National Tell your daughter about Auto School day.

[Princess Valiant]

It is National tell your teenage daughter about Auto School day....ok so I made that up but there is a reason I say this.

back when I was younger ...a lot younger I moved in with my adoptive family....I call them adoptive because none of them are genetically related to me yet they treat me like one of their own. They were and are in the towing/salvage business. So when I came here I quickly became accustomed to being in a salvage yard setting and there was never a shortage of cars around, big ones, small ones, broken ones, fast ones, you name it. Well over time my family would get me involved with things around.....started with "hold the flashlight" to "steer the car" all the way to "pull this part for me"

when I came to be college age they suggested I take automotive classes as electives to a degree. when they first suggested it I thought they were crazy ...I assumed auto school was for boys and the thought had never ran across my mind. Well they brought it up a few times and it made me really think that I already knew how to do some things from working with cars around the yard so why not.

when I was actually in Auto School at a local community college, to my surprise I was actually keeping up with the top guys there. I was given a hard time by some of the guys who assumed I didn't belong there and some were angry that I was keeping up with them and even tried to sabotage my work a few times, but some boys are not taught very well from their parents ...so what can we do.

My school had a V.I.C.A. club and every year they have a competition and that was a life changing thing for me because that was when I really realized that I can do this, and in districts I won top champ.

So my real message is this: for those of you who are fathers to teenage daughters or those FABO gentlemen who even know a teenage girl....why not suggest auto school. Chances are that she herself will not be interested or maybe she will try and find she is not mechanically inclined.......then at least you and her will know there is no wasted talent.

It is no different then the bumble bee who can fly because no one ever told them they cant....well I never knew I could be a welder or car builder till someone suggested I could. I am not a feminist, or I am far from being a "tom boy" ...just an average girl who was pointed in the right direction. My family tried a lot of different things ....they put me in front of a piano and gave me a guitar and found I am no musician, they tried putting me in a few different sports ....that didn't work. They even tried giving me a .22 at a rifle range and found im a horrible shot, but when they gave me a wrench and a welder it clicked and I could do it.

So all I am saying is to just throw it out there to a young girl .....you never know when you just might hit the right spark. And you fathers can at least know there is no wasted talent in your house....and who knows , you might finally get some help on your project car.

 

[dartnabout]

Rani...You are just unbelievable. This is so right on. Let me tell you that just last night your "time" and "material things" thread was the family discussion. The girls are home for Christmas they are 24 year old twins and very intelligent but they do not know which end of the hammer to hold. I have shown them how to check fluids and other routine maintenance and they have still destroyed 3 vehicles. Grrr... But the idea of material things came up and so I read your thread and the discussion went on for quite a while. I can't wait to read this one to them. They have not really found their niche' in life but I can assure you theirs is not mechanical either!

 

[adriver]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_IR9s_b1JM"]Heart Like A Wheel Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

 

[cosgig]

Told Nella about this national day....even the crickets heard crickets!! She's not buying into this idea at all, and I understand why!! We have been talking about career choices a lot lately and what she can, and more importantly what she wants to do! She's a critter person who likes all animals so I want her to be happy in her life choices, so I think its going to be critter related!!

We both agree however with your philosophy Ranigirl....try, then you can say whether its for you or not!! Nella is not one to go out of her comfort zone with much of anything, but to her credit she tried a few new food items, and not just safe foods! OMG, she found out that she likes ginger sauces and mustard!! She's starting to realize that we're really not trying to feed her dog poop or poison her!!!LOL!! She's working on it, and with examples like you to follow, all people will be better off!!

Thanks Rani, for who you are and all you share with the world!!! Geof and Nella!!

 

[DaveBonds]

Cool.

VICA... holy hell, I haven't heard that acronym in over a decade. We had them too, but the contests were speed related for collision repair, rather than related to the product being produced, so I sort of lost interest.

I'm quick, but I'm not interested in competing in speed, so much as I am in seeing other people's final product. Even so, it's a good thing to have, lots of people enjoy healthy competition. I wish they would have done something like that for metal shaping, but I didn't get into that until I was 2 years in and transferred into the night classes, where it was a fabrication and hot rod hobby shop, instead of being focused on collision school.

My kid likes cars. if he wants to pick up a wrench or something as he gets a little older, I'll show him, if not, that's cool too. Should I ever have a daughter, it will be the same.

 

[rmchrgr]

Girls are just as capable as boys. Its too bad our society does not do much to foster this belief.

