3 Year Old in the Garage? Safety Issues?

[bulletpruf]

Fellas -

My daughter loves to spend time in the garage with Daddy. There are a lot of potentially dangerous things in the garage - power tools, heavy things, sharp things, etc. As much as I think I would watch her like a hawk, I get distracted and she's fast, too.

I'm thinking of building her a little work bench, getting her a little tool set, and giving her little projects (cut this piece of wood, bolt these two things together, etc), but I'm still worried about her wandering around a bit. Thinking I could put her in a chair and belt her in so she can't go anywhere. Maybe she would be content to sit there and work on her bench if she had some things to play with.

FYI - I'm not too worried about bumps, scrapes and bruises. My real concern is serious injury.

BTW - she is going to need some tools. Figure I might as well start her off with my Craftsman stuff; I can replace it with Snap On so I don't get it mixed up... And she'll need a vise for her little work bench -- a Wilton 920 (baby bullet) should be the right size for her...

Anyway, curious to hear your thoughts, experience, etc.

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Jackfre]

We have our 4.5 yr old Grandson at the house 5 days a week and he is in the shop with me on occasion I either have to stay with him or put him out. You simply can't do anything and keep an eye on him and there is just to much to hurt him. He is the perfect height to bang his head on overhanging steel or wood on the benches and he is just so unaware. I have built him a bench and he has had a little plastic tool set for a couple years now. I put him out on the deck adjoining the shop and he will knock around for a bit and then decide to do something else and wander off. I love having him around and doing things with him in the shop, but it is a total focus deal with him. His Grandmother scares the hell out of me and I tell him he can't get hurt or in trouble because someone will be in for it. He then points at me and says, "You!" Good luck with her.

 

[a52-830]

when i was I'm my early 20's, one of my buddies, bob, lived down the street from someone we knew who raced on the weekend. one day, we went down to visit with bob's 3 year old son. the kid, timmy, was a tank. so bob sets timmy down, and timmy pick up a hammer sitting under the car. as bob starts to fret, the friend (whose name i forget) tells bob not to worry, there is nothing timmy can hurt. the body was off, and timmy takes the hammer and taps on the frame walking towards the front of the car.

he taps across the wheels, and turns the corner in front, tapping along the frame, while the adults talk. eventually the sound of the tapping shifts, and we look down. timmy is tapping along the radiator, leaving fluid dripping out everywhere.

bob curses, takes the hammer away, and picks up timmy. the friend laughs, and takes some pliers to seal off the leaking stuff.

ahh, memories.

yeah, if you can't watch her, you gotta control her access. good luck, it is a fine balance. you want the shop to always be a fun, welcoming place, but she has to realize it has limits.

stev

 

[XS29L9B]

You are kidding yourself if one thinks the kid really cares about being "in the shop", or the safety of it. It's an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

I had three girls, and now three granddaughters and their time in the shop was limited by a lack of interest. At first they are curious and want to see everything, but this usually doesnt last long. Some of their favorite things to do when they were that age was to play in the speedy-dri with some old spray bomb tops I had given them for cups, play with some 3/4 nuts and bolts I let them play with, and roll around under the car on the creeper.
There is still an old bin on a shelf that says " Martina- bolts" that has her bolts that she played with. In a year or two , maybe her daughter will pick them up one day.
I agree you cant turn you back on them for a second, at least while they are that small.
After they get older they may actually help.
Good Luck!

 

[theoldwizard1]

Don't be buying tools just yet !

Most of it is just wanting to be "with Daddy" and see what he is doing. Safety glasses are a must. A tall chair you can place next to the work bench show she can see what is going on.

Talk to her. A lot. Tell her what you are doing, why you are doing it and what tools you are using. Yes, it will slow you down, but someday those will be your best memories.

After a bit, if she keeps coming back, start a couple of projects with her. Bird feeder step stool. If you have a scroll saw, made you can let her cut some wood, with your hands on ! A back saw and a cheap miter box are good for projects like that !

Kids have a hard time with hammers. Get a pin/brad nailer or route some dados for her and then show her how to glue and clamp.

 

[larry_g]

I know having a 3yo in the shop negates any reason to have OSHA in the shop. Our grandson dearly loves to be in the shop and ends up turning all knobs and switches he can reach. I've gone to unplugging all machines unless in use. I spend a lot of time cleaning and putting things away while he is about.

