Pinewood Derby: Tips, memories and the ethics of it all!
This is my son's first Pinewood Derby car. He wanted a Mario Cart. We tried to put all the weight in the back. I've heard that will make it go faster.
He's still got to put the wheels on and we need to weigh it to make sure it's under 5 ounces.
Editor’s Update: Our race was Saturday morning and my son’s Mario Cart won two of the three heats he raced in. We headed out for swimming lessons and came home to a note from his den leader: Walsh’s car won 3rd place for showmanship for the Tigers. (I think that means it was the third cutest car!) We were shocked it actually rolled, much less won anything. I was very impressed with how professional the races were.They used a computer program to flash up photos of each kid with stats on his race. They even had a program that timed how fast the cars went. They put on a very good show and all the boys had a big time!
As it is our first year in Boy Scouts, it is also our first Pinewood Derby this weekend! I say that with more enthusiasm than my 6-year-old feels about it.
As I’ve mentioned multiple times before we are not handy people, and the Pinewood Derby does call for some level of handiness.
To be kind to the less handy in our den, our den leaders brought tools to the Scout hut so we could all work together on the project. I sent Michael to Girl Scouts with Rose and brought my handy Dad with me to help Walsh.
We wanted Walsh to actually cut the wood. He tried with a hand saw but didn’t have much fortitude. Dad and I took turns helping him carve out two simple pieces. He did a better job at sanding it and a decent job at painting it.
Things got ugly though when we decided to use Gorilla Glue to glue some things on the car. I didn’t know if puffed up. It’s not invisible glue.
Walsh knew exactly what kind of car he wanted to make – a Mario Cart – and he found a picture of it on the Internet.
You can look at Walsh’s car and clearly see that a 6-year-old did most of the work. A lot of the other cars look like the Dad got really into it. Is that bad? What are the rules on that?
I think he’ll be more excited about the car when we actually go to race. We’re checking in the car tonight. I have two problems though. I’ve still got to get the wheels in and I’ve got to figure out exactly how much it weighs. My scale at home isn’t sensitive enough to register under 5 ounces. I think I’m going to take the car to New Baby Products because they have a digital scale with ounces that people can weigh their baby on. I’m just going to weigh Walsh’s Mario Cart!
Tell us your best tips for designing a car and winning at the Pinewood Derby!
Whose car is it anyway? How much work can Dad legitimately do on it? Should the boys be expected to use woodworking tools or is that part Ok for Dad (or mom or grandpa) to help on?
Also, tell us your memories from the Pinewood Derby.
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Tweets that mention Pinewood Derby: Tips, memories and the ethics of it all! | A Blog for Busy Moms - MOMania -- Topsy.com
January 22nd, 2010
7:26 am
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Sandy
January 22nd, 2010
7:30 am
I’m soooo over these Twitter comments on here!
Phr
January 22nd, 2010
7:43 am
We just started getting ready for our Pinewood Derby. We helped Andrew more last year when he was a Tiger. I agree there are a lot of cars that look like the Dad’s made them. Some of the men in our Pack get really excited about the Pinewood Derby. They take it very seriously. I think it should be done by the kids. There are all kinds of tricks to make the cars faster on the Internet and some books. Good Luck!
DB
January 22nd, 2010
7:58 am
Haha — it’s the same parents who “help” with the science fair project to the point where the kid isn’t really sure what the project is about, or the ones that just “look over” a project paper and “make a few suggestions” that completely rewrite it. There’s a fine line between helping and being an active participant.
I LOVED the homemade cars at the Pinewood Derby. I think the mistake that a lot of parents make is expecting a five or six year old to have the same level of manual dexterity as a 10 or 11 year old. (not that the older ones often have that much more!) But you’re right — sometimes, the kids “conceive” the cars and the parents engineer them, which is too bad. I had to remind my husband to “back off” one year, when he was getting just a little too into it, to the point of trying to change my son’s mind about the color of the car. My son wanted orange — my husband wanted silver. I told him that if he wanted a silver car, he should have stayed in Scouts instead of dropping out when he was 9!
I LOVE Walsh’s car! It’s adorable and was obviously made with great enthusiasm, and THAT’s the whole point!
My son still has all his Pinewood Derby cars on a shelf in his room — including the orange one!
Photius
January 22nd, 2010
8:13 am
Pinewood Derby is terrible when a small lad actually does the work and then competes against someone who’s dad did all the work; the parents are disgusting and should be flogged for how they have corrupted this event.
