Thread: I Hope This Isn't Your Kid

Well nothing's new under the sun, we used to make those when I was a kid 35 years ago. Been trying to remember how to from time to time without wasting to much time on it, and now here's the manual

" A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention in history... with the possible exception of handguns & tequila. "

It seems like it would be more accurate to talk about the fathers who simply don't take an active role in their kids' life. There are a lot of terrible "working man, blue collar" fathers out there, just as there are terrible "investment banker" fathers out there. Just head to your nearest Wal-Mart or McDonalds to find out.

I'm just trying to figure out the point of all this. Is this a gripe about bad fathers? Or is it about people who are inferior in some way acting superior?

My initial point is there are kids who are really smart and willing to work hard on various mechanical projects but unfortunately don't get any (or at least not enough) useful adult guidance. I used an example from the shop where I teach in Fairfield County, CT. In this particular instance the dads seem to be dropping the kids off with someone else to do the teaching. It has nothing at all to do with the social status of the father. It is merely the lack of interest or concern. I grew up on a street where if there was a dad at all it seemed he was always working or drunk.

Today it is different. I have a few friends who are single moms who are proud of what they are teaching their sons but admit they are lacking. I spend alot of time with their sons trying to give them an opportunity to see what tools are and how to use them. The kid across the street is a very good student. He enjoys woodworking and I am now finding out he likes to cook. He asked me to teach him how to make a smoked chicken for his birthday!

Am I putting anyone down? If you think so, you are entitled to your wrong opinion.

Ice, I think you are making a good point, and I also think that you are doing a good thing trying to help the kids you can. You have a special quality about you that you are interested in helping people learn new things (I see this from your posts where you make a cool piece of work, then show exactly how you did it... some people take the knowledge they have and hide it away so nobody else can benefit).
Just for clarity, I was thanking the idea that some people need more involved parents, just because I believe that is true... That's it.

I understand your point and I agree. In fact, from some of the things I've seen, I wouldn't mind taking a class or two. And I am going to try to follow the lead and do what I can to help teach what I can.

I think that kid needs parents who take an interest in his spelling and grammar personally. The youth of today!! When I was a lad, we used to proof read any text we used in our youtube videos...

James.