Proud Dad Moment

[JSwaff19]

I'm not very handy but I'm slowly teaching myself. My dad never helped me do anything tool related and it wasn't until I graduated before I learned what certain tools were even called.

The other day I took my 8 year old with me to Harbor Freight and he found a free screwdriver coupon so he wanted to get his own. Since then he has literally asked me every few hours if he can get his own toolbox. Obviously I want to get him one but I don't want to get the cheapest of the cheap but don't want to spend too much money on it either. He wants to keep his own tools in it and help me when I have something going on in the garage.

He's 8 years old and has Reactive Attachment Disorder. We adopted him and his younger brother 6 years ago. For him to have ANYTHING to do with me or his mom is quite a feat in itself. I'm excited to be able to do what my dad didn't do and at least give him a base to work off of when it comes to tools and being handy!

I appreciate any insight on toolbox deals/coupons. I know HF has a smaller toolbox for $5.99 or something but it seems a bit small and won't hold too much. He will probably only have a few tools in it anyways since he tends to break/destroy things he is given as a sign of his past.

 

[countryroad82]

First off awesome! Second maybe look into a cheap metal box, it might hold up a little better IMO

 

[astrotrain99]

Great story! keep us updated when you find him one.


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[Regnar]

You need one of these http://sawdustmaking.com/Childs Toolbox/toolbox.htm

It would be way better than anything you could buy from HF. To make up for all the time in the garage make Mom a bird house.

 

[jkwilson]

There are some nice plastic boxes that would be much easier on his fingers and things he might bump into with it.

Cool to think a Harbor Freight coupon could be a mechanism to allow him to build relationships.

 

[dlcwent]

No help on the box ...but remember, the guys with the most tools, when he dies wins.

 

[porschedude996TT]

How about fishing tackle box?

 

[rockwithjason]

i don't think it matters much what box or tools you buy as long as you engage the boy with a project that is within his ablilities. good job

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Get a smallish box made of tough plastic and with a lift out tray.
It should be large enough to hold enough basic tools to do many projects without being too heavy or bulky. Depending on what types of projects he will be doing maybe get him 2, one for mechanical and another for wood.

 

[ScottsGT]

Your post hit home to me. I had NO idea what RAD was until I googled it and realized I've been living near a kid, that my son calls is best friend, a perfect specimen of RAD. The boy is now 18 or 19 and has been trouble around my neighborhood since he was first adopted from Romania by his parents. And now reading about RAD, I see that his parents were not the people that should have adopted this child and may have made matters worse.
His parents were in their late 60's or older when they adopted him and his sister (she turned out OK and left home as soon as she graduated. In the Navy now) Being they were so damned old when they brought them home, I never ONCE saw Dad out doing anything with this child. He would go golfing first thing in the morning and stay on the course all day or they would go out all the time and leave the kids with sitters.
Now the boy is grown, still living there and he has a good start to a long criminal history.
Sounds like your going to be great therapy for your child. Keep up the great work, Dad!
But I second the plastic tackle box idea. Lots of pull out drawers and small compartments he can put stuff in.

 

[Toyota4Runner]

First off, awesome post and happy for you! I am a father of 3, one of which is a boy who is 2 and I dream of that day!

I second the some made tool box! That would be a great opportunity for you and yours to make something together, along with His new tool! My first toolbox was a 50 cent garage sale craftsman socket holder! I still have it. Make this a good one because it will leave a memory!

Keep us posted!

 

[Bojans]

Great story, I really hope for you and your sons sake that this can open a door to a relationship that means something to him.

Since you have a HF locally maybe something like this would be a good start.
http://www.harborfreight.com/stainless-steel-toolbox-68296.html

What immediately pops into my head is perhaps there is an opportunity for him to do some basic chores to earn the money so he can buy the box with you. Regner's idea of building a tool box and or a bird house is a great one.

Best of luck to you and your family.

 

[stonesfan68]

He's 8 years old and has Reactive Attachment Disorder. We adopted him and his younger brother 6 years ago. For him to have ANYTHING to do with me or his mom is quite a feat in itself. I'm excited to be able to do what my dad didn't do and at least give him a base to work off of when it comes to tools and being handy!

I just looked up this disorder:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/reactive-attachment-disorder/basics/definition/con-20032126

How could anyone do that to a child? God bless you and your wife for taking those kids in and trying to give them some sense of stability and love.

 

[GCncsuHD]

You need one of these http://sawdustmaking.com/Childs Toolbox/toolbox.htm

It would be way better than anything you could buy from HF. To make up for all the time in the garage make Mom a bird house.

I think this idea is best. Gives some great bonding and learning time, and will hold his tools just fine until he graduates to a larger box/more tools. And it can forever be held as a memento, and possibly passed down at a later time. Take it one step further by letting him paint/customize it to make it his own.

By the way, I greatly commend you on adopting those two children and giving them a good home.

 

[shocksandstrutz]

check out the Hot Deals section, there is a great handled box at your local Home Depot on sale right now for $11. Id bu it if I needed it, it should last him a bit and allow him to start the accumulation.

Congrats with your son, you have taken on a responsability MOST people could not and would not do. Keep up the hard work.