Katie
January 22nd, 2010
8:30 am
Take it to the post office and use their scale :)
My dad was the scout master for years ( i have 4 younger brothers) so pinewood derby brings back LOTS of memories for me and my sister..Walsh will love it!
Spoken like a true...
January 22nd, 2010
8:31 am
…loser, Photius….
Mkay
January 22nd, 2010
8:42 am
One of my worst/humbling childhood memories is from the Pinewood Derby back in the mid 80s. I was completely oblivious to the fact that the dads helped their kids build their cars. So I did my best and built a car that kind of looks like the one shown here. It wasn’t great, but I tried my best. When I got to the Derby my car was by far the worst looking one there. I simply didn’t understand how the other kids could have built such awesome looking cars. I didn’t know at the time that their dads had helped, or pretty much made them for them. Well, I didn’t even make it past the first round, my car sucked so bad. It was pretty much devastated and blocked it out of my mind for a while. It wasn’t until South Park did the episode last year as well as some commercial last year that had a kid in the Pinewood Derby did these memories come hauntingly back. Man, that kid in the commercial got on my nerves, because he did the same thing as me, except he won! That didn’t happen in real life.
You may want to gently discuss that some other cars may look better and he may not come in first, but to be proud of what he made. My dad tried to tell me that after the Derby but at the time I didn’t care. Now I see it as a character-building experience…but that kid in that commercial still gets on my nerves.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
January 22nd, 2010
8:50 am
Mikay — that is a good idea — hadn’t thought about warning him ahead of time
Katie — I had just thought about the post office — good suggestion and is closer than the baby store!!
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
9:02 am
I think I will take Dar’s stance yesterday… I have no comment
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
January 22nd, 2010
9:03 am
By the way guys coming Monday finally our renovation photos and the Top 10 things I learned about renovating!
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
9:09 am
ok I give, the first freaking rule here should be NO PARENT PARTICIPATION!!!
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
January 22nd, 2010
9:19 am
they are using saws — you have to help a little but …..
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
9:23 am
J was not in the scouts but this really just irritates me to no end. Make these age appropriate and keep the parents to the side to just cheer them on what ever the out come is….
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
9:24 am
I love the car! Make sure to let Walsh see how many of really think he did a super job!
I am curious ” I sent Michael to Girl Scouts ” Did you really send him? I found it intrigue the way you said that instead of “Michael went with Rose to Scouts…..”. You know, I really do luv ya! I can be accused of Super Momitis too!
As to parents helping with a project. I see no issue with real guidance and help. For instance I have a daughter who is supposed to write a paper on Common Sense/Thomas Paine. I have a BS in POLI SCI I would be remiss not offer my service/knowledge to her on helping her understand this Political thinker. However, I will not write that report for her, just ler her do research (even help guide her to research) and then discuss what she has read — help her finalize HER thoughts on the subject and then check the paper for grammar errors.
When same child was a few years back we did a map together. The teacher thought I did most of the work. The child told him straight up, Mom cut the circle for I285 and drew the signs for me to cut out because I didn’t like how mine looked when I did it. Otherwise it was all her. It was more put together because I sat with her to organize what she wanted and didn’t just let her have at it. I don’t see a problem with that kind of thing…Project Managers do it. Eventually (like where she is now) you have to let them be the Project Managers.
mom2alex&max
January 22nd, 2010
9:28 am
Julia: In fact the rules of PWD (about 3 pages long, I kid you not) are VERY specific about what a parent can and cannot do. In my den, we allow dads to cut the cars, but the kid has to design it. Reason being, we use a saw to do this, and well no one wants a boy 6 to 10 years old using a band saw.
The rules also state that kids have to do ALL the work, including sanding, painting, gluing, etc.
Of course, I belong to one of those packs that has absolutely INSANE parents, so I am prepared for tomorrow (ours is this weekend too) to be a show case of dad’s work. I am POSITIVE.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
9:29 am
FCM that is my point.. I have seen it with my own child. He will have projects and god forbid he has to go to his dads to do them.. They either call me on the way saying.. did you really want us to help him with the project or they just do it for him. I am not saying I wont help by any means and yes I will go buy the materials but I will not be up all night doing the damn thing. One time last year.. he had a balloon car thing to do and I swear he came home the NIGHT before and said I have a project done. First I said and how long have you known about this? He goes, hmmm 2 weeks…. I so wanted to not even go get this stuff… He is 14 years old. I will not at this age go behind him to make sure his home work is turned in. I do not feel this will help him as an adult.
oneofeach4me
January 22nd, 2010
9:31 am
Scouts are for the kids, the paren’t should be there to “supervise” Sure, the kids need assistance with the cutting part, and maybe a little direction as to what goes where, but it’s supposed to be a learning experience for the kids. How do these paren’t ever expect their kid to actually LEARN anything if they do everything for them?? In my opinion, if the car is obviously made by a paren’t or adult, then they should be disqualified. Or… how about making 2 races. One for the cars that the kids actually made, and another for the ones the parent’s created.
