Teach Your Kid to Fix Stuff Around the House

Together we fixed windows, installed faucets, and rewired appliances.

Even though we did it all out of necessity, I enjoyed doing projects with my mom.

But for me and Mom, it was all about saving cashand having fun doing it.

(And I dont want them tossing stuff into a landfill just because its not working properly.)

Best of all, Ive discovered some of our most memorable and meaningful experiences together have involved doing DIY.

Want some of that?

Here are some things to know.

Not an AC technician?

Learning to use a screwdriver is a great place to start.

Have your kid get into the units guts by removing the covers fasteners and sorting it into neat piles.

And if you fixed it, congratulations.

You guys are now family legends.

Tools are cool

Theyre fun to use and hilarious to say (cats paw!

needle-nose pliers!).

Just be sure to give them something they can physically handle with ease.

Hammers, for example, come in all sizes; jewelers hammers are the smallest.

And if Junior can use scissors, they can use pliers for everything from twisting wires to removing hardware.

When it happens, dont freak out and scare them away.

Just keep some Band-Aids handy and get back to work.

So youve fixed the AC.

Start by simply replacing some batteries, ensuring they observe the correct polarities.

Then head to the hardware store and gather a toy-repair kit.

Now use that stuff to reattach a dolls appendage (time to bust out those needle-noses).

Itll look quirky, but thats okay: Embrace the wabi-sabi philosophy that theres beauty and history behind imperfection.

My mom reattached my GI Joes head with electrical wire and it looked badasskind of Terminator meets Inspector Gadget.

Back off a little, too; your kids solution might work just fine.