Recently we had the deck surface replaced and the contractor needed to rip a long board. I said use my table saw and he did. Then when putting the board in he commented the saw was cutting at an angle. I knew right away that the grandson had cranked the tilt handwheel on the saw. It's right at his height. So now I check any setting and engagements on any tool before I plug it in or us it.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[mustanginky]

I have a three year old son. I take him outwith me frequently. Just as soon as i get under anything or do anything that requires full attention he thinks ive had enough of this and jets around the house, on the street, etc...nearly impossible to get anything done, but i love the time spent, the interest and questions i get while out with him. No i dont get much done anymore, but im glad tospend time with my oldest.

 

[InsanePyro]

The best way I can think to keep a eye on her is to include her in what you're doing. ****, one of my oldest memories is crawling under the boat trailer with my dad to fix the trailer lights. I still have the crimper we used that day. And its the only one I really like to use. For both ability and memory sake.

Obviously I'm not saying to have her help you weld or whatever. There will be times when she simply can't be out there with you.

 

[rburke65]

Wow.....I do not have children but I've had puppies.... Good luck.

 

[mygarageone]

When my boy was a 3-4 yr old , he wanted to be with me doing everything .
I was at my office one time right in the middle of a large bid . We used a computerized system to do our estimates.
We'll he's watching me use the key board , the probe and the counting pen . I have to go to the bath room , what does he do? Climbs up on my chair and starts messing with the key board , the probe etc . Yep he messed up 3 days of work . Worst thing is we were under a time crunch !

 

[jd_1138]

When my boy was a 3-4 yr old , he wanted to be with me doing everything .
I was at my office one time right in the middle of a large bid . We used a computerized system to do our estimates.
We'll he's watching me use the key board , the probe and the counting pen . I have to go to the bath room , what does he do? Climbs up on my chair and starts messing with the key board , the probe etc . Yep he messed up 3 days of work . Worst thing is we were under a time crunch !

Didn't do any backups?

Yeah, a 3 year old in the shop is not a good idea unless you're actively watching them. All it takes is like 2 seconds for disaster to strike. Maybe build her a little kid corral in the corner with a wooden enclosure/gate and her own little workbench and tools/toys.

I drove by a larger house today and saw an obese young woman balancing a 2 year old toddler on her left leg while mowing with a zero turn mower (Kubota, not that you needed to know the brand, lol). She sort of had the kid lodged in her left arm pit as she moved her arms around to steer the thing.

All it'd take is a split second and that kid is on the ground, ran over or chopped up. Or a traumatic brain injury. Yikes. Be careful with small kids. My second cousin is missing half of his left foot because his dad let him ride on the mower deck when he was 5. He stepped down for a split second and.............................

 

[Zeke]

A garage is a dangerous place. So is the sidewalk. And the street. What do you do about those?

 

[jd_1138]

A garage is a dangerous place. So is the sidewalk. And the street. What do you do about those?

There are no power tools and sharp metal objects, usually, on the sidewalk/street. And if a toddler is out in front of the house, they should be supervised to prevent accidents and kidnapping. And while they're in the house, there needs to be child proof locks on the doors. This stuff becomes unnecessary as they get to be like 7 or so.

 

[bjcouche]

It really depends on the on how well behaved the kid is and what types of tools and equipment are in the shop. 3 might be a bit early, but 4, if you tell them not to touch something, and they do anyway, the problem isn't the garage, it's that they aren't getting enough discipline from you and your spouse. My mother has pictures of me at age 3 or 4 pounding in nails into the subfloor of their house as they were building it. My dad would start 5 or 6 nails, then leave me alone to pound them in. He could leave me alone and supervise me by ear, listening to the pounding. When the pounding stopped, that meant it was time for him to start 5 or 6 more nails. Evidently I had pretty good aim wielding a finishing hammer with 2 hands...
If there's lots of items in the shop that could cause head injuries for a kid of that height, then maybe a hard hat? An air nailer I'd consider as too dangerous for them to use on their own, too easy to shoot a nail into a foot, leg, etc.
Brian

 

[willbrown82]

Get her one of these and you will still need to keep an eye on her. My son is 4 and wants to help and be outside with me but it never lasts long. He wants to be doing something the whole time but needs constant supervision. He will pickup tools and do other things, take the creeper when I get up, etc. It is fun to have him out there with me but you can forget getting anything done at this age.

https://www.amazon.com/Step2-706000-Deluxe-Workshop/dp/B003ZFSOZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465698600&sr=8-1&keywords=step+2+deluxe+tool+bench

 