Also, my son hasn’t started scouts yet (he will in the spring) so I am not sure… but if they are supposed to get a patch for building their pine cars…. only the kids who actually built theirs should reap the rewards.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
9:31 am
mom2alex&max for you parents that can deal with this and not have your own stroke, you people are angles and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.. You guys are wonderful… This is NOT my calling at all :)…. The kids that come in with suped up cars that are very clearly done by the parents make me just want to go buy a real sports car and say ..here is his project. :)
LM
January 22nd, 2010
9:35 am
AB/DC had did a Pine Wood Derby for Girl Scouts. Her dad helped some, wanted to get all fancy with it, but she reminded him that it was her car, so it was hot pink with a flexible straw for a antenna. Didn’t make it past the first round, but she still has the car. But you could see the parents who got too into building the car, no way could a 6 to 8 year old girl have the skills to make it that perfect.
GeoffDawg
January 22nd, 2010
9:59 am
I think if you read the directions on the back of the Gorilla Glue, it’s mentions to be careful when using on finishing pieces since it does expand so much.
In any case, I remember my Dad hot gluing pennies to the car to add weight, not that it made much of a difference. The most successful designs that I saw though were the ones that were long on aerodynamics and short on creativity. Just cutting out a standard wedge shape always seemed to make for the fastest cars.
Rich
January 22nd, 2010
10:02 am
Many packs have races that parents and other family members can enter. So everyone can have a car.
Mkay
January 22nd, 2010
10:05 am
You’ll never get today’s parents to stop doing things for their kids; so the Pinewood Derby is inherently flawed. But who cares, right? The kids that sucked and lost (like myself) got on with life and eventually found out that they are probably a better person for doing it themselves.
The kids that have their parents do all the work and win get a superficial inflated sense of self worth. Unfortunately they’ll never realize that fact; and mommy and daddy will probably continue to support them and bail them out for the rest of their lives.
The problem is that kids on both side of the proverbial Pinewood Derby coin don’t realize this – the kids that have crappy cars just see that they suck and the kids that win think they deserve all the credit. The tricky parenting part here is to drive home the fact that growing up is not easy and although losing is painful and difficult – the kid will probably become a better person for doing it on their own.
BuckheadBill
January 22nd, 2010
10:13 am
The entire Pinewood Derby program is to encourage sons and fathers or mothers to work together on some project. The whiners about the Derby are playing golf while the kid works alone on his car.
Chris Broe
January 22nd, 2010
10:15 am
I made a pinewood derby car once, but Toyota recalled it.
TDdad
January 22nd, 2010
10:16 am
I always would let kids design the cars, I would cut them out on bandsaw. Kids would sand and paint. I would help put on wheels, as this can be sorta tricky for the younger ones. They would glue on the weights. There cars would always end up doing pretty well. They each ended up winnning a trophey or two over the years they did it, but were not even close to the ones the other kids dad had made. Tips we figured out over the years: make sure wheels are on straight and all touch the ground, spray alot of graphite on the wheels and nail that hold them in, and make sure it weighs exactly 5 oz.
Johnny Fontane
January 22nd, 2010
10:17 am
Make sure that your wheels do not have any camber in them or you will not pass inspection. If you wheels slightly tilted to the inside your car will go faster. Good luck and have fun.
Libraryjim
January 22nd, 2010
10:19 am
Wheel spacing is also a key ingredient for a fast car. My son basically put the wheels on the block of wood, and painted it for his first derby, and came in first in his pack contest. Unfortunately, he was beat out by another car and so didn’t go beyond that.
I was at Lowe’s the other day, and saw that Dremmel (sp?) has a Pinewood Derby detailing kit for their multi-tool!
Libraryjim
January 22nd, 2010
10:21 am
MKAY @ 8:42 — did you notice in the Derby commercial that the “scouts” were wearing BROWNIE Girl Scout uniforms and not Cub Scout uniforms? That caused my son (going for Eagle next year) no end of laughter!
oneofeach4me
January 22nd, 2010
10:26 am
@Mkay ~ I never really thought of it that way. Good point.
@Buckhead Bill ~ “to encourage sons and fathers or mothers to work together on some project” I don’t know about you, but working TOGETHER does not mean building it for them. Assisting, supervising, and lending some insight or finding out how to make the car better (but allowing them to actually do the work) is collaberating.
