“Education, like neurosis, begins at home” – why should always Dads be the Do-It-Yourselfers? Getting your kids involved in the smallest of small DIY projects is a great way of providing them with excellent opportunities to learn a whole lot of useful and valuable skills. Asking them to assist you in the work of replacing those old drafty Toronto windows or helping you with cleaning the garage doors or teaching them how to use the hammer or a wrench or how do drive screws will not only inculcate the interest of DIY projects in him but it will also help you in spending some quality time with your child and help him in doing something constructive, rather than letting him spend hours just sitting and watching the television.
Although it’s often said that getting tools into young hands is the best way to develop the DIY skills in kids, but always remember that you should never be too fast for your child. Remember that your child is still too young to handle the power tools. Additionally, you should also try and understand the DIY activities that suit your child’s age, taste, and personality. Never try to impose anything on him. While today you may teach your child how to glue together a bird house, depending on his level of interest and observation, tomorrow you may as well teach him the ways to install Toronto windows! Give him some time to cope himself up with your knowledge transfer session; understand his level of interest and get him involved in DIY activities accordingly. Here are some tips for involving your children in DIY projects:
Easiest First: Understanding the ways to kick-start your child’s interest in DIY projects is important. On the very first day if you start teaching how to use tools and hammers, then their level of interest in the work will wean off. Rather try and involve them in something that’s fun and interesting – like repainting your windows Toronto, making some wall paint in his room, clean the garage door with soap and water – or anything that does not require much skill. Painting, playing with soap water or fiddling with tools are something kids love doing and allowing them to do so will certainly be a good start to introduce your children to the world of DIY without intimidating them.
Buy Safety Gear: If your child is a bit older and you want to get him involved in hardcore DIY projects, then always make it a point to buy him the necessary safety gear – eye protection goggles, gloves, aprons, and helmets. But remember, not all DIY projects, like installing garage door openers or replacing Toronto windows, are recommended for children – even with safety gears. So it’s best to keep them out of such works and assign them tasks that are best suited for them.
Buy handy tools: Normally DIY tools are meant for adults. But in case you want to get your kid involved in such projects, it’s better to get them a set of kid-sized tools that are best suited for their little hands. These special tools are available across specialty stores and are reasonably priced. A word of caution – never make the mistake of buying those cheap set of tools, just because they are kid-sized, because such cheap tools break easily and even pose choking hazards. Once you get them the tools of their size, start teaching them how to hammer, saw and drill. Use bubble wraps or rubber mallet for the purpose. Let him whack away at the bubble wrap before you slowly teach him how to aim the whacking without causing any damage to the surrounding objects.
Involving your kids in DIY projects require a lot of patience. Don’t expect them to be professionals overnight; instead teach them gradually how to master the craft.