shoes.

I hope that this continues throughout the years.

 

[woody 73]

Very nice pictures maybe one day my boys will get the bug...I still keep hoping

 

[Danglerb]

Cute, but gotta get some shoes on.

 

[Rico.]

You my friend are a first class parent.... When she is older she will have such
fond memories of her time in the workshop with her Dad... Just priceless.

When I was very young my Dad used to work on cars in our Garage at home
on the weekends for a little extra cash and I spent hours and hours
helping (getting in the way of) him. Once he was doing a top end rebuild and
apparently I was only about 3 or 4 at the time, he had all the valves neatly
laid out on the workbench and then I came along and started playing with them

He never ever got cross with me and because of him I have that interest in
cars and motorcycles and all things mechanical. Now that he's passed away
every time I go and do a job in my little workshop I think of him and so many
memories are kept alive.

I salute you.....

Cheers,
Rico.

 

[luvmyhondas]

My 4 yo daughter likes to come to the shop too. She likes to run around watering the 'flowers' (the grass at the edge of the parking lot) and ride the 'Cruizin' Cooler' with me. She does eventually come inside and try to hand me tools and, in her words "Bang on stuff." Drives my wife nuts because everything gets her hands dirty which turns into dirty clothes....lol.

 

[jam022316]

Very lucky man. She's adorable. Obviously daddies girl!

 

[oldtools]

Cute. Maybe she will grow up to become a mechanical/automotive engineer. You should get her the pink tools at sears when she is alittle older.

 

[Patrick Boyle]

That's awesome! That little work bench is cute. I hope my daughter takes an interest like yours has, I'm certainly trying. This is as far as I've gotten:

She'll be doing oil changes soon!

Also: I apologize for the B&D drill. I'm working on it...

 

[justafurnaceman]

She does eventually come inside and try to hand me tools and, in her words "Bang on stuff." Drives my wife nuts because everything gets her hands dirty which turns into dirty clothes....lol.

My wife set aside a drawer in my daughter's dresser for play clothes and made sure that I knew which one it was. I might have ruined a few nice sets of clothes. I tried to find kids coveralls but never could.

@Rico - Thanks for sharing that! I have a few tools from my grandfathers and I'm sure that I'll get some of my dads too. I think about the time that I've spent with them and hope that I can pass that on to her. She should have a pretty decent set if I can help it.

@Patrick - Keep at it!!

 

[RedVise]

Cute, but gotta get some shoes on.

Never too early to learn Safety First !!!

That said, God bless you ! Good job on being a dad !

Brian L.

 

[240sxguy]

I hope my son is interested too. Time will tell, he is 8mo old. You guys have cute kids! Looks like a blast.

 

[Bull]

These pics of kids and the stories of their time spent with dads is what it's all about. Take or leave the rest, but nurturing, mentoring and loving progeny is the meaning of life.

Thanks for sharing and making me smile.

 

[Rico.]

These pics of kids and the stories of their time spent with dads is what it's all about. Take or leave the rest, nurturing, mentoring and loving progeny is the meaning of life.

Here Here...!

Oh, and Brian... Your avatar actually made me laugh out loud.... Just brilliant.

 

[KermitFrog]

So lucky. I tried everything with mine growing up. About the most I've ever gotten is she can change her own tire when she gets a flat.

Love that little work bench.

 

[dicaeala]

Now I feel the need to build a workbench like that for my little girl.

 

[Knuckle Buster]

Just wait. They dig deeper and deeper into the toolbox as they reach the teen years.

 

[pcpro15]

My hat goes off to you OP.

 

[Griff93]

That's really cool.

I remember "working" on stuff in the shop with my dad at a young age. He apparently started buying tools for me while my mom was pregnant. I guess I can claim I was born with a tool addiction

 

[blarf]

Cute. Maybe she will grow up to become a mechanical/automotive engineer. You should get her the pink tools at sears when she is alittle older.

Why pink?

 

[GoBlue]

girls like pink...or have you never met a girl lol!

 

[justafurnaceman]

So lucky. I tried everything with mine growing up. About the most I've ever gotten is she can change her own tire when she gets a flat.

I did get lucky. She has always been very curious about things. She learned to open those child proof cabinet locks very quickly. She understood about nuts and bolts and how you have to turn them one way to tighten and the other way to loosen quite early too.
I had to tighten a screw in her crib when she was still in it and she instantly wanted the screwdriver so that she could try it. I enjoy how curious she is about how things work.

 

[e30bradley]

you should get her some steel toe boots, and that little bench is awesome.

