a question to all you dads or sons out there

[treedave]

Nothing wrong with having supervised fun with diggers etc with the lad, some dads never mind the kids would be green with envy - why do you think digger world is such a hit!. Having said that I was taught to swim early, as it comes easier and if you could fall in it, I did. Nearly got swept over a water

fall in Glen Nevis once as a kid, no wonder my parents have grey / no hair!. As a result both my kids have had lessons, and now are not scared of water. They both respect it, but it doesn't stop them falling in. It does stop me getting a stress head on when they are on the lake shore, standing up in a boat or wandering around the gullies with the dogs on the beach. For me it's more about confidence in water, not doing a mark spitz impression.

 

Could swimming be an additional activity you do together, instead of a replacement one?

 

Anyway swimming builds the upper body, so he can carry more logs in at a time!

[treebloke]

Swimming is good for obvious reasons but as for the rest, as long as he/she is clean, polite and healthy you are doing a cracking job.

 

When my yougest son was 6, he is 22 now, he got 10p to fill the stick bucket (morning sticks) and 40p for filling the log bucket. He kept a time sheet and had his wages at the weekend. Dont get me wrong, he also had everything I could give him and his brother and sister but it taught him working has rewards.

 

He is still working for me but he earns a bit more now.

[skyhuck]

For me it's more about confidence in water, not doing a mark spitz impression.

 

 

 

 

[Billy]

Sounds brilliant, just like i was with my grandfather around the farm, tractors, diggers, fishing, shooting, fires.I wouldn't have it any other way, not many kids get the privelige of that sort of upbringing, i wouldn't worry too much about convention as long as he's enjoying it.

[Stephen Blair]

we were all set to go swimming tomorrow morning, and i was going to pick up the digger on monday, but he is at nursery. So i thought i would take him swimming another day, now i am feeling a bit bad about it, i prefer digging to swimming, i just dont want force my things on him, but he is as stubborn and head strong as me so he soon tells me when he doesnt want to do stuff that is for sure. lessons are on the cards, as i am rubbish lol

[geoff]

He is a lucky young lad,let him carry on as he is, though swimming is a good skill for them to learn before they get heavy bones,just for safety realy,imo.

[Nick B]

Stevie I have 2 Girls one is 4 the other 2 they both know what a chain saw and hedge cutters are they the love the chipper (The giraffe is what they call it) and they want to climb trees

 

They are also both very happy and have fun

 

If Xander is not having fun or is not happy he will let you know If you have a lot of water near you teach them to swim or take them to lessons once a week , they will soon make up there own minds about sport and other team things when they get to school

 

If the kids are happy and having a good time How can you be in the wrong

Let them have fun they will soon grow up and have there own things to do and mates to be with

[madmatt]

When I was little I was allowed to play with proper tools and build things with wood and nails with my dad. I was probably younger than your lad Stevie when I had my first cut from a real swiss army knife but I learnt valuable lessons! I was machine mad as a kid but unfortuneatly my Dad didn't run a business or work outside so I'd have to pester my uncle to go to work with him on a saturday to get that precious ride on a tractor.

 

I carried on like this up until exam time at school no one ever made me go with my uncle or help my dad with the DIY I choose to do it and used to have the mickey taken out of me at school cos I'd take me steelies and overalls with me to school on a friday so I could go straight off with my uncle after school but the thing is I choose to do it!!!!!!!

 

When your lad starts school he'll soon tell you if he'd sooner be playing footy on a Saturday than driving a digger with dad. Oh and I learnt to swim at school if that helps.

[caledonian bob]

Just keep on going as you are Stevie and try to get your kids swimming somewhere down the line. I was brought up more or less the same as you and I've done the same with my kids (although not so much kids now 19 & 16) but both are still keen to come and give me a hand whenever possible.

[jonathan hall]

dinae worry fella,

my 4 year old son is getting into all the things i was into and am into at the mo, hes following in my footsteps, sometimes i get a crisis too, worrying that im not gonna be able to teach him all the things that he should be good at. like the fact i thrash about in water too!

now, my Dad was in the navy and therefore wasnt at home at all ( what a sob story !!!) and didnt pass anything at all on to me, luckily i found my way and im confident that when my son is a grown man, we are going to have plenty to talk about, were doing the bonding thing!!

my dad and me have nothing to talk about at all, dont get me wrong, hes a good old bloke, but theres no chat. you and me dont have to worry about that.

thank god i have a son. ( and a daughter!!)

your son, i bet when hes 8 or 9 will be in the play ground telling the other kids what you do for a living and he'll be as proud as any son could be.

anyhow showing your son a real trade is the best life skill of all.

when would you here " i wanna be an assistant I.T. solutions manager just like my daddy!" ( no offence to people in IT! )

i bet he looks up to you like a god.

 

how take swimming lessons together!

sorry to go on, but one thing ive been doing latley is taking a bit of film on my phone every week of the work me and the lads do and show him, he goes nuts for it!

Edited November 27, 2009 by jonathan hall