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natethebrown 04-13-15 07:25 AM

Question about teenagers and work
 
Is it just me or has there been a trend of not putting one's kids to work around the house?

My wife and I are both young and looking forward to starting a family fairly soon, also we live in a nice neighborhood with a number of families that have teenagers. In our neighborhood, I have yet to see any of these teenagers helping their dads on projects, mowing the grass, cleaning the outside of the house, etc. When I was younger I distinctly remember helping my dad on almost every task he ever had to do. I learned really quickly what a crescent wrench was after having to run back to the garage three times due to grabbing the wrong tool every time. After my older brother and I were old enough, my dad probably went 10 years without mowing once. To this day, I am still occasionally helping my dad with his house projects (and now he helps me with mine).

So for those that have/had teenagers, do/did you put your kids to work around the house (obviously pinballlooking does)?

For everyone, have you all seen this trend as well? Do you see parallels with the increase of electronic devices and the diminishing of spending productive quality time with children? How is the next generation of children going to learn how to DIY without instruction from us?

redneck 04-14-15 03:25 AM

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Quote:

How is the next generation of children going to learn how to DIY without instruction from us?

Youtube...



>

where2 04-14-15 10:46 PM

I helped my dad with a project yesterday. Then again, I'm probably your age, or older... The children of many of my peers are already driving. My peers who started their families very young already have kids in college.

Speaking of youtube, the thirty something year old kid who grew up two houses down the street was texting me about carburetors yesterday. His string trimmer isn't running properly, so I told him he probably needed a replacement carb kit. (dropped a carb kit in a string trimmer I picked up off the swale about 5 months ago, it runs like a champ now) He said he'd never had a carb apart. (grew up in the fuel injected age). I sent him to youtube, because it was far simpler than trying to explain how to rebuild a Walbro carb the size of a Hot Wheels van. I've had more carbs apart than I care to describe. Meanwhile, my dad wishes his last carbureted outboard was fuel injected, and one of my carbureted outboard engines turns 30 this year.

jeff5may 04-15-15 04:24 AM

YOU are your dad now. If You have kids, teach them right. Trends in the world will always change, but when the poop hits the fan, the many rely on the few to keep things going. Help your kids understand that.

As of this week, I'm working on a vacuum tube guitar amp project with my youngest, a senior. It's a scratch build, since we went to guitar center and the screaming ones cost $3000. Rather than spend his hard earned bank, we are resurrecting a reel-to-reel deck from the '50s. We have two tubes running as of today, and the outputs are on order from ebay. Meanwhile, the thing is rigged push-pull off the phase inverter triodes for a whopping 1/2 Watt! He has taken over the soldering iron and is head over heels for this new retro sound. He will soon develop the bug and begin his quest for the perfect tone...

Last weekend, I went to visit my older son, who has moved out with his girl. He found a car... a project. Since we built and rebuilt lots of them in the past, he knew what to look for. The new project is a '91 Chevy Blazer Tahoe 4x4 that Billy Bob put in a ditch and blew the engine trying to climb out sideways. He knew from past experience that the 4.3L v6 engine in it can be found everywhere for cheap. He has lines on two at the moment... one for $75.00 that runs, one for 200 that runs well. Now all we have to do is an engine swap (at his place).

I have always paid my kids on a grade scale. $3 for an A, $2 for a B, nothing for a C, $-1 for a D, and -$3 for an F. Multiply the total by their grade level. At present, my senior is earning close to $300 a semester! Money really does talk.

pinballlooking 04-15-15 12:58 PM

When I was a kid I started mowing as soon my legs would reach the brakes.

By the time I was a Teenager I did all the plumbing and electrical work. My dad had friends in those fields that show me what to do. We built on a big addition and I did the wiring and the plumbing and insulation for the whole thing. It all got inspected without one issue.

I did all the car repair brake jobs tune ups I even rebuilt 350 Chevy car motors.

I rebuilt/fixed dirt bikes motors carburetors… you get the point.

I would love to pass on as many skills as I can or that they are interested in.

I work on electronics and I am going to teach them how to solder. I have used these skill many times. We sell some pinball machine mods and my boys help build those mods to help pay for their private school.

I love to learn new skills and I am always learning I hope to never stop learning. I really hope to pass that on.

My kids go a private school because the public schools here a not very good. It is expensive and they work hard and get straight A’s.

I do pay them for each A they get and anything below an A I take away money. I know a lot people don’t agree with this but I believe you should be rewarded for hard work and success and it should hurt a little if you don’t get success.

My oldest will be a teenager in June they are both preteen for now.


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