 

[bacpacker]

That's awesome guys. Thanks for putting this up. Your kids will always remember the times you spent together. Bonds at an age that young will hold thru the teen years when it's hard on everyone. So many kids don't get that opportunity any more.

Like Rico I grew up in the shop with my Step dad or Grandpa's or both tinkering with something. I think I got my first play tools at 3 and first real tools by 6. So many great memories.

 

[skamp]

First off, bravo to you for being an involved parent. I am a father to two girls (4 and 7) and try to involve them in everything I do around the house. I see a lot of kids that are so disconnected and not engaged in how things work or even engaged in conversation. They are not always interested but often help me for a bit and ask a lot of questions. I was able to get my 4 year old to help me paint my shed last week. Did it take longer to fix all the crazy brush marks. Was it worth it? Absolutly!

Steve

 

[BigRed390]

Awesome! Good on you!

As for the shoes thing, some just have to learn the hard way. I can't get anybody in my house to consistently wear shoes in my garage. All they really have to worry about are splinters and banged toes, but it only takes one good metal sliver stuck WAY up in your foot to cure you of the "I'll just run out there for a minute" thing. One day they'll figure it out... But kudos for keeping it cleaned up for her anyway!!

 

[Outlawmws]

Cute little girl! X+ on the shoes for her in the shop though!

I also made my son a mini work bench, when he was about 3. (god, has it been 20 years already?) This one was more like the classic wood workers bench, with a tool tray on the back side. He was into Norm Abrams New Yankee Workshop the way some kids are into cartoons, and would sit all day and watch taped shows if we let him.

That was his main Bday present, along with a bunch of toy tools and one of those wood boxes with miniature "real" tools (saw, hammer mallet, etc...)

We distracted him and brought it out, with a giant red bow, on it. When he saw it, he immediately ran behind it ripped the bow off and tossed it aside without a glance, and started to recite the whole "Norm" Safety speech verbatim, from memory (Including the little pause when he mentions the Safety glasses.

We still have the workbench buried in storage, saving for his kids if possible.

He actually got to meet Norm at a "How To" Fair OSH put on annually, I think later that year or the next. I got a pic with him and Norm, and Norm signed a New Yankee Workshop book I brought and gave to my son to keep (replacing it later for my set)

 

[saturdaymechanic]

Great pictures!

My daughter is 16 months old. I would love to see her hanging out in my gargae when she's older helping Daddy or just hanging out with me.

Does she have to like tools? No, just her being with me is enough.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

It great to get the kids involved in any projects! Ive seen some of my kids friends who can't comprehend our relationship when and mechancial work is involved because they where raised with dad that just chased them away when working on something. Your kids will appreciate it even more when they hear those kind of stories later in life.

My now 20YO Daughter did a lot of similar young kid stiff - 6YO or so hanging out while I worked on something and handing me tools while I taught her what they where. She would go with me to the junkyard and lend a hand. She kind lost interest during the 10 - 15yo time but later she learned to work on her car for the basics like changing oil. Not affraid of tools but didn't really seem mechanical - just enough ability / desire to get stuff done when needed. Just recently, though, she voiced her desire for her own set of tools 'cause she can't allways get to my tool box. I think the rebuild of her car after she hit a deer also boosted her interest tools / mechanics since she did half the work herself - much more involved than an oil change.

 

[justafurnaceman]

It great to get the kids involved in any projects! Ive seen some of my kids friends who can't comprehend our relationship when and mechancial work is involved because they where raised with dad that just chased them away when working on something. Your kids will appreciate it even more when they hear those kind of stories later in life.

My now 20YO Daughter did a lot of similar young kid stiff - 6YO or so hanging out while I worked on something and handing me tools while I taught her what they where. She would go with me to the junkyard and lend a hand. She kind lost interest during the 10 - 15yo time but later she learned to work on her car for the basics like changing oil. Not affraid of tools but didn't really seem mechanical - just enough ability / desire to get stuff done when needed. Just recently, though, she voiced her desire for her own set of tools 'cause she can't allways get to my tool box. I think the rebuild of her car after she hit a deer also boosted her interest tools / mechanics since she did half the work herself - much more involved than an oil change.

I think that this is what I'm trying to do. My wife has zero talent or patience for fixing things. A big part of it is the fear that she'll fail at it and the fact that she never spent time with her father fixing things. I'm hoping that when my daughter gets older that she'll have the confidence to be able to fix things even if it's just the faucet because it's dripping.

@Outlaw - I (and probably others) would enjoy seeing a picture of that work bench. When she out grows this one, the next one I build will have drawers and such to store things. (Or so I hope!)

