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MX, SX & Off-Road Discussions
General Moto | Off-Topic Posts
the kids are all right
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[QUOTE="bbbom, post: 662788, member: 16301"] I think it's more to do with personality and age and maybe a little to do with previous experience and the atmosphere the work is getting done in. All three of our kids work on their own bikes to some extent. The girls like to work in the shop once in awhile but they aren't "driven to do it". We give them small tasks they can do on their own. My 9 yo daughter is one of the few kids, and probably the only girl in her class that can pick out the correct tool when we ask for it and she's pretty good at figuring out what she needs to do the task at hand. They think it's fun to grease bearings & play in the goo but they just like to do it because we are there and they think it's cool to know "boy stuff". My son is the one that really WANTS to work on his bike (or anything for that matter). At 11 he lives & breathes for bikes (and jetski's and snowmobiles and cars). The kid reads everything he can - he's the family expert on strange little facts and information. He does most everything on his bike, with some help from Karl or myself. He does work on his bike on his own but he prefers to work on it when Karl or myself are around to help if needed. They like to work on the bikes (or whatever we need to work on) when we are all working in the shop on various projects. We do a lot of work on the bikes in the winter with the wood stove cranking and the stereo on and the whole family working on their bikes. I bring home a pizza & we all talk, joke and work on the toys. If the girls don't have a task, they color or draw or play games. It's comfortable in the shop, they can spend time with us and learn something and we can get things done. I think that since they are young and the atmosphere is comfortable, it is easier to help them gain confidence and an interest in working on their own stuff. It's fun (for now) instead of just work. When they get older, maybe that will change but for now I think we stand a chance at keeping them interested and I know they won't be intimidated by the challenge of tearing into something to fix it like I was before I met Karl. Maybe lack of confidence is what keeps some kids from working on their bikes? That was a problem I had since I had never really worked on any type of mechanical stuff, other than oil changes & easy maintenance on my vehicles. I had only been riding a year and any work I did on my bike then, I would do at my bro's shop so he could tell me what to do. Karl came along & I've learned how to do most all of it with his help (and a good shop manual ;)). Without the confidence of knowing that I can figure it out though, I wouldn't even think about doing most of the stuff I do easily now. So, my suggestion is to make a nice cozy shop atmosphere, bring in a pizza & some cokes and teach the kid how to do it himself - with LOTS of patience and praise. Don't tell him how to do it every step of the way, let him figure it out BUT be there to make suggestions to keep him from getting totally frustrated. (That would be Karl's method of teaching.) :thumb: It won't work if it's just not his thing though, my son has friends that wouldn't think of working on their bikes & one little guy that has more fun tearing his bike apart & putting it back together (usually on his own) than he does riding. [/QUOTE]
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MX, SX & Off-Road Discussions
General Moto | Off-Topic Posts
the kids are all right
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