The Popular Mechanics approach to raising boys?

[swimmermom3]

The Popular Mechanics approach to raising pre-teen and teen boys was mentioned on another thread and my curiosity is piqued. I can guess what this entails but would like to hear more. I suspect we have a candidate for it here. He is nearly 15 and recently told his peacenik parents that he would like to attend the Air Force Academy. The boy is fairly sure an office job would kill him and he needs to do something with his hands-preferably at very high speeds.

[Jane in NC]

My son came to the realization that an office job like his Dad's would probably do him in. One day he announced that he would be an archaeologist, having figured out a way to spend time in libraries and dig in the dirt. Clocking 100+ hours as a volunteer at a college field school convinced him that this is what he wants to do.

 

On the way to this goal, he has taught numerous 4-H workshops. I can't tell you how many kids he has taught how to solder as part of electric workshops. 4-H is great for the hands-on stuff!

 

And, as usual, I recommend Make magazine. Also, peruse library sales for old Popular Mechanics and Popular Science books. I have one of the latter from the 1930's which shows how to make your own Bunsen burner. Fortunately my son has not felt the need to go there but he did work on designs for lightweight alcohol stoves used in backpacking. What is it about boys and fire?

 

J

[swimmermom3]

I did order Make magazine per your suggestion in a previous communication. I can't wait until it gets here...uh, I mean until my son reads it. We do find it difficult to meet his needs in the hands-on department as that is not the way my dh was raised. We have taught ourselves to sheet-rock, tile and to do some basic plumbing but we don't work on the cars or other machinery, which really appeals to him. Until recently, this boy has moved so fast, we found it difficult to let him try a lot of things because the results were rather disastrous. He has slowed down enough that he is now a pleasure to have in the kitchen, even if he is wielding a very sharp knife.

 

He did Boy Scouts for several years but lost interest. However, he just came back from a Search and Rescue training session for Civil Air Patrol and he loved it. I have only thought of 4-H from the livestock or craft aspect; I'll have to see what our area offers.

[stripe]

Thanks for these ideas -- I have to mention one recent mystery novel featuring a very clever 11 year old girl who has her own chemistry lab (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley).

[jlovebaker]

Wired ... Building Ballistics, Catapults are good books too - there's a third one but I can't remember the name. United Nuclear.com is also a good website to order chemicals but someone over 21 may have to sign for them! Did you know Poloroid disposable cameras have transistors in them?

 

Warning - we've had lots of ER trips so now we own fireproof gloves & a full face mask and experiements can only be completed when Dad is home and he has to write them up. We've discovered a fine line between letting our son have freedom to experiment and keeping the family safe ... especially when he knows more about this stuff than both his parents. On one hand, we think it's cool and on the other, we think he's bamboozling us to just blow up stuff.