I have a kind of related story that has stuck with me. About 15-20 years ago, I was a computer graphics guy at a printer. The couple I worked for had two young daughters. They were very aggressive in having them participate in activities with boys, they felt that the same activities for girls were not competitive enough. They wanted them to be able to hang with the boys on their level and it worked to an extent. They were really good at soccer and such. Don't know how they turned out later in life but they were pretty well adjusted and self sufficient when they were little. On the surface it was kind of weird but I think I understood the point. They didn't want them to be forced into a strict gender-based identity.

Eventually I changed careers and went to automotive tech school. There were a only a few girls. Most didn't last, maybe one or two made it through the program. I remember a couple got labeled as sluts early on which was unfortunate.

Later when I was working at a Jeep dealership, Chrysler would send us to dealer tech classes. I made it through some of the top level courses. There was usually one girl in most of my classes which meant that they were working as certified technicians.

Both my kids are boys but if I had girls I would be putting wrenches in their hands for sure. They wouldn't be wearing pink either, or playing with girly crap.

 

[DaveBonds]

I remember a couple got labeled as sluts early on which was unfortunate.

I never understood this. It's not uncommon to see, either. Sad reality. Eventually, I quit working for a shop because of the garbage spewing conversations they would have, during work. Any time a woman would walk across the street to go to work at the building next door, they would cat call and say all kinds of nasty things. Eventually, the commentary on my girlfriend at the time, lead to my two weeks notice.

I also don't understand this, even from the aggressor's point of view. The lot of them were mostly single and the ones who weren't would go on about strip clubs and how they didn't get along with their significant others. I wonder why.

 

[rmchrgr]

I never understood this.

Insecurity, lack of confidence, lack of intelligence.

Lack of something for sure.

 

[67Dart273]

Very good thoughts Rani. On a broader scale, I believe that this country is really "missing it" with connecting kids to the business world. I firmly believe that this country should (must) have an inbred, wide based program to solidly connect kids to the real business world.

I firmly believe there should be something like once a month where a class would go out and spend time in a business to see "why" they learn what they do.

A simple example...................why oh WHY did I have to learn that PITA plain geometry?

So, 25 years after I graduated, on of our sheet metal guys is supposed to make some little brass medals for the Masons. He is supposed to make some simple equilateral triangles, and cannot figure out how to lay them out. I was astounded. Flabbergasted. He was equally amazed when I showed him how simple it was. "Howja know THAT?" He wants to know

 

[Princess Valiant]

Told Nella about this national day....even the crickets heard crickets!! She's not buying into this idea at all,

Mission accomplished on your part......the thought is there and kids don't usually know what they want, but since the thought is planted, there might be a time she is sitting by herself deep in thoughts and it may grow into something....if not, at least you tired, no regrets.

 

[Princess Valiant]

Eventually I changed careers and went to automotive tech school. There were a only a few girls. Most didn't last, maybe one or two made it through the program.

that is a sad reality that does happen....when I was in auto school there were a few other girls that came and went and none lasted......the key is to have strong family support. if I had not had the family backing I would have quit and rolled over and cried too......but my adoptive dad and cousin would not let me quit.....when I needed tools or support they were there with more cars, tools or whatever. Unfortunately not all girls have that and its like being in a pack of wolves with no backing.

I often wonder why girls don't last on FABO.....last time I brought it up in a thread it turned into a train wreck but even still FABO is a form of auto school with what can be learned here. I can say I know my own car a lot better thanks to the knowledge base here.

 

[1968dartman]

Well put young lady! I had my girls out working on cars with me when they were younger. My oldest took an auto shop at school and the boys laughed at her until she showed that she knew more about cars than they did!

 

[TheMoparMan]

Thank you for sharing Rani. I have been thinking about this with my 10 year old daughter. She's a feisty red head who's already a 5ft 2 and is a total tom boy. She try's to save old throw away and broken car parts(found her stash of them)she doesn't do most girl things instead spends her time with Legos building all sorts of things. She's always into the tape, scissors aluminum foil, cardboard and any other materials she can dig out of the trash cans. Always tinkering and building everything. Beginning to wonder if that will be her natural talent as she has been hoarding my throw away car parts. My wife laughed at me when I shown her the stash my daughter nabbed from the trash cans, "What is she going to build a busted car with busted parts"? I told my wife she is probably interested in trying to fix them or using it for something else she plans on building.

 

[Abodybomber]

Rani , a wonderful post. I know a female, that smokes most males,on flat rate jobs.(in a private shop). You have the makings and forethought to be a teacher.