Well today is a proud day for me and I thought I would share it with those who truly understand.
My six year old daughter completed her first model today. For the last several months she has been begging me to buy her a model. I was apprehensive due to her age, and maybe because shes a girl [B)]. My wife reminded me that I was six when I started and that girls build models too [B)][B)].
I bought her a prepainted model that required no gluing and was recommended for ages 8 and up. I thought this would keep her busy for a while. As we sat there at the kitchen table I quickly realized that she would be done in no time. She finished it with only a little help from me. Now she wants to go back to the store and get more.
Ten dollars and an hour of father daughter time may have started a life time of enjoyment in a great hobby.
You lucky dawg… I wish I could say the same. I wouldve been tearie eyed out of joy if my daughter asked for a model to build. She lives about 250 miles from me, and quite often asks me how my models are doing., shes almost 10. If I only got to see mer more than one weekend a month, I think she might want to build one. Hopefully , one day we will have more time together to share that joy In the mean time, I’ll keep talking to her about it antime she likes. tell your daughter congrats on her first build and I hope she has many more to come. Who knows, she may enjoy it sso much she may one day grow to be a fighter pilot herself!!
Good one Darren.
Although I spend a lot of time with my two girls, they’ve never been bitten by the bug.
Sure, they have a look at what I’m building and do the ooh-ahh thing, but mainly (for them) my workbench is the place to put their broken things so I can fix them.
Enjoy sharing the experience, pal.
Cheers,
LeeTree
My 5 year old recently did his first model also. Nothing like seeing thier face when they get done and they get to look at what they built. Yesterday he made me take him to the models and told me to get him a snap tite plastic model and a metal one. Even suggested to me he was ready for glue one cause he’s good with glue in school. Looks like it’s 3 out 4 around this house are building, the other ones only 2 so he;s more into de-building things.
My 3 year old saughter is already showing signs of getting the modeling bug. If I’m downstairs working on a kit, she sits right beside me and recommends colors to paint. They’re not always accurate, but at least she’s showing an interest, and I get to turn it into a learning experience with colors.
It’s good to hear that so many families are getting into the hobby together, It’s a great time to be in the hobby.
Darren,
You are a very good dad. Have you taken her to a toy or model show yet? I think model building can teach kids many things. Now have her work some around the house to get her next model.
My daughter will be 22 in feb, what you do now will pay off later. I did many things with her when see was young. She is now away at school in RI. working on her goal in life.
It’s Halloween soon, show your daughter some monsters on my site of Aurora monster Models.
Keep us posted to what she and you will work on next.
I never could get any of my children into building models. I do have a granddaughter that is into model building. I enjoy the time I spend with her building models. She is eleven now and is getting quite good at it.
Congrats to you and her Darren [:)]
I have a 10 yr old son that has done all of the snap tight models we can find, and now hes bugging me to let him try a glue together one. He makes me nervous because he wants to use all the tools including the X-acto knife and super glue. He might be ready for that, but I dont think I am yet [:)]
Now my 12 yr old daughter is wanting to join in the fun also. Its a wonderful feeling to spend special time with your children [:)]
Good for you Darren. A little money is going to go a long way creating quality time spent with you and your daughter. My 7 year old daughter has shown some interest, so I bought Revell’s VW Flower bug. What a messy first project. I’m letting her do as much painting and assembley as possible. She just about drooled after she saw the base coat sprayed on. However, due to her age, she is distracted easily. Of course, friends and Polly Pockets come first. At least I made an effort and we can spend some rainy days or whatever finishing her car. Good luck to you and your daughter.
“It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it.”-R.E.Lee
That’s great, Darren! I hope that it pays off. I remember when my two girls were 8 and 6, respectively, I bought each of them a snap-tite F-15 kit, and we built them together. Although the “seeds” I planted didn’t grow, they enjoyed building them and those planes stayed on their dressers for many years after. Oh, well, I tried!
And I’m glad I tried. They may not build models today, but I think they have more respect for them (and modelers, too!) as a result.
Way to go! My six year old daughter did her first one about a month ago. Revell’s Thunder Squadron Blue Angel’s F-18. She wants me to get her some cars to put together next. Sure makes your chest swell up when they finish doesn’t it?
I think you are doing the right thing there Darren. Children need to be exposed to exercises such as kit-building to open-up their creative potentials. The completion of even the simpliest kit, can really boost their imagination and enhance their self-confidence.
Awesome! I’ve lost count of the number of snap-tight cars and planes I built when I was a youngster. For me, the colored plastic, dad’s help building, and Mom’s help with the decals was enough to make me happy.
Darren,
Um. Ten dollars for an hour of entertainment? I think you can stretch your modeling dollar a bit more than that. Get the 1/32 Academy F/A-18 for $89 and you and your daughter can build it for the next year or so. Just kidding. [:D]
Congrats!
I’m only 17, so I think it’ll be awhile before we here of any Matthew Jr. building his first micro-scale wonder(I’m a 1/144 scale nut)! But, I can keep myself busy and out of trouble until that time working on my 1/48 scale Revell-Monogram F-105G and F-105D models, eh?(It’s taken me over three months to recess the panel lines on the wing of my F-105G… Someone help me, please…)
Good times. I just built a snap-tite with my girlfriends 8 yr old sister and now she cant wait to build another. I was worried it would be an exercise in patience but it turned out to be plain ol’ fun.