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Great gear head toy for little kiddos!
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Re: Great gear head toy for little kiddos!
We went to the Turkey Rod Run when Boy Wonder was about 4, and shopped for a pedal car project for him. It was pretty cool watching the little tire kicker! He literally looked like he was shopping for a real car...everything was scaled down--the car, the buyer, the inspection (including getting down on his hands and knees and looking under it).
Bought it, fixed it up (painted it black and white to look like my '57 Chevy wagon) and when I'd work on my car, he'd work on his in the garage.
Another great "toy" for little boys is a Craftsman 12-foot tape measure. We ALL played with our dads', and as my son did with mine, I'm sure a good number of us broke them. While replacing mine at Sears, it dawned on me that for six bucks he could have his own! A quick 3-minute lesson on the dangers of sliced fingers if you retract it with your finger along the edge was all it took for years and years of "I've got a REAL tool just like Dad's!" He was 4.
My parents freaked out when I bought him his own saw at 5 years old--Craftsman double-sided saw. Short throw, crourse-tooth on one side, fine tooth on the other. "Brad! Should he be carrying that saw through the store?!" Why not? It's his.
He also got a small 1-inch blade Swiss Army Knife that year (with full instructions...I wasn't real comfortable with that one, but he found it on the ground, and made a good case to justifying keeping it). He was a whittlin' fool, too. One day I heard the front door open and close, the bathroom cabinet open and close, the water run, and that unmistakable sound of a Band-Aid wrapper opening. Poked my head in and said "Cut yourself?" Yeah. "You okay?" Yeah. "Did you learn anything?" Yeah. "Think that'll happen again?" No. "Need any help?" No.
My parents did not nominate me for Father of the Year.
Fortunately, they weren't the ones voting or handing out the award.
-Brad
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Re: Great gear head toy for little kiddos!
Brad,
Great stories and confirmation that a lot of us think alike about this stuff. I never want to be a helicopter parent (constantly hovering overhead) but do want to exercise enough judgement that the boys don't relly wound themselves.
The saw line is awesome.
"Because it's his!"
BrianThat which you manifest is before you.
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Re: Great gear head toy for little kiddos!
Shake ?n Go Basic Cars. (Each sold separately and subject to availability.) Requires 9 AA batteries; 3 for track, and 3 for each vehicle.
Make sure you got TWOcomming, it sure be a shame to make your kid watch while you play with it alone.
CM
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Re: Great gear head toy for little kiddos!
Good for you, Brad. I'm genuinely worried that kids are being raised with the tyranny of safety, which prevents any real learning. Surprise - kids will get skinned knees and an occasional knife cut. BFD! We all did, and 99.99% of us lived thru it. And we learned the lessons - and had fun. Yeah, you don't want the kids dead, but let's all lighten up. Good for you!!!!!!
Dan
Originally posted by Brad54We went to the Turkey Rod Run when Boy Wonder was about 4, and shopped for a pedal car project for him. It was pretty cool watching the little tire kicker! He literally looked like he was shopping for a real car...everything was scaled down--the car, the buyer, the inspection (including getting down on his hands and knees and looking under it).
Bought it, fixed it up (painted it black and white to look like my '57 Chevy wagon) and when I'd work on my car, he'd work on his in the garage.
Another great "toy" for little boys is a Craftsman 12-foot tape measure. We ALL played with our dads', and as my son did with mine, I'm sure a good number of us broke them. While replacing mine at Sears, it dawned on me that for six bucks he could have his own! A quick 3-minute lesson on the dangers of sliced fingers if you retract it with your finger along the edge was all it took for years and years of "I've got a REAL tool just like Dad's!" He was 4.
My parents freaked out when I bought him his own saw at 5 years old--Craftsman double-sided saw. Short throw, crourse-tooth on one side, fine tooth on the other. "Brad! Should he be carrying that saw through the store?!" Why not? It's his.
He also got a small 1-inch blade Swiss Army Knife that year (with full instructions...I wasn't real comfortable with that one, but he found it on the ground, and made a good case to justifying keeping it). He was a whittlin' fool, too. One day I heard the front door open and close, the bathroom cabinet open and close, the water run, and that unmistakable sound of a Band-Aid wrapper opening. Poked my head in and said "Cut yourself?" Yeah. "You okay?" Yeah. "Did you learn anything?" Yeah. "Think that'll happen again?" No. "Need any help?" No.
My parents did not nominate me for Father of the Year.
Fortunately, they weren't the ones voting or handing out the award.
-Brad
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