The next generation?

How old is your son? A lot of people start young, but some people (myself included) don’t really have an interest in it until later in life (relatively speaking, I picked it up in my mid/late 20s).

I plan to leave my nicer tools to my son and daughter. Larger power tools, can be sold if nobody on the pecking order wants it. But my wish is that my kids will hang onto those tools and if they don’t use them, pass them down. The verdict is still out on them, though, my son can’t even crawl yet and my daughter still has plastic tools.

-- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground.

He’s 23, daughter is 19

-- John, New Jersey

I started woodworking at 27. I had zero interest in anything hands-on or handy until I bought a house. Then came the DIY phase, where I quickly realized I hated DIY. Woodworking came in and took over.

It also depends on what your kids background is. I enjoy woodworking because it perks my engineering interest. But I’d also say I’m also a bit of a maker, so I enjoy getting hands on. Most (ok almost all) of my friends do not feel the same way.

-- paxorion

It seems the next generation is not very handy having grown up with all the electronics, video games, etc, etc.
- Case101

Part of the reason I enjoy woodworking is that I spend 8-10 hours a day writing software. When I go home, I want to do something less electronic. It’s therapeutic. At 19 and 23, they may develop an interest in a few years time. Like pax, mine came about around the time I purchased a home.

-- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground.

I have 3 sons and none of them are interested in woodworking.I told my daughter that when I’m gone she can do what she wants with my tools,Sell them give them away or use them.I won’t be there so what she does with them is fine with me.

-- Bill in Mich

I didn’t start woodworking until I turned 30. I never even did it in high school. My father did some and my brother did. I didn’t have any interest at all. I was and am still a professional musician. I needed a bookshelf for my wife and my new house. When I did it I got the bug. Maybe when it’s something of his own he will do it.

Maybe those tools will be bought by somebody younger who will appreciate them as I do now

-- Just trying to build something beautiful

It seems the next generation is not very handy having grown up with all the electronics, video games, etc, etc.

- Case101

I’m 26. The DIY community is actually huge in younger people. Your son may not be into it, but people my age are very much into doing everything themselves. This generation is no different than yours. Your generation complains about my generation constantly, just as your parents generation complained about theirs, and their generation’s parents complained about them.

-- The quality of one's woodworking is directly related to the amount of flannel worn.

+1 JMart

-- No craft is very far from the line beyond which is magic. -- Lord Dunsany

I m 26. The DIY community is actually huge in younger people. Your son may not be into it, but people my age are very much into doing everything themselves. This generation is no different than yours. Your generation complains about my generation constantly, just as your parents generation complained about theirs, and their generation s parents complained about them.

- jmartel

+1 indeed

-- paxorion

“Get off my lawn!”

:-)

-- Perform A Random Act Of Kindness Today ... Pay It Forward

I think one has to step back and look at the situation. What exactly is handy? Your definition might not exactly pertain to current times or many individuals. If one lives in an urban area, rents, ride public transportation are the skills you deem “handy” really all that important to that individual? I am in my early 40’s and recall many of the “handy” things my dad thought were key aren’t exactly in my book handy (much of the car stuff for example).