 

[D_Wooderson]

JSwaff,

If you are in Southeast Michigan, I will give you a small, handheld Craftsman box. PM me and maybe we can work something out.

 

[JamieK]

The wooden toolbox is a great idea, but if you're like me, you may not have a way to get the nice cuts needed, like with a table saw. Those boxes come in kit form at Lowers, Home Depot, and online for less than $20.

 

[48fordnut]

A tool box would be a great father son project.
Scotts GT is there any thing you can do to help the young man?

 

[Scott0023]

Home Depot has Saturday classes for kids to make different things with a parent. One of them I have seen walk out of the store with was a tool box/tray. They have a flower pot class coming up that is supposed to be gift for mom.

You may want to do this a few weekends with him.

Scott

 

[netcaretaker]

Everyone beat me to it, but I would buy him a cheap one and then when he got some tools in it, help him build a better one !

Congrats to you, good luck!

 

[MoparTrucks]

Great post and whether you build one with him or buy one for him let it be a quest that both of you share.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Jswaff19 what part of the country are you in, I am in Washington State. Please put it in your profile and maybe a member has one that they will give to you and him. If you are in my part of the country pm me, I will give you both a tour of the garage and let him pick his own from one of mine...

 

[BigSteve63]

He's 8 years old and has Reactive Attachment Disorder. We adopted him and his younger brother 6 years ago. For him to have ANYTHING to do with me or his mom is quite a feat in itself. I'm excited to be able to do what my dad didn't do and at least give him a base to work off of when it comes to tools and being handy!

I appreciate any insight on toolbox deals/coupons. I know HF has a smaller toolbox for $5.99 or something but it seems a bit small and won't hold too much. He will probably only have a few tools in it anyways since he tends to break/destroy things he is given as a sign of his past.

Hang in there - it can get better! Our youngest was adopted from China when he was 8 (that's what age we were told, but that's a different story) and exhibited a lot of the same traits. He had been in an orphanage in Beijing since he was 2. Diagnosed with RAD shortly after coming home with us.

There was nothing given to him that wasn't broken at some point - toys, video games, monitors, etc. He became physically violent toward my wife for a time, but never with our older son or me (BTW - I am 6' 4", 295#, and used to compete in powerlifting). At one point, he threw open the back door of the car as the wife was backing out of the garage; was not a good day for the car, the garage door, or the door opening.

Fast forward to today - he will be 15 on June 1st and has turned into a great kid. Sure, he still has some problems, but the transformation has been amazing. He is still not a touchy-feely kind of kid, but enjoys the occasional hug and being around both sets of Grandparents.

He loves doing things with his hands - we noticed a fascination with origami, so we let him go hog wild with it, encouraging and praising every new accomplishment. Some of the things he can produce are amazing. Pretty well into building any kind of science project, he and I have built everything from weather vanes to scale catapults and have a great time doing it.

The fact that he is reaching out to you is encouraging - doesn't matter what you do together, the important thing is that he wants to do it with you! Congratulations - have fun together!

 

[alinc100]

Sound like your son will become a tool nut like the rest of us.
I know I have plastic and /or a metal toolboxes I could mail out or by the end of the weekend mill out something from wood as a DIY project. It could also help to know where you are located.

 

[MN4x4]

Where are you located? If you're close you could have one of mine for him.

 

[JSwaff19]

Thanks everyone. I'll update my profile but I'm in Ohio.

He is currently doing chores to earn money for his toolbox.

As for his background, without too many details, he is #3 in a sibling group of 4 (his brother is #4 and is 7 years old but is on a 2-3 year old level and will live with us forever, that's a long story for another place). The kids were left in a crib for the night and literally lived alone some nights. They never ate and the "parents" would do drugs and go out for days on a binge. They were exposed to prostitution, drugs and who knows what else.

 

[owenst7]

Great post and whether you build one with him or buy one for him let it be a quest that both of you share.

To add to this idea-

Make the process something he will remember. Doesn't have to be a big deal or anything, just something that matters to him now. I've got a million stories of hunting/camping/fourwheeling with my Dad from childhood that he never remembered, but they mean a lot to me.

My suggestion would be to pick up an old sheet metal tool box and "restore"/"fix" it together. He will value the item more after forming a direct association between his work and that item. He will also value that process for the rest of his life.

Just keep it simple and within his attention span. Even just fixing a latch, fixing a dent, or spray painting it a different color will be a big deal to him at his age.

 

[ZRX61]

Everyone seems to be suggesting a *kiddy* toolbox...which is fine for a toy.... but if you want to get him areal toolbox take a look at the cheap Craftsman. My daughter got this for her 9th Christmas after she bugged me at Sears on more than one occasion. It was on sale & I think it was right around $95.



Edit: Yes, that IS a Trebuchet on the left

 

[the tool man]

That is great that your 8 year old wants a toolbox but you want a cheap one go on to CRAIGSLIST and there you may find one cheap or look for yard/garage sales I bought a lot of tools at those sales cheap also.

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[jjohnson70]

That is totally awesome that your son wants to get into tools with you! How about one of the craftsman plastic ones? Thinking it would be light enough for him to carry around and he can use it while you work on building one together.

Here's one for $10
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-20-inch-hand-tool-box/p-00959320000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

 

[jjohnson70]

ZRX61 - That's a great Christmas gift!