 

[simplec6]

Well done sir, get some shoes on those feet for safety.

 

[jamesemery728]

Great pictures, lots of good memories being made there. Thanks for being a good Dad, we need more of them. Keep her out there as long as you can.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Very cool pics and glad to see your girl inolved out there. I enjoy these kindof photos. Seen them here a few times. 98TJs kids are the most recent.

These make me smile as they remind me of when I was growing up, out helping dad. I wouldn't be me if I hadn't done all that outside garage yard stuff.

jafm, your girl might not realizefor many years just how much this time meant to hear. But she'll eventually realize it. And she'll be grateful. I still have my dad and hop to for many more years. But not a day goes by that I wish I could go back and do the first half of my life again just to do it better. I'm an adult now and I can see how all the stuff I did when I was young made me, me.

I tried to find kids coveralls but never could.

Google "kids flight suits". Though they are costumes they should be enough to keep her clothes relatively clean. Obviously you'll have to buy bigger sizes as she grows. But they should work.

I use one of DHs old flight suits when I weld (not always, but often). It is nomex so nice to know I won't go up in flames

I doubt the kids costume suits are Nomex though.

 

[blarf]

girls like pink...or have you never met a girl lol!

I have... and they'd all probably punch me if I bought them pink tools. I recently bought one some nice shiny chrome tools tho. Point being, get them involved, don't talk down to them and pander them, and buy them decent tools.

When they get older, then you can teach them how to drive a forklift:

 

[GirlnAgarage]

I have... and they'd all probably punch me if I bought them pink tools. I recently bought one some nice shiny chrome tools tho. Point being, get them involved, don't talk down to them and pander them, and buy them decent tools.

When they get older, then you can teach them how to drive a forklift:

Good man. Can I take you out for a beer?

 

[Hawk Thor]

That has got to be the best safety instructional video in the world!

 

[Outlawmws]

I think that this is what I'm trying to do. My wife has zero talent or patience for fixing things. A big part of it is the fear that she'll fail at it and the fact that she never spent time with her father fixing things. I'm hoping that when my daughter gets older that she'll have the confidence to be able to fix things even if it's just the faucet because it's dripping.

@Outlaw - I (and probably others) would enjoy seeing a picture of that work bench. When she out grows this one, the next one I build will have drawers and such to store things. (Or so I hope!)

Ask and you shall receive...

 

[jeffmoss26]

I had my own workbench and tools starting at age four. I too was fascinated by this old house, New Yankee Workshop, etc. I can still recite the shop safety speech by heart.
The tool bug has been with me my whole life! My dad, uncle, and grandpa all showed me how to fix things growing up, and when I have kids, I will pass my knowledge to them!

 

[RBailey]

A great way to spend quality time

I love my 3 year old helping.

I have fond memories of working with my Dad and I want her to have the same.

 

[KermitFrog]

I did get lucky. She has always been very curious about things. She learned to open those child proof cabinet locks very quickly. She understood about nuts and bolts and how you have to turn them one way to tighten and the other way to loosen quite early too.
I had to tighten a screw in her crib when she was still in it and she instantly wanted the screwdriver so that she could try it. I enjoy how curious she is about how things work.

Hopefully she keeps it. Mine just got home (lives out in the guest house, pays rent ). Called ahead and said her car wouldn't start again. Once again she has not tried twisting the battery terminal because sometime ago I told her the positive needed to be replaced as I had done the negative in a O'Reilly parking lot on the run. She also said it had been running bad, PCV hose has disintergrated - a very easy spot.

I thought I had taught her better. I used to set her down with the Basic Auto Mechanics books when she was little and that obviously didn't soak in.

Keep on it. Interact. I'm waiting on the grandkid thing then I get to baby sit occasionally but give it back when I don't feel like having a kid around.

 

[The Slurpee King]

My middle girl is the one that likes to "help." Even if all she does is pass tools and run errands, that's just fine with her. I've started teaching her different tools, and what each one is called. Last spring, when I stripped and painted the deck on my truck, she was right there, helping: holding brushes, driving the scraper while I ran the heat gun, masking and taping, even painting. When she went to school on Monday, she still had black Tremclad spatter on her hands, arms, and face, and thought it was just the neatest thing.

The funny thing is, she's normally a fussy little neat freak. Changes her shirt if it gets water on it, room is ordered and tidy, that sort of thing. You stand between her room and her younger sister's, it's like looking at Oscar and Felix. So watching her in scrubby clothes, hair tied back under a hat, in safety glasses, seriously handling a roller in black paint, was a treat. She keeps coming back, still wants to help. I have a filter change coming due on my Hino...