Buying Tools for My Daughter

Recently, I wrote a short article for Make: magazine about my experiences looking for "real" tools for my daughter.  I thought I'd share what happened next...

I put off the actual buying of the tools for a bit, but when the holidays rolled around, my oldest (almost 4 years old) daughter asked an elf to tell Santa that she wanted a "wood set with tools."  (I was amused that she didn't ask Santa directly. This was possibly becuase (a) she'd already asked Santa for three things, which is our family limit, (b) the line for Santa was long, or (c) as she put it "the elves are the ones who use tools.") Now that it was an official request, I figured I better start looking more seriously!

I started by going to a local "big box" chain hardware/home-repair store.  When I got there, I figured I'd ask a sales clerk for suggestions.  I asked the man in the tools section for some help, and couldn't help but notice that he looked uncomfortable when I said I was shopping for a child. He waffled a bit about how they didn't really sell things for children, and then he asked how old my daughter is. Here I must confess that I lied.  I started to say "four," and stopped myself. I then said "eight."  (I figured that if they couldn't help me shop for an eight year old, a four year old was out of the question.)  The reply?  He looked at me a bit wide eyed and said. "Eight? That's really young. I didn't have woodshop until my last year of middle school, and that school doesn't even do that anymore. Eight?"  This is when I knew that this shopping excursion was going to be a challenge.  I said that I thought eight (thinking four) was a good age for a hammer, nails, saw, and hand drill.  (They didn't have non-powered hand drills, though.)  After watching him uncomfortably look at saws I thought I'd throw him an easy request.  "How about safety glasses? Can we just get a pair of kid safety glasses?" The reply "We don't have those."  I guess I could have picked my own hammer or nails at this point, but decided to leave.

Later that day, I was in a small shopping district buying some other presents. As I walked to my car I noticed a small hardware store on the corner.  On a whim, I went in, not expecting much. However, when I said that I was trying to buy tools for my daughter, two of the sales clerks jumped up. The first suggested I look at the smaller hammer that they had just sold to a dad and son, the other started walking me down the aisles pointing things out.  Then they asked "the question."  "How old is your daughter?" When I said four, they nodded and said that was a bit young, but that was all. And who knows, perhaps four is a bit young, but my daughter asked, and I'm willing to supervise.  I'm happy to say that I was able to pass my shopping notes on to some elves, and that there was a saw, hammer, nails, hand drill, tool box, safety glasses, and wood under the tree a few weeks ago.

 

Comments

[Daniel Would]

4 sounds fine to me :-) I'm sure I was trying to help dad by that age. By the time he was 10 he'd rewired the mains electricity to his mums house with a power drill...
Has your daughter decided to make anything yet? Or is hammering in nails and drilling holes enough for now?

[ampt]

She has a project in mind, but is currently focused on helping me finish a dress for her quickly approaching birthday.

[TextBookJoe]

My preschool had tools and a workbench in one of my classrooms. Playing with them was my favorite part of the day. I specifically recall hammer, nails (upholstery tacks and finish nails), screwdrivers, a couple of hand drills and plenty of scrap wood. My dad then taught me how to use power tools including a circular saw in 5th grade.

I now enjoy working with my hands more than anything else. I think it directly effected my ability to look at a project and see its parts come together one by one.

Sounds like your daughter is off to an awesome start!

[Liz]

fyi, you should do the build events at home depot and lowes. Home Depot is the first of each month and Lowes is every 2 weeks, My daughter has been building since she was 2. She also has real tools, screwdrivers, hammer, safety glasses etc. She helps her dad alot! She absolutely loves it. She goes with preschool friends and it is fun. Take camera for pics!
can you email me the name of your local hardware store? I will try and see if we have one locally! Lowes now sells kits with tools, have hardhat, belt, safety glasses, hammer etc about 10 bucks for a variety pack :) in case she wants to tell the elves she needs more! now just wish for pink!

[ampt]

Liz-thanks for the suggestion! We'll have to check out Lowes' classes and Home Depot classes. I will say that the chain store I mention was not either of those companies. As for the wonderful little hardware store that ended up helping me out: I don't know their name! I literally stumbled into it on a whim. (I'll dig through my receipt box. I may still have the information since I did buy tools there.)

[D Hann]

I read your article in Make, it was great! If you don't mind I'm actually going to quote you (re: the "technologically illiterate" engineering students not knowing the drill press) in a proposal I'm working on for my school to get money for a Makerbot!

Thanks also for the follow up story. I'm a middle school shop teacher in Toronto, Ontario, so this is very familiar territory for me.

The way I see it there a quite a few challenges stacked against our young makers within the framework of the official education system:
-stigma that shop classes are only for the "low kids"
-stigma against "skilled trades" as dirty, low paid, undesirable
-incorrect assumption that shop classes are irrelevant to future doctors, scientists, and engineers
-funding [as usual]
-fear (of litigation)
-fear (of injury --- the "bubble wrap" phenomenon)
-lack of parent supervision... we are too busy in our own world of tech diversions

Thankfully, there are some parents like yourself who are starting to overcome these challenges by PARENTING and simply skirting all of the above issues.

The kids can handle it! It's US adults who need the attitude adjustment usually! Kids are sponges, they will learn what we teach them!

Myself, my son was 1.75 years old when he helped me pull the wires through the stud framing in our basement, and at age 2 he did all the drywall screws in our basement for the bottom 2 feet (the impact driver was a bit heavy so I held the bottom, but he squeezed the trigger)! At age 2.5 he helped me dig a small trench for a concrete retaining wall and helped me carry rebar. And for things he couldn't do (cutting and heavy duty drilling), he was still allowed [and encouraged] to watch -- and he knows the safety gear and wears it: ear protectors, goggles, boots, and his "helmet" [the only toy thing in the bunch]

Lately, when he comes to visit me at school in my shop, he likes picking up my light weight ball peen hammers and just "doing construction" with random scrap wood he picks up.

The problem I have is that after he's been using my tools (under supervision of course), he was given one of these huge sets of plastic tools. Now he hits his younger brother with the plastic hammer, and saws his leg or arm with the plastic saw. It's discouraging, but I figure if I keep reinforcing what I WANT him to do/know, we can get past this stage. Still can't decide if I should just make the whole set disappear. I suppose it is still useful -- when i'm not around to directly supervise he can still nurture the "Maker Spirit".

Anyways, would suggest looking for the "stubby" tools in Sears, Home Depot, etc. They're not designed for kids, but they are smaller, and will work. Eg. wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, socket sets. The ball peen (or pein) hammer is a bit of specialty item these days, but if you can find a light weight one they are great, since the claw of a hammer can prove more dangerous on the backswing. My son can handle a tape measure too, just don't get a long one (more risk for getting cut). I would also stay away from dollar store tools, in my experience they can be unsafe!

Thanks again. And good luck!