Thread: I bought my daughter a hammer

Some time ago, my 3 year old princess got a play set that consisted of a thick board, small nails, a wooden hammer, and lots of little wooden shapes with a small hole in the middle. The idea is that you can nail the shapes to the board to make houses, stick figures, etc.

While she was playing, my daughter complained that the nails wouldn't go in all the way.
I gave it a try, and the problem wasn't the board or the nails. It was the fact that the crappy hammers were near weightless. This makes them perfectly safe as toys I guess, but it also makes them pretty useless as hammers.

So I told her that indeed, these were bad hammers. We went to my favorite hardware shop and chose a lightweight carpenters hammer. With that one she had no problem hammering the nails.
I also bought her an ounce of real nails, which she happily hammers into a discarded foot of 2x4.
I may not have a son, but my daughter is eager to learn to use tools, so I am happy to oblige. Of course she only gets to use them under my supervision (usually when I am making scales or something else).

Yesterday I bought her a toolbox to store the hammer in, and also a pair of pliers and something for which I don't know the english name. It looks a bit like a tiny crowbar for removing small nails and carpet tacks. She has mastered hammering, so now I am going to teach her to remove the nails.

All tools are German quality tools of course. This means they cost 5 - 10 times more than the cheap ones, and for her it wouldn't really make much difference, but I only buy good tools, and I want her to learn to appreciate good tools.

This also means that there is a significant chance I have to share my daddy-dungeon when she gets older. She has her own little workbench next to mine. But then again, there are worse things than being able to share a hobby with your kids.

Nice story, thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Some time ago, my 3 year old princess got a play set that consisted of a thick board, small nails, a wooden hammer, and lots of little wooden shapes with a small hole in the middle. The idea is that you can nail the shapes to the board to make houses, stick figures, etc.

While she was playing, my daughter complained that the nails wouldn't go in all the way.
I gave it a try, and the problem wasn't the board or the nails. It was the fact that the crappy hammers were near weightless. This makes them perfectly safe as toys I guess, but it also makes them pretty useless as hammers.

So I told her that indeed, these were bad hammers. We went to my favorite hardware shop and chose a lightweight carpenters hammer. With that one she had no problem hammering the nails.
I also bought her an ounce of real nails, which she happily hammers into a discarded foot of 2x4.
I may not have a son, but my daughter is eager to learn to use tools, so I am happy to oblige. Of course she only gets to use them under my supervision (usually when I am making scales or something else).

Yesterday I bought her a toolbox to store the hammer in, and also a pair of pliers and something for which I don't know the english name. It looks a bit like a tiny crowbar for removing small nails and carpet tacks. She has mastered hammering, so now I am going to teach her to remove the nails.

All tools are German quality tools of course. This means they cost 5 - 10 times more than the cheap ones, and for her it wouldn't really make much difference, but I only buy good tools, and I want her to learn to appreciate good tools.

This also means that there is a significant chance I have to share my daddy-dungeon when she gets older. She has her own little workbench next to mine. But then again, there are worse things than being able to share a hobby with your kids.

I'm a little teary eyed...You're an awesome dad, and I know she will appreciate it as she gets older and realizes that awesome dads are not as common as they should be.

From a carpenter: well done!

Anyone else think that little crowbar he's referring to might be a "cats claw"? cat claw nail puller-Large Photo & Picture

Glad your daughter is enjoying it I too was set loose in the basement with a hammer nails and scrap wood as a child.

Who knows where the hammer and nails may lead ? In the 1960s when I was a teenager I started doing ironwork (steel erection). When it was a hot day and a tough job the guys were apt to say,"If it was easy our wives would be doing it".

In the early 1970s as the world began to change, and the role of females with it, we began to have women enter the apprentice program and come out to the job. We couldn't say that anymore because now they were doing it. Perhaps you may have planted the seeds that will lead to a carpenter in the family.

Good Job Bruno.. If you give her the right tools maybe you can borrow them from her when you need them.. smart thinking... I think my son needs a tumbler to make his lego shine again

Maarten

Giving up space in your man cave to share time with your Daughter sounds like it is not going to be much of a compromise! Great story Bruno! Thanks for sharing it.



-Rob

Originally Posted by Bruno

Some time ago, my 3 year old princess got a play set that consisted of a thick board, small nails, a wooden hammer, and lots of little wooden shapes with a small hole in the middle. The idea is that you can nail the shapes to the board to make houses, stick figures, etc.

While she was playing, my daughter complained that the nails wouldn't go in all the way.
I gave it a try, and the problem wasn't the board or the nails. It was the fact that the crappy hammers were near weightless. This makes them perfectly safe as toys I guess, but it also makes them pretty useless as hammers.

So I told her that indeed, these were bad hammers. We went to my favorite hardware shop and chose a lightweight carpenters hammer. With that one she had no problem hammering the nails.
I also bought her an ounce of real nails, which she happily hammers into a discarded foot of 2x4.
I may not have a son, but my daughter is eager to learn to use tools, so I am happy to oblige. Of course she only gets to use them under my supervision (usually when I am making scales or something else).

Yesterday I bought her a toolbox to store the hammer in, and also a pair of pliers and something for which I don't know the english name. It looks a bit like a tiny crowbar for removing small nails and carpet tacks. She has mastered hammering, so now I am going to teach her to remove the nails.

All tools are German quality tools of course. This means they cost 5 - 10 times more than the cheap ones, and for her it wouldn't really make much difference, but I only buy good tools, and I want her to learn to appreciate good tools.

This also means that there is a significant chance I have to share my daddy-dungeon when she gets older. She has her own little workbench next to mine. But then again, there are worse things than being able to share a hobby with your kids.

Cool Bruno. Sounds like fun. I can't wait untill my little boy will be big enough to do stuff with him that I'm already enjoying.

Bytheway I've been meaning to ask you, have you ever been making knives?

Nicely done, Bruno - your teaching your daughter a whole host of lessong - hand-eye coordination, the value of buying quality, and the importance of sharing family-time.

This is a great story! Keep them coming!

Mark