Let her help

[ratz]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

I started some nails on the roof, and let her finish them off. It cost me some time, but the smiles were worth it. If nothing else it limits her inhabitions, and helps build confidence.
We are building a shed in the back yard for the motorcycles.

working on the trailer

Older daughter helping resurface the deck (finished shed in the background)

and mounting the flatscreen, drilling, and running coax, A/C.

 

[Bull]

Awesome job, papa. I will try to do the same once mine is older.

 

[930dreamer]

My two daughters don't like going to my shop. It's 10 miles from the house. At 13 and almost 16 they have no interest. Even though the oldest wants a car I have there, when its time to do some work on it she probably won't want to. No work on car, no driviing. 930

 

[ratz]

It doesn't always turn out all smiles.
Sometimes it starts off bad, and gets worse.
If looks could kill:

 

[autoist]

Is that her bike?

 

[ratz]

That was her cr80 2 years ago. She is now on a CRF250r (05)

Garage has
(05) CRF450 (Dad)
(05) CRF250 ( Daughter 15 y/o)
(06) TTR125LE (daughter 12 y/o)
(03) trx400ex ( Moms, or whomever)
(93) GS500 ( commuter bike for Dad)

 

[autoist]

So, she can do her own basic maintenance....she'll be a good catch for some 'city' boy someday! My s-i-l says my daughter knows more about cars than him & all his friends!

 

[mikevango]

too cute!!! good job. i made my 9 y/o daughter a tool kit for christmas. she is always there to help out. i think i posted a pic of her in my thread. http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50323

 

[bazzateer]

My 6 yr old son has been 'helping' Daddy fix cars for a year or two now. By the time he's old enough to drive he will hopefully have helped Daddy restore a 1972 Hillman Imp saloon as his first car.

 

[jonescafe72]

I have 2 daughters. A 16 year old, who wants nothing to do with anything in the garage, and a 12 year old that I can't get out of the garage. My 12 year old did most of the work on rebuilding a '77 Kawasaki 2 stroke. It's hers now. I finally got a welder for Christmas. I still need to learn and practice, but I had to get her a helmet and gloves because she's chomping at the bit to learn as well!

 

[crewchief888]

i take my oldest stepdaughter to my shop whenever i can, i think every kid should know how things work, even if they dont work on them.
i was lucky, my dad showed me a little of everything woodworking, car maintainance, minor repairs, plumbing, electrical, concrete, welding, fabricating.
he was no master carpenter, electrician, plumber or mechanic, but knew enough to get the job done. He was a welder,taught me how when i was about 10 years old, and taught me how to make metal move where i wanted it to, but never wanted me to be a welder. i started out as a machinist, moved away and started over turning wrenches on construction equipment.
seem like so many kids now-a-days dont want to get dirty, or do the manual labor it takes to get a simple job done

(getting off my soapbox now)

 

[ZRX61]

Are those Caterpillar brand steel toe fuzzy slippers? LOL!

 

[tweidman]

I have been trying to get my daughter to help out in the shop for years. She is 14 now and still won't come out and work an any of my projects. I have tried to get her to help do some restorations but she wants nothing to do with it.
If she needs something repaired or built for a school project or something she will help, but that's it.
I would love to have her helping out and learning. Oh well, maybe a grand kid will have the itch?

 

[autoist]

Speaking of grandkids.....he was 2 when this one was taken & had no clue what he was doing but he was helping me put my '63 Midget back together:

 

[BRUISER]

that is so cool..

I take my 2 year old son into shop with me as much as possible.. He loves it..

here he is playing in the camper while I was working on trailer I just finished building that camper sits on

 

[FryZ]

My 2 daughters (6 and 3) love helping me w/ projects around the house and in the garage. I gave them their own toolset that was older low quality stuff I had laying around from years ago...they love to "work" on their bikes and scooters. They get a kick out of riding in "Daddy's hotrod" on the weekends, and helping washing all the vehicles on a Sat. morning.

I'm enjoying it now, because once they're in their teens they'll probably only care about texting, clothes, social life, etc. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong.

 

[Amos Ives Root]

hahaha, can't say i've never been there.

 

[Blackend]

My girls help with almost everything...can't wait until they can actually "help"!

 

[wadd1]

My girls help with almost everything...can't wait until they can actually "help"!

Thats awesome
reminds me of when i use to lie beside my dad when he
would work on his semi and hold the grease gun

 

[chevazon]

My 2 sons who are now 26 and 24 don`t know the difference between a spanner and a screwdriver. I always encouraged them to come and help but their (***** of a) mother always said "they don`t have to if they don`t want to" subsequently their mother has cost them a lot in repair bills.

 

[STORMEASTON]

My 2 sons who are now 26 and 24 don`t know the difference between a spanner and a screwdriver. I always encouraged them to come and help but their (***** of a) mother always said "they don`t have to if they don`t want to" subsequently their mother has cost them a lot in repair bills.

What's a spanner???? Hey dad is that you??????

 

[ZRX61]

My kid got this for christmas a couple of years back, it seems to have motivated her in the right direction

 

[onewaydave]

If your girls don't take to wrenching, make sure their boyfriends/husbands do. Inept boyfriends/husbands are also costly.

Man did I hit a gold mine. Older daughter married Marine (ret.) diesel mechanic (schooling after USMC) and I drive Cummins. Younger married a gas mechanic who hunts, builds engines and loves to shoot guns. I know how to raise daughters!

 

[NEVERENOUGH]

My daughters help in the garage alot. My oldest is headed to the airforce in August and is very mechanical. She drives an older chevy truck and know the ins and out of her quad. My youngest is a little less interested but we are starting the restoration of a 69 gmc for her first truck so that should help. By the way my oldest gets really angry when guys don't understand stuff mechanical lol.

 

[51rider]

My Father-in-law did it right!

He used to work on cars as a hobby/side business. I have photos of my wife & her sis at 8yrs old sitting in the remains of the car helping him out.

Best memory though is arriving at her house on a date to find the then g/f lying under the car trying to take the back box off her exhaust to fit the replacement

My son is never happier than when he is drilling holes & screwing fixings in & out of an old piece of timber that I have no need for anymore. He even bought himself a small rechargeable drill with some of his birthday money. He's 9.

My daughter (6) also likes to help in the garage too. She particularly likes to use the torque wrench when we finish up on the job and also cleans all the tools before making sure everything is in it's proper place in the toolbox.

 

[Paxton Dan]

glad im not the only one working in the shop with fuzzy slippers....