Every Kid Should Learn How to Build
My friend called me in a panic because her husband, a surgeon, had just attempted to “fix” their toilet and water was going everywhere. She told me that while he was a brilliant surgeon, that’s where the brilliance ended because he knew nothing about common sense things. Wow! Today it seems that we are labeled and categorized to fit into specific places. We are neither expected nor taught to expand our understanding of basic survival skills.
Since the Industrial Revolution, we’ve become a society of assembly lines. We specialize in one skill, and then that’s all we do. If we were robots, that would be the logical and practical way to utilize our time. But we live in homes that have electrical and plumbing hidden behind sheetrock, and walls built with 2” by 4” on 16” centers. We’re never officially taught how houses are built so when there is a plumbing problem, we call the plumber. Electrical problem, an electrician.
Not knowing how things work around your house can make you feel incompetent. Having to call in a contractor every time you need some minor work done is time consuming and costly. I think all students should spend a summer working with a building contractor to learn the inner workings of a house or building. It would help students build a sense of independence and confidence.
For Christmas one year, I gave my girls tool kits complete with electric drills, Dremel tools, hammers, screwdrivers, measuring tapes, and anything I could fit in the tool box. While they weren’t thrilled with these gifts back then, I’ve noticed that they keep it handy in their homes today, and I’m glad to see that they know how to use their tools.
When they were in high school, they built their own vanities for their bedrooms one summer. They learned how to use a saber saw to cut the shape, a router to round the corners, and a belt sander to smooth the surface. Rob showed them how to wire 7 light bulbs around the mirror.
I learned how to build furniture by getting tips from the guys at San Lorenzo Lumber. I buy all of my materials from them because their staff (Mario and Craig are my favorites) are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. I’ve built 90% of my home and office furniture since 1976. I love to design furniture because I get exactly what I want with the safe materials I prefer (no particle board or Masonite!).
Wouldn’t it be ideal for students to learn how to build a house and how to use power and hand tools before they move out to live on their own? Most students barely know how to handle a hammer and certainly don’t understand how to build furniture or any phases of building construction. We certainly want our kids to be able to troubleshoot problems in their future homes, right?
