I had a helper the other day working on the truck

[JasonCzerak]

My girlfriends son was giving me a hand doing monthly maintenance the other weekend. Here are a few pics of him securing the bolts to the AFE cover. He also helped hold the light when I was greasing up the u-joints and helped clean the air-horn chimes, and sence he was the only one without diesel all over his hands, he turned the ignition key to help prime the fuel system after I drained and pre-filled the water seperator.



I wish we could of gotten some better and more pictures, but you get the point.

 

[CumminsBu]

Good Deal, I can't wait until my son can come out and help me work on my truck, but he is only 4 months. For now he lays on the creep and drools over my truck, so I will have to wait a year or two before he can turn a wrench.

 

[DWeiler]

Teach -em young:-laf,when i was a little dude 25/30 years ago it was not uncommon for mom to find me in the garage helping dad pull a motor or do maintenance with him on one of his many Dodges. I /dad used to get hell from mom for me covered in grease/oil---dad says it builds character and he will never be scared to get his hand dirty later on in life---so true. Hopefully in the near future when /if we start a family i look forward to passing it on as well,boy/girl doesn"t really matter just as long as they want to learn and i/we are willing to take the time to teach. ----Give him a few years and then he will want to drive it after helping----dad let me/mom would of gone ballistic if she new what me and pops did when see was not around. Later. DW

 

[tgordon]

Bet you made the little guys week when he got to turn the key on your truck:-lafOo.

 

[JasonCzerak]

Bet you made the little guys week when he got to turn the key on your truck:-lafOo.

He was the first one to hit the Air horns too One of the few projects that just worked the first time for me. heh.

 

[Woodenhead]

My girlfriends son was giving me a hand doing monthly maintenance the other weekend. Here are a few pics of him securing the bolts to the AFE cover. He also helped hold the light when I was greasing up the u-joints and helped clean the air-horn chimes, and sence he was the only one without diesel all over his hands, he turned the ignition key to help prime the fuel system after I drained and pre-filled the water seperator.



I wish we could of gotten some better and more pictures, but you get the point.

Good on ya brother . I know he's still young but the more time he spends growing up hangin with you and getting interested in trucks the less time he spends hanging out with punks and getting interested in trouble. When he gets older have his buddies hang out and help too, might help keep them out of trouble.



My son is 4. 5 months old and I can't wait to start playing trucks, fishing, camping... . with him. I figure the more time he spends interested in something productive the less chance he'll end up finding trouble. Doesn't always work out this way but it's a good start.



Mike



Edit: No way would a kid stay that clean working on my truck

 

[CSnyder]

Thats awesome Jason! My 9 year old adopted daughter loves wrenching on my trucks too. I cant wait til my 4 yr old twins can wrench!

 

[JasonCzerak]

Woodenhead, That was a full morning worth of detailing my truck. MN likes to pile equal inches of salt for inches of snow. Truck was rather spotless for about 24 hours Prior to the washing the engine bay was a few shades of white, and the blue truck was 50% solid salt white up to the windows.



CSnyder, He's a a little 4. 5 years old now. just starting to get some good control of things. If it helps his dexterity he'll be good at just about anything.



He's already got the idea to not lean on cars/trucks or touch them and to not slam doors. And bugs me when he comes over every other weekend to put on racing on TV. . Today, I was bad and we watched some NASCAR. It's the closest thing to racing I could find on TV





* runs and dodges the bullets *

 

[obert]

I once was that little guy, hangin out in my uncle's shop. Now I'm a pro. mechanic for a compact construction equip. dealer. Ironicly, my uncle left his job at a rental house about to go belly up (and since has), now works "in the shop" at the same store I'm based at. I'm in field service.

My 4yr old is now the little shadow. Even if he really isnt doing any thing he feels important if he gets his own tool and a rag to hang on his back pocket.

He was still in diapers, but walking, one Sat. morning, momma was at work and I got an emergency service call. Threw the car seat in the truck and had him ride along. He was right there with me sticking a wrench all over that loader to "fix it". These are the best times spent with my son. He even "helped" plant the garden wen he was about 9mo.



Sometimes his help is, well, a little less than help, but its great bonding, and he enjoys the hell out of it. Plus its never too early to learn how stuff works.

And If I can be a hero today, maybe 12 or 14 years from now it will be easier to keep the respect and keep him out of trouble.

 

[JOdell]

I have a 3 year old girl. She LOVES working on Daddy's big truck. She is always out in the garage when I am cleaning the trucks. She dresses like a girl in the house dresses and all. Then outside she gets just as dirty as I do. Momma isn't real thrilled when we come back in the house looking like a mud puddle on legs. here is a pic of Rylee helping me check the tires on my truck. -Jason



#ad

 

[Gene Arnold]

My kids are 51, 48, and 45, so I can look back a looong ways. You will NEVER regret the "bother" of a little shadow when you get to my age. I blinked, and my little guys were grown. You only get one chance to raise a particular child and there are really not that many "windows" that provide opportunities to bond. A careless rebuke or scolding because they've bothered something or been a pest can turn them off and you'll never have the opportunity to fully recompense the thoughtless act. I have a really good relationship with my kids and they've been very forgiving of some of my careless and harsh words and deeds but I sure would like to go back to a few remembered experiences and have some "do-overs!"



