Are kids allowed in your shop?

[Jim Broestler]

Just finished reading the latest issue of Popular WW. The last page is an article about a guy who's breaking in a new companion for his shop - a dog. Which led me to think about a somewhat different thought: kids in the shop...

I have a two year old daughter, and since I'm usually watching her during the day (I work 2nd shift), that means that if I want to do any work in the shop and still keep an eye on her, I often keep her with me there. I've gotten some raised eyebrows when I mention this. I can understand this. After all, a shop is a place filled with sharp objects, lots of electricity, heavy objects, and tools/machinery capable of serious injury or death. So I can grasp the hesitation of allowing a small child to hang out there. Even with me there, if I'm trying to work on something, it can be hard to pay adequate attention to what she's doing (like sneaking up and getting ready to hit the start button on the TS while I'm changing blades, for instance). For this reason, I've tried to put almost all of my tools out of reach, remove keys in paddle switches or unplug equipment not in use or being adjusted, etc. So far there haven't been any problems.

I guess the point of this is, I enjoy having my daughter there with me. I figure she's going to grow up knowing her way around a shop, and in a way it's investing in a future generation of woodworkers. I didn't get to spend much time in my dad's shop, though it wasn't really a wood shop, per se. Mostly just a place to keep tools and a basic worktable. What time I did get to spend in it was from sneaking in there, which usually resulted in a big mess and butt chewing, though thankfully no injuries. I suppose I decided I wanted my kids to have a little more exposure. Of course, having my kid there means there are times she just can't be in there (when a lot of dust or machine noise requiring ear protection is being generated is another example). But I also figure that it's like raising kids in a home that has guns in it. You control access, expose them to the rules and skills of handling firearms gradually, as they're able to handle each level, and usually that results in kids who are far less prone to injury or worse than the curious but clueless counterpart. Being two, my daughter can't do much other than hold screws for me or fetch a dropped tool or workpiece, but she loves it just the same. She also loves scattering the sawdust all over the place, but that's okay. It just means I went out and got her a little kiddie broom with a happy face on it that makes noises when she sweeps.

So I'm curious about the rest of you...do you allow your kids/grandkids in your shop while you're working? At what age do you draw the line? Did you have a dad/grandpa/uncle (aunt/grandma?) that raised you in sawdust, and what was that like? Just wondering if I'm as off my rocker as a few have implied.

[Peter Quadarella]

I guess every shop and every kid are different. My shop is somewhat cluttered and I wouldn't dream of letting my kids (2.5 year old son, 1.5 year old daughter) in there. My son would be climbing the drill press and flinging CS blades, and my daughter would be eating the screws. I also wouldn't let them anywhere near my guns, which are locked up in a safe.

I figure when they are about 5, when they know how to listen and pay attention better, I will introduce them to both.

[Greg Heppeard]

My grandpa was a journeyman carpenter and I started hanging around his shop when I was old enough to hold up a hammer. My fondest memories are of asking him to knock the nails back through the scrap board that I had put about a hundred nails in. He was probably my main influence in my love for woodworking. My father had an auto shop in the garage, so I got my love for grease from him...sawdust is much easier to clean off.

I learned to respect power tools and hand tools because of them. I still have all my fingers, by the way.

Thanks for jolting that 50 year old memory back to life.

PS. I grew up on a farm around all kinds of machinery and guns. I wouldn't trade my childhood for anything.

[Grant Davis]

My kids are teenagers and they know from being around me in the past that I do not like others in the shop while I am working. They do sometimes come in and I teach them different things which they actually asked to learn about. Now that my girlfriend has moved in with me I have to contend with her two younger daughters. That is going to be a teaching process for the summer months to come.

[Jason Scott]

(like sneaking up and getting ready to hit the start button on the TS while I'm changing blades, for instance).

Hopefully the powercord is unplugged so it wouldn't matter right

[Gary Herrmann]

My son comes down sometimes - he's 7. When he's down there and I'm running a powertool and not working with him, he wears ear and eye protection and stays where I tell him. Otherwise, we're working together on something, so no problems so far.

[Jim Broestler]

Hopefully the powercord is unplugged so it wouldn't matter right

It is from now on . Thing is, the outlet is in a really inconvenient spot, so I've also considered a locking cover for the switch plate. But yeah, that's a common sense rule I've had to remind myself of in recent weeks.