@Chris Broe ~ LOL
Mkay
January 22nd, 2010
10:27 am
Libraryjim: I didn’t notice the Brownie uniforms. That is pretty funny though.
BK
January 22nd, 2010
10:34 am
The pinewood derby is about winning!!!!! I engineered the car with my dad, made a few cuts sanded and painted when I was 8. Sure he did the heavy lifting I would much rather be a kid with a winning car than one who is proud their car looks like an ugly block of wood. When my son races I’ll do the same thing. You give your children something to aspire for. Now I am handy and a wood worker so I can finally build a car for my son…. People that are just “proud” of their cars are left trophyless…..
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
10:34 am
BuckheadBill – **coughsbullcrap**
Uh, I bet it would...
January 22nd, 2010
10:34 am
…go faster if the car in the picture had wheels…
woody
January 22nd, 2010
10:34 am
The tips for winning the pinewood derby are these.
1)Graphite all over the wheels.
2)Put strips of lead weights on the car. Always be at the maximum weight allowed by the rules.
boots
January 22nd, 2010
10:37 am
This is a race between dads who put their own spin on this and push the kids out of the picture. They will spend major $ on ordering specialized weights, paint, tools and wheels. There will be more talk about how to use files on the wheels, oils, and other short-cuts to help their – uh… their son’s – car win. It is a joke and 100% NOT about the scouts.
Rob Vinson
January 22nd, 2010
10:39 am
I remember my first pinewood derby. My dad didn’t help me with the car at all. I sanded it to shape and painted it and on the day of the race, it didn’t make it to the finish line because it was too light…I remember being heartbroken and crying watching the other kids’ cars make it to the end. I remember the other boys laughing etc. Kids can be pretty mean sometimes. I think my car that year weighed 3.5 ounces or so. The next year, i made sure the car weighed 5 ounces or whatever the maximum was. I also went to the hardware store and bought some graphite to put in the axles. I won the next year and i was pretty excited about it. I am laughing about it right now! If the car is too light, get some fishing sinker weights and put them in the bottom of the car, towards the front and that will help you. Take a knife and carve out a little hole and put them in with glue. My wife and I don’t have children, but really wish we did, so i could participate in this event. I honestly loved the pinewood derby and i loooked forward to it each and every year. The track was set up in the basement of the United Methodist Church in Alpharetta and it was made of wood…it was really neat. I haven’t seen one in over 30 years, but would like to again some day. Good luck to you and your children.
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
10:45 am
I kept asking my Dad to help me weeks in advance. At our Scout’s Christmas party, we got the “kit” from Santa. We were actually encouraged to whittle the block of wood with our scouting jackknife. So I keep asking my Dad for help and he was like – yeah, yeah, I will. Well, two nights before the derby, it still was a block of wood with a few corners shaved off with the knife. In a big panic he built the thing with all sorts of power tools and such. He stayed up half the night. I didn’t even get to paint it. LOL! He did a great job. I made it to the finals. Later on after the event, the other boys and I started racing our cars all over the floor and running into the walls and tables/chairs. He comes running over screaming – “Do you know how much time I put into that car?!?!? I, didn’t build it for you to smash it up against the wall!!” The car came home and sat on my dresser for years, untouched. That guy… what a PEST.
Anyway, I do have a good tip. Some vegetable oil on the nails that hold the wheels works wonders.
Name (required)
January 22nd, 2010
10:51 am
I miss Pinewood Derby. My dad was a pilot so he was gone a lot and I always ended up doing pretty much everything by myself. I got SPANKED by the kids whose parents obviously did most of the work for them. Where did that get me today? Well, I can now build a pretty snazzy built-in bookshelf, desk, and entertainment system. haha. Good memories.
Webelo
January 22nd, 2010
10:51 am
Back in the ’60’s, we used to hollow out a spot on the bottom in the back and fill it with melted lead from fishing weights – is that still allowed?
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
10:52 am
To you parents out there that want to do this project for your child, shame on you. Why are you taking away from thier childhood so you can relive yours? .. Can you really just not be that selfish and let them have it???
DE
January 22nd, 2010
11:05 am
I definitely disagree with some of the comments. Cub Scouts is about teaching the child and is a progression from 6-10 years old. You cannot expect a six year old to know what to do.
A six year old should NOT be cutting the wood on the car – too dangerous. At six years old the adult does more, then each year you plan more with the child and give them more responsibility. When they become a Webelo (are 10) they should be doing most if not all of it themselves.
mom2alex