Remember the old Cat Stevens song, "The Cat's in the Cradle?" It is spot on!



Gene

 

[Dl5treez]

Cool.



Myself, I have no children but the neighbor boy likes to come over and help out with stuff.



Not sure if it's more fun having him help adjust the valves on the race engine, help re-skin the modified, or get him wired on Mountain Dew and send him home to his mother. :-laf



Other people's kids are great.

 

[JR2]

My youngest walks under trucks with out bending over, well he bends over to get past the bumper then hangs out by the drive shaft looking around... its funny as heck. Mom gets mad when he comes in with grease and oil in his hair. .

 

[Grizzly]

PRECIOUS MOMENTS!

I have a 5 year old granddaughter, Katie, who loves to help me work on my truck, yard or workshop. I had her with me a whole day when I was installing my PullRite Receiver hitch brackets under the truck. She would get me a tool or hold the light for me. Of course I kept her out of harms way. She managed to get very dirty and we both enjoyed the day.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Cool thread. . . getting the young ones started early is the way to go



Here's my helper assisting with an engine removal at age 10. This was several years ago before I found Cummins power. The engine in the Bronco stroked out and she helped run the hoist while I was running back & forth maneuvering the engine out of there, did an awesome job. She wasn't much for working out in the garage & getting dirty but was a big help a time or two.



It was after this experience with losing the engine on the Bronco that I started checking out Dodge Cummins trucks. Later that year she & I test drove a new flame red Sport '99 and it had tons of power compared to that Bronco. Two months later I came home with a used '98 & haven't looked back



Vaughn

 

[obert]

Mom gets mad when he comes in with grease and oil in his hair. .

:-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf My uncle let my son play with an old grease gun, until momma found out. It hadn't been used for many years, but was still full enough..... Noah thought it was the neatest thing-- push on the lever and goop comes out the ther end. Just like the Playdough press!

 

[JGrefenstette]

heres a shot of one of my best friends daughters trying to put on my Cummins hat. shes about 2 in this picture. i didnt have the dodge with me that day, but i took her out to see her uncles 1986 Benz 300D. i poped the hood and taught her to said 'diesel'. by the end of that day she could say , 'diesel', 'Robert E. Lee', 'cummins', 'George Bush', and her daddy already taughter her to say 'Mike Huckabee'... . :-laf :-laf :-laf haha hilarious to hear her say it too. (i felt i did my duty as an American from the Confederate States... teach her about diesels and the great men of the past and future) (no political statment intended, and no argument desired) Since im only 17 and dont have any of my own yet i educate my buddys kids. it wont be long tho Lord willing, ill have a good stock of boys under the hood with me

 

[HoleshotHolset]

My kids are 51, 48, and 45, so I can look back a looong ways. You will NEVER regret the "bother" of a little shadow when you get to my age. I blinked, and my little guys were grown. You only get one chance to raise a particular child and there are really not that many "windows" that provide opportunities to bond. A careless rebuke or scolding because they've bothered something or been a pest can turn them off and you'll never have the opportunity to fully recompense the thoughtless act. I have a really good relationship with my kids and they've been very forgiving of some of my careless and harsh words and deeds but I sure would like to go back to a few remembered experiences and have some "do-overs!"



Remember the old Cat Stevens song, "The Cat's in the Cradle?" It is spot on!



Gene

EXCELLENT post, Gene. I'm not a Dad, but I couldn't agree more.

 

[tgordon]

Good on ya brother . I know he's still young but the more time he spends growing up hangin with you and getting interested in trucks the less time he spends hanging out with punks and getting interested in trouble. When he gets older have his buddies hang out and help too, might help keep them out of trouble.



My son is 4. 5 months old and I can't wait to start playing trucks, fishing, camping... . with him. I figure the more time he spends interested in something productive the less chance he'll end up finding trouble. Doesn't always work out this way but it's a good start.



Mike



Edit: No way would a kid stay that clean working on my truck

He'll still get there, burnout contests, truck pulls (No the official sanctioned ones:-laf))

My youngest walks under trucks with out bending over, well he bends over to get past the bumper then hangs out by the drive shaft looking around... its funny as heck. Mom gets mad when he comes in with grease and oil in his hair. .

I have a solution for you, he needs a haircut like mine then you can just wipe it off with a rag



I always woundered if many involved their children while doing work anymore. Even though I live the furthest from my parents I am the one dad still calls upon to help him solve problems over the phone. I bet some day your children will look back and be glad you did take them out and have them help on your trucks etc.

 

[Hitec.Redneck]

Here is a shot of my daughter after helping me wash and wax my truck. She was sitting on the 5th wheel hitch, she was a little wet from helping Dad wash his "big truck" as she calls it. Would not take nothing for either one of them.