[cgrutt]

I think its great that your toddler wants to be with you but plenty of places in a garage to get hurt without supervision. Whatever you do make sure nothing heavy can fall on her, tool box up on the bench, machine tipping over, etc. Local 5 y/o was killed a few years ago when a lolly column fell on him while he was playing in the garage. Tragic, unfortunate accident, but very bad things can happen to small children left unattended in a matter of seconds. The problem with a garage, of course, is there are more hazards that can cause serious injury or worse than in most other places around your home. Not saying don't do it, just make sure you minimize the risks and supervise accordingly. My two cents. And yeah, I've taken my boy to the hospital with a piece of molding with a nail through his foot and severe burns on his palms from climbing up on the leaf blower right after I turned it off, so I'm not throwing any stones.

 

[pmiranda]

At that age you just have to corral them off or have somebody else to watch them while you work. It is fun to have them look around and see all the tools. They love messing with nuts and bolts and hand tools. Especially be aware of anything heavy they can pull down off a bench onto themselves. Think of how you have to turn pot handles in on a stove!
I'm told when I was Kindergarten-age somebody let me ride on a pile of dirt in a trailer behind a tractor. Sure enough I fell off and landed on the hitch with my head. Bled like a stuck pig and dinner was ruined while they took me to get stitches. For some reason I don't remember any of that

 

[Mike in Ohio]

It depends a little bit on the kid in question, my daughter liked to come into the shop with me when she wasn't much more than 3 or 4. She liked to get into my pile of small scrap wood and design and build furniture for her dolls. A 7 oz hammer some finishing nails and a pencil would keep busy for a good while. She would get so engrossed in her "project" that I didn't need to watch her closely. I did watch closely, I just didn't need to. Every now and then she would bring me a small piece of wood with some lines on it and ask me cut it to her design. After a while I would let her do the cutting with a coping saw, or a small crosscut saw while I "helped" hold the board and occasionally guide the saw.

When she was totally focused I could get some small jobs done usually maintenance type stuff that I could shift my attention from quickly.

She is a teenager now with no interest in the shop and I miss those days a lot. On the other hand she just joined the golf team at school so maybe that is our next dad/daughter project.

 

[92GreenYJ]

Somewhere I have a picture of my daughter when she was maybe 6 months old sitting in her bouncer by the garage door while I was out in the driveway wrenching on the Jeep. She is almost two now. First thing I had to do was move all my hardware as she just loved grabbing it from my carefully labeled bins and throwing it all on the floor. Then putting it back all mixed up. Second thing I've had to do was move all my pens and sharpies out of her reach for the same reason. Looking forward to her getting big enough to spend time out there with daddy without having to watch her like a hawk.

 

[Playwme]

If you want to spend time with a 3 year old, you probably need to do 3 year old things. If a 3 year old wants to learn daddy shop things then I'm sure there's plenty of small repair things around the yard or house that you can do together that avoid the dangerous shop stuff.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I know some 23 year olds I don't want in my garage...

Tommy

 

[R-Savage]

I remember my dad when I was a kid sometimes I had to go with him to the shop. I stayed with him and always remember. Don't touch. And Sit right there. When he had to weld. He gave me a welding helmet so I could watch, wherever he was. I had to be. I could never go wandering around. I always watched and learned and asked a lot of questions. So kids in the shop. Is it a safety issue? Yes when a child does not do what they are told. Just my two cents. I still have all my arms, legs, fingers etc. I'm all still in one piece.

 

[DTE]

Wow.....I do not have children but I've had puppies.... Good luck.

Thats funny,
My 11 yr old German Shepherd died a couple months back, so now I have a 8 month old Shepherd pup and my boys are grown but that puppy is just like a child you better not take your eyes off her for a second or she will get hurt or tear something up.

 

[z28ke]

My son is 4.5 and I have had the struggle of keeping him entertained vs trying to get things done. I need him to hang around the shop for a couple hours to keep the wife off my back but I also need to be productive since I don't have much free time.

Solution: small flat screen, DVD player, tall stool.

Also remember hearing protection for the little ones when using air tools, they go through that "loud noises" stage.

 

[klassenl]

My biggest problem is with noise. My little guy can stay busy for a long time with a 2x4, of my drills and a handful of wood screws. But when I use the saw I have to put him outside for the noise.