[Danny Thompson]

If I am using hand tools or small power tools, my solution is to put my smallest (1 1/2) in a large wagon with a couple of toys. My older one (3 1/2) sometimes joins her in the wagon. I also have an open space near the mouth of the "shop" where they can ride their trikes and bikes.

If the heavy power tools are on, they are inside. Period. Not only are those tools dangerous for the kids, but I can't afford the distraction with blades and bits spinning.

[JayStPeter]

I can deal with my 4 and 8 year old. My 2 year old likes to come in the shop, but I pretty much can't do anything while she's there. She loves to get into things. But, I can setup my 4 year old with a hammer, some nails, and a piece of 2x8 and he's happy for an hour. My 8 year old will harass me the whole time to pay attention to him. They're all different.
I have a cypher type lock on the door to the shop to keep them out when I'm not in there.

[Bill Kreussling]

My daughter, a teenager, is allowed in my shop. She knows and follows my rules - safety glasses on at all times, tools unplugged and safeties engaged unless they are in use, hearing protection on when using noisy tools, dust mask on when sanding or performing other dusty tasks, face shield on when using a lathe, no jewelery, hair tied back and no loose fitting clothes. Until she was old enough to understand and follow the rules she wasn't allowed in my shop.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Kids are encouraged to come into my shop.....with my presence and supervision. They are also taught that any unsupervised attempted use of any tools will result in their immediate and long term expulsion from the shop. My youngest son helped me finish an unfinished basement in our home in the Chicago area when we lived there. Periodically he'll call up ....."Dad I'm laying tile....I'm building an kitchen island....which of the Beatles albums had the song.......which Marshall Tucker Band album did you play when we were finishing that basement.

Encouraged, supervised and taught discipline.

[Walt Nicholson]

I have 4 grandkids. 3 boys 4, 4 1/2, and 5 and a granddaughter 7. Whenever they come to visit (which is often), the first question is always "granpa, can we go work in your shop?". Everything electrical is either unplugged or safety switched and all sharp and pointy things are well out of reach. I have a couple of old "egg beater" hand drills and their own special set of hand tools (screwdrivers, small hammers, etc.) that they use with the cutoff scraps that I save for them. We have built wooden airplanes, trucks, boats and pine wood derby cars. The time that I have spent with them on these "projects" is more valuable to me than anything I have ever accomplished. I firmly believe that their learning at an early age to create things with their own hands and appreciating the beauty of wood will be way ahead of anything they could ever get from all the gameboys and assorted video games in the world. Carefull supervision is a must, but the rewards are great.

[Yun-Fong Loh]

I have 2 daughters 4.5 and 7. They come into my shop to watch me work occasionally when I'm using hand tools and I've helped build some kid level projects with them. Early on, I gave them a full run down on the dangers of sharp tools (dropped a chisel on a cardboard box so they know what can happen). They are naturally fearful of power tools and dislike their loudness enough that as soon I show any signs of getting ready to use one, they will leave. I am trying to teach them to channel that fear into respect. Oh, safety glasses always and hearing protection hasn't been an issue yet.

[Greg Narozniak]

My five year old likes to come out and help and I am glad to have him there although my productivity goes down but It does not bother me in the least. I have built him some small ramps (out of scrap) so his Monster trucks can jump them or a "jet" out of some scrap nailed together and he is happy as a clam.

He really gets a kick out of using the blow gun hooked up to the compressor line and likes blowing things around. I throw some safety glasses/Ear protection on him and open the garage doors and in no time the floor is nice and clean. Every little bit helps

He made the mistake a long time ago of pushing the "big Green button" on my Unisaw (I always lower the blade when I am not using it) and the loud noise scared the bugger out of him. To this day he knows not to touch the machines and really does not like the noise. Another plus.

[Jason Brown]

I'm not so much worried about when my 5 year old daughter is in my basement shop with me, I'm more worried about her taking it upon herself to go down there and "fix things" when I'm not watching her. When she's there with me, she and I will find something we can "work on" together, and that rarely involves anything more powerful than a cordless drill or screwdriver. However, EVERY time I leave the shop, things get unplugged, safety keys get removed, and I vacuum up floors, etc., just in case she gets the urge to go down there.

Cheers,
Jason