Admit it – when you were a kid, one of your favorite activities was following Dad around the house as he worked on all of those house repairs. You dreamed of the day when you would finally be old enough to hammer the nails or work the drill yourself.
Well, of course, your parents had rules for a reason. Now that you’re a parent, it’s best to enforce them for the very same reasons. Tools were designed for adults, and are not safe for children to use. This Old House points out that other than lightweight drills and scrollsaws, most power tools are too heavy and dangerous for young kids to use by themselves. The website also recommends parents keep sharp-edged hand tools like utility knives and chisels locked up in tool chests.
But that doesn’t mean the kids can’t get involved in home renovation projects you do around the house. They can certainly play a role in the planning process, and in making decisions about purchases. Here are some ways you can safely satisfy your sons’ or daughters’ urge to help:
1. Invite kids to help with prep work for a project you need to do. Create a checklist of everything you need, and give them a mission to make sure the check list is complete. Ask them to fetch items they could easily reach and carry.
2. Kids can easily be taught how to use home improvement items like tape measures and levels to make things plumb and level. With supervision, they are also capable of hammering small nails, driving screws and performing many other simple tasks.
3. Have a room that needs painting in the house? If so, have your children put on their oldest, dingiest clothes, then hand your son or daughter a paint brush and put him or her to work. Kids love to get dirty and having permission to mess up the walls is like a dream come true.
Make it clear, however, they aren’t being given license to destroy the place. Show them how to make clean, wide brush strokes that will neatly cover the walls. Since kids tend to put it on thick, it would be a good idea for an adult to work with them to smooth out the rough edges.
When the project is done, kids can help with the cleanup as well. You can make this fun for them by purchasing colorful sponges and washcloths they can use to clean up spills and wipe up paint.
And when the total home maintenance project is finished, be sure to celebrate the accomplishment as a family. Family Circle Magazine has published numerous articles that point out with praise, respect, and humor, a child’s self-confidence can be kept strong for a lifetime.
