Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Nailed

One of the sites I like to peruse on occasion is Awful Library Books.  They highlight books in local libraries that desperately need to be weeded but have somehow escaped that fate.  Examples might include a book on the latest advances in home computing that describes the wonders of a Commodore 64 or great careers in switchboard operation.

This evening I found this gem and just had to laugh.  Go take a moment to check it out.  It's one small paragraph with several pictures.  Then come back and I'll explain my amusement.

Whistles....checks fingernails....rocks on feet while waiting.

Ok, now here is where I out Mr. Lime.  Once upon a time, back when the limelets were wee things, our church had a Sunday night kids' group for school age children but nothing for the pre-kindergarten set due to lack of volunteers.  I was already helping with another group so Mr. Lime took it upon himself to lead the pre-schoolers so they could have their own fun time.  He was responsible for puppet-time, story-time, and craft-time. 

Fortunately for him, snacks were provided by a lovely grandmotherly type of lady.  Unfortunately, he was on his own for craft-time.  I gave him some suggestions but he preferred to forge ahead boldly with his own notions.  Some of his ideas proved quite successful, others not so much.  One truly terrified me...when he announced his plan to put power tools into the hands of 3 year olds.

The project was to be a jointed stick puppet made out of tongue depressors.  The limbs would be attached with paper fasteners. He intended to have the kids drill the holes for the fasteners...with a cordless power drill.  I told him he was out of his mind.  He assured me he'd keep his hands over the hands of the little kids.  I still envisioned disaster.

At the end of the club time all the kids lined up beaming with pride over their personally drilled stick figures...and still in possession of all their own original digits and eyes.

16 comments:

Craig said...

OK, I think power-tools in the hands of 3-year-olds is a little over-the-top, but honestly, the hand-wringing tone of the book-reviewers had me rolling my eyes. I'd have no qualms about even a pretty small kid wielding an age-appropriate hammer. Heck, I even wrote about it once upon a time . . .

~Tim said...

Hooray for Mr. Lime!

Bijoux said...

The book/photos had to have been taken during the 1940's, which is a time that I didn't think girls were encouraged to use anything more powerful than a sewing machine!

Anyway, I love the whole concept of bad library books. I've got a few nominations.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I think kids are overprotected today. This said, I wouldn't put a saw into a 5 year old's hands.

Times change,obviously.

Cricket said...

I let my older, at four, hammer nails into pieces of wood. He wanted a toy hammer but seemed delighted to use the real one instead.

A single whack of the thumb teaches a valuable lesson. Plus, I didn't give him the BIG hammer. That's how I started.

Later, at eight years old, I actually got him out of bed to help me with a power snake. I needed extra hands and his were the most capable in the house. Also no problems with proper instruction.

I am a little more reseved with cutting type tools, however. Leather work gloves needed. At least.

word veri: kroncrum. Just liked that and thought I'd pass it on.

Megan (Sis B) said...

Our kids start with real tools at a young age, depending on maturity. Cricket's right about that hammer/thumb lesson. Somethings have to be learned by experience.

Craver Vii said...

Way to go Mr. Lime! That's how it ought to be done. It depends on the child, whether I would let them use a particular tool, and when I do this stuff, they're properly supervised. I have not let them use power tools at that young age, but holding their hands works perfectly.

Now the table saw... no one goes near that beast except for me.

silly rabbit said...

This made me laugh out loud! I agree with Craig, the comments about it made my eyes roll.

Good for Mr. Lime! Supervision is the key to safety. There is nothing so sweet as the satisfaction on a child's face when they show off their creations.

silly rabbit said...

Mr. Lime didn't give them power tools... he empowered them!

Suldog said...

I was pleased to see that most of the commenters over there thought it was just swell for the kids to be able to hammer and saw. Good sense is not completely dead. Yay!

As for power tools... well, I wouldn't have given that the go-ahead, but that's probably because my grandfather cut off the tip of his middle finger while making a jigsaw puzzle (it was successfully reattached) and if he of many years experience did it, what a three-year-old might do is scary. If Mr. Lime pulled it off, though, bravo for him!

lime said...

everyone, i agree on hand tools being a good thing for kids to become familiar with. was quite nervous about the power tool scenario but it did seem to work out well and mr lime did keep his hands over theirs so the tool was well controlled.

Dave said...

Michelle, i agree with the majority of these comments. Kids are overprotected these days. There are hazards in using real tools but like even adults, if children are made aware of the dangers and taught the correct way to use tools I see no reason why they shouldn't be taught early - Dave

Hilary said...

Other hand tools.. yes. Power tools... no. Possibly on a one-on-one adult to child ratio.. but nah, probably not. I'm glad it all worked out and everyone was happy.

Ed & Jeanne said...

Comodore 64s Rule! (come to think of it...I wonder if the members of the band The Comodores are now 64 years old...weird)

Chickadee said...

LOL! I sharply inhaled when I saw the little boy with A SAW in his hand. Good googly moogly.

I get nervous when kids have scissors in their hands.

Incidentally I bookmarked that site. I loved it.

Jocelyn said...

Depends on the kid, of course, but with a quick parental hand hovering nearby, such tools can be successfully used. I know Paco loves whittling celery with the sharpest blade in his pen knife.