Getting the kids involved

Great thread.

I've got a 10-yo son and 8-yo daughter (man, growing way too fast) who both dig old cars. I am amazed what they have picked up, with regards to being able to identify cars, and use of car terminology. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face when my daughter said "nice ghost flames, Dad" and pointed to a really nice set on a rod... the fact that she correctly made the distinction of GHOST flames blew me away.

My son has always had an interest in how things work, and constantly asks questions in the garage. I'm glad when his questions are car-related, since I have half a chance of being able to answer him. LOL It's the questions like "Dad, how does gravity work?" that throw me for a loop. We built a cool model of a 4-cylinder engine about three years ago and he'll ask questions about the real thing that relate to the model.

As far as getting them involved in the garage, here's a list of things I try to do (some of these already mentioned):

1. Always fill them in on what I'm working on and why. This doesn't take long, and helps them feel "connected" with what I'm doing after they've gone in for the night (and I'm still in the garage).

2. When my wife comes out and asks what we're up to, I'll have the kids explain it to her. Even if they're just "pretending to drive" the car while I'm working, they feel like they're helping.

3. Look for ANY opportunity to have one of them hold the light for me - whether I really need it or not. It's something they can do easily, and feel good about doing. In many cases they really ARE helping.

4. My kids are fascinated with the underside of the car. Whenever one of the cars is up on jackstands, they will BEG me to let them lay under it. I keep extra safety gl***es handy and let them have at it. In addition to knowing where they are (like if I'm working on something else), it let's them see the greasey side of things. If I owned a creeper, they'd probably NEVER come out from under there.

5. Let them fetch tools, shop rags, pick out tunes to throw in the boombox, count fasteners ("is there a nut and washer there for each bolt?"), mash the pedal, turn the wheel, turn the switch on/off, pour the oil (while I hold the funnel), tug on wires under the dash so I can find em in engine compartment, read the numbers on the voltmeter, etc.

6. Let them snug up screws/bolts/nuts.

7. Make a game out of helping me guess what size socket/wrench is needed for a nut/bolt.


Looking forward to getting more ideas from other folks!

-murph

 

My oldest neice is nine years old, and I love having her help with the 49 Chevy project. True, she tends to play alot...sitting in the car and messing with things, but when you get her under the hood, she actually has a knack for this car building stuff!

When I was wiring the electric fan, she was there to help. I'm the type that will overthink some things to the point where all I do is consider several possibilities, yet DO nothing at times! So...I left the project up to HER...and she came through flawlessly!

The placement of the fan relay, the way the wires are routed, the type and location of the switch and the manual only operation of the fan were decisions made entirely by a nine year old girl with NO car building experience...but one who is blessed with above average brains and common sense!

I wondered if the fan should be wired to a temperature switch, to a manual switch, or both. She said "Two switches makes it complicated, just make it so you can turn it on when you want to." Fair enough! It's activated by a big red illuminated pull switched installed where the lighter used to go!

(Switch placement puzzled me, and after I considered many options, Brianna came through again...pointing to the cigarette lighter and asking "What does that do?". I told her it didn't do anything. She replied "Well put the switch there and get rid of that chrome thing!". Very good!)

When figuring out where to put the fan relay, I wondered aloud if it should go in the car, or under the hood. When she asked what a relay was, I gave her a simplified explanation of it's function. She promptly said "I would put it close to the fan and battery and make the little wires go in the car.". I tolda ya she was smart!

From there, we both laid out the position of the components, and the best way to route the wires. I had a notion to run the wires across the top of the battery, along one edge, but she didn't seem to like that. Her thoughts were to follow the battery tray, then go to the head and along the valve cover and up into the harness that was already in place for starter and ignition wiring. So, that's the way we did it!

Involving kids is great...and they may surprise you with their stark honesty and simple, yet effective logic! Where we tend to try and out-think ourselves, the child in the equation will often natrually think of the best and most practical soloution!

Remember that the next time you measure someone's opinion or input based on how many cars they've built...sometimes the best ideas come from the freshest minds...not ones conditioned to think a certain way for years on end!

Kids rule!

 

I started helping my dad build a 39 ford sedan at age 5 helped him where i could polished stainless chrome, did light sanding... turned out a nice car when it was done. As i grew up i helped alot on different things. At about 15 I had kinda been burned, but then around 19, I saw a 36 ford pickup that was on the ground and chopped with a supercharged flathead and I got bitten buy the tritional hot rod bug. Something about tritional hot rods, made me want a hot rod.


So i would say continue doing what your doing, and by the time he is 16 he will have the coolest car in the lot at High School.

 

Hey,

I find sanding is the best! The little 6yo I live with is the sander from hell - he loves it. He also really likes using a drill with a wire brush on the end (I make him wear goggles and he has his own little leather gloves).

He's also good at organising car clubs - he was at a club event I was attending when he declaired that he was going to form his rival club - The Black Death Zombie Vampires of the Death. Only lead sleds and five window coupes allowed with no fat chics!

He's a tip" get them to bring in pencils and paper when your working on your ride. If they get bored, ask them to draw or paint a piece of the ride or get them to add some flames or a bigger motor (or superchargers...he loves superchargers). Keeps them entertained and lets you get in some work time whilst they are drawing.

I agree with letting them explain things to other people...makes them feel intelligent and trusted and makes them feel a little "in charge" of the project.

Danny

 

My son is 9 and LOVES cars (not rice,like he would say)He flamed all of his notebooks and folders at school and scalloped his name tag.He has a blast hangin with Hambers,had fun with ContinentalJohn last year at the SLOTS OF DOOM slot car races.P***ed out cold Pabst to Lukester,Cadillackid,JYD,Barnyard,and Sparky and me at the WSRA event.He says to my friends,"hotrods,chicks and beer all go together".......just like his old man!!!!

Dan

 

at 5 he wanted to help. He wanted to paint actually. I bought a few cans of hotrod black and away he went. My coupe is still sporting his paint.

 

It now looks like my 20 month old grandaughter will be moving back to town so I will be able to get her interested. Here she is learning the proper cruising stance.

 

Mine boys are now 3 & 4 and a both active helpers (in their minds) in the garage. I don't care much about being productive when they're around, I'm enjoying their company. Momma keeps them at bay when I want to accomplish something that they shouldn't be nearby for.

This one is of my 3 yr old, when he was two, helping me get the dump on my 58 1 1/2 ton Chevy operating.

 

Thanks for all the replies. We recently got him a used quad, I think that would be a good starting ground for him, (he likes motorcycles, but is weary of riding them). I don't know jack about them, but his dad used to be a mechanic for a dirt bike guy, so that could be a good father-son project. I told him I'd help with the looks of it, right now it's faded pee-yellow, he wants to do it black.

The welding helmet is actually a funny story. My son, Karl, really wanted to watch his dad weld. But we told him he couldn't look at the light because it would hurt his eyes, and that we'd get him his own helmet the next time we went to Harbor Freight. Well, later that week he was watching Monster Garage, and every time they showed them welding, he'd throw his hands over his eyes and look away. After calming down from our fit of laughter, (you had to see it, it was funny!), we told him it was okay to watch it on tv. We got him the helmet that weekend, it was well worth the laugh we got.

Maybe we'll try out letting him sand, it needs to be stripped down and re-painted anyway, and I know he'd love that.

Thanks guys, your stories brought a smile to my face.