Do you ever wonder if your kids will ever have YOUR level of mechanical skill? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

elchivito · #31 06-15-2012, 09:00 AM

All my kids are more mechanically inclined than I am. Fortunately.

raymr · #32 06-15-2012, 09:32 AM

I got into so much trouble taking my new camera apart when I was 10 or so. The way I saw it, anything with exposed screws was fair game, and I just HAD to see what was in there. Unfortunately I didn't have the experience then to know which things to just leave as they are.

Most consumer items today are not serviceable, so there goes a whole learning venue. A camera today is a sealed unit with no moving parts. Nothing to see here. Same with most everything else. Even if you can take it apart, you are then likely looking at some black module with 50 wires sticking out of it. Better put the cover back on and call somebody. This lack of experience and comfort level is why so many people are helpless when it comes to fixing that rare flat tire or replacing a light switch.

Seeing my younger son who is 20 holding a screwdriver is painful. He will honestly ask what to do with it. Though not all is lost. Lately he has become the hero at his college house for unjamming the garbage disposal and tightening washer hoses. So now he is king among similarly clueless young people. As others have said, if natural curiosity isn't there, then necessity and cost will be the motivators.

jplinville · #33 06-15-2012, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

Schools are cutting, even abandoning their shop programs altogether, turning into nothing but a college prep school. Just about every kid tries to fit that mold because its what is expected by their peers, teachers, and parents. I was one of those who had no business being in college, but suffered through and got my degree anyway. I would have been much better off learning a trade or apprenticing at businesses I found interesting.

The local school district just recently voted to drop some of the college prep courses in favor of vo-tech style classes. I was one of the number of parents that attended the meetings leading up to the vote.

Our district will be working with local businesses, sending kids to them for training and education at the high school level, and will be bringing woods and metals classes back next year. As it was explained by myself and a few other dads prior to the vote, "Not every child is cut out for college level courses, especially when the district's graduates generally need a year or so of remedials. It's better to see it now, at the school age, and start teaching them basic skills needed to gain a foothold in a sector that will be kicking up in the very near future"

flainn · #34 06-15-2012, 10:10 AM

I think my boy will do okay. He loves to grab the multimeter and experiment on his battery-powered toys. He helps me tinker on the jalopy 300SD, and a year or two ago he helped me do a top-end rebuild on a '98 Harley-Davidson.

Now, if I could just convince him to put the tools back where he found them.

Air&Road · #35 06-15-2012, 10:15 AM

This thread brings to mind one of the ultimate tinkerers, Henry Ford. His Mom died while he was still pretty small so he was quite young when she caught him rebuilding a watch during Church. She took him outside and tanned his hide. Even after getting a whipping he was excited because he managed to make the watch run again.

At the Henry Ford museum, that watch is on display in a line of his early mechanical accomplishments in chronological order.

I wonder how many 11 or 12 year olds at any point in history could slip a watch apart and back together. I'm sure back in the day, there were some, but not many.

Air&Road · #36 06-15-2012, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flainn

I think my boy will do okay. He loves to grab the multimeter and experiment on his battery-powered toys. He helps me tinker on the jalopy 300SD, and a year or two ago he helped me do a top-end rebuild on a '98 Harley-Davidson.

Now, if I could just convince him to put the tools back where he found them.

The only way to do that is start him out with his own tools.

When I was small, my Dad had an independent auto repair business. In the first through fourth grades, one of my jobs was to keep tools clean and in place. I learned the importance of putting tools away at an early age.

MBeige · #37 06-15-2012, 12:02 PM

I don't have kids yet, but I gave my nephew some LEGO models he can build and rebuild. Giving him more puzzle or building toys should help, especially if it's a model of a particular type they like (cars, houses, tools, etc).

Then I also let him play with his Hotwheels or Matchbox cars until they break apart. THEN, I show him how to fix it up. Last night they were visiting and I was watching Top Gear on TV. He was glued

jplinville · #38 06-15-2012, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

I bet my oldest daughter can kick your daughters ass.

Fists or tests??

The Clk Man · #39 06-15-2012, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jplinville

Fists or tests??

Although my daughter is very intelligent, I would say fists.

jplinville · #40 06-15-2012, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

Although my daughter is very intelligent, I would say fists.

You win...she's a wimp when it comes to things like that. LOL

strelnik · #41 06-16-2012, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zacharias

I can't make up my mind if we've become too complacent to care about fixing or recyling perfectly good things, or instead it's just an indicator of worn out adults running around chained to crackberries who haven't got the energy to do anything outside their regular routine.

Speak for yourself. It's 04 43 on a saturday morning. I have two stents. So who doesn't have energy?

have to go now, am going out to the property to mow it by hand.

JB3 · #42 06-16-2012, 05:33 AM

Think you guys are worrying too much. If someone has the aptitude or interest, they can develop the skills needed, especially in this day and age of internet connectivity, and being able to pick the brains of other like minded enthusiasts for literally anything.

For example, I had a problem with my tv and was able to find some kids youtube video where he took it apart and replaced internal components, and its fixed. 10 minutes of research and mine was fixed too. 30 years ago I would have never been able to access that store of knowledge

Being involved with old vws as another hobby, I'm always amazed at just how many 16 year old kids have taken their car completely apart and put it back together to paint some inconsequential widget.

There are plenty of kids who have those skills, and can connect with other people to learn more and better stuff through avenues like forums. But everyone is different, I'm sure my grandfather the engineer had this exact same concern when he watched my dad unable to turn a wrench or help him effectively with around the house projects, and my dad the lawyer was I'm sure concerned that my powers of writing and reasoned argument were nothing compared to his, and so on. I wouldn't be surprised if any kid that I may have has completely different interests, the trick seems to be making sure your kid has the opportunities and exposure to these potential interests, and is able to hone them.

Then again, if a kid really likes videogames, they can pursue it. I have a childhood friend where all she would do was watch bad horror movies and play video games, to the intense concern of her active duty navy father, and now she's made an extremely lucrative career out of video game character design and artwork. To piss off her father, when he bought a shelby gt mustang and wouldn't let her drive it, she bought a top of the line camaro SS, and won't let him drive that.