 

[rlitman]

I remember my dad when I was a kid sometimes I had to go with him to the shop. I stayed with him and always remember. Don't touch. And Sit right there. When he had to weld. He gave me a welding helmet so I could watch, wherever he was. I had to be. I could never go wandering around. I always watched and learned and asked a lot of questions. So kids in the shop. Is it a safety issue? Yes when a child does not do what they are told. Just my two cents. I still have all my arms, legs, fingers etc. I'm all still in one piece.

Same here. You understand completely.
Shop time is not appropriate for all children. But for those who it is, it is invaluable.

My kids are both past 3 now, but at 3, both were using the scroll saw with supervision (at that age they had two hands over the table, my foot on a dead-man switch, and I had a finger on the work). For my kids, getting them to understand that dangers lurk in every direction in the shop was easy. Getting them past that and able to work was actually more difficult.

My rules are pretty simple:
Kids are not allowed in the shop alone!
Being in the shop is a privilege. If I'm not happy with your behavior, you're out the door.
My kids are still at an age when I want one-on-one supervision on them, so only one at a time is allowed in (the other can wait at the door).

They have their own drawer where their own safety glasses live (and some of their own tools for now), and I have kid sized Peltor hearing protection, though I also have several pairs of HF Item#94334 folding ear muffs, and they're an excellent fit on kids (and a little tight on me).

 

[Davefr]

My gut feel says take in the shop but only when your able to give her your 100% undivided attention/supervision. (ie no work!!)

Don't take her in the shop if you have projects to do. It'll be way to easy for both of you to get distracted and bad things can happen very quickly.

 

[bulletpruf]

Appreciate all the input. She's not one to sit still for long, so I would have to give her something to work on to keep her occupied. Hammering some nails in with a small hammer sounds like a pretty good start.

Agree that she would still need to be 100% supervised, and that I couldn't do much more than just some basic work when she was in there -- nothing too loud, nothing too dangerous, no fumes (seems to rule out just about everything I do in the garage!).

Thanks again for your input.

Scott

 

[Kaizen]

nope. I wouldn't. the chance that she would be hurt is guaranteed. you forget even a small cut or bump could be life threatening to a little one. kids **** in that way. you end up having tons of time around the house but can't actually do much. see if you can either get a sitter or schedule some time with the mother so you can do stuff you want to do.

 

[justanengineer]

JMO but kids in the garage is more of a respect issue than anything, tho you can help prevent temptation with some basic housekeeping. Personally I cringe when I hear about folks letting their kids "play" in the garage, to me the garage is like the kitchen - an area for serious business and best behavior only. They can help or even work their own small "projects," but dont let them freely "play" or be in their own world otherwise. At that age kids should be well into being taught not to be digging into cabinets or making messes and to recognize the difference between their toys and mom & dad's things. If they're taught to stay out of things and you keep the shop clean there won't be anything for them to get hurt with.

Regardless, this is a good time to start following basic shop safety for yourself if you dont already. Kids learn a LOT by mimicking others, so get into the habit of wearing your PPE, using guards/protective devices, and following good safety practices otherwise. If you've got semi/permanently wired machinery as most of us do and you dont have a safety disconnect switch, install one and use it. Not only do they prevent machines and power tools from being accidentally switched on (I've had adults do so in my garage), but they also help prevent electrical fires caused by older equipment and have a ton of benefit otherwise. Your wife&kids might not know how to shut off each machine in an emergency, but its easy to remember to pull the red handle.

Best of luck and enjoy the time w/the kiddos.

 

[930dreamer]

I take my grandson to my shop, we golf and walk around and look at bugs and stuff. Plenty of dangerous things but I just keep an eye on him. No way I can work there with him with me.

 

[snorky18]

Both of my kids have been in the shop since well before walking age, either in a pack and play, or a bouncer hanging from the doorway.

The "Rules":
1. When they're out there, keeping them safe is more important than anything else you're doing. If you can't uphold this one, keep them out of the shop.
2. I don't "plan" to get anything done while there are one or more children in the shop. I plan to keep them safe and out of trouble, and teach them something. On occasion, I'm pleasantly surprised when I get 10 minutes worth of work done in a one hour period in the shop while kids are out there.
3. If they have an interest in anything you're working on, let them get involved as much as possible.
4. Teach them safety, including proper use of safety glasses, ear plugs, etc. My 4 YO has his own (small) safety glasses, and wears adult ear muffs. Both hang on the pegboard where he can reach them (and put them up). Once you teach them safety, be prepared for them to call you out on your own "shortcuts". "Daddy, you can't stand on that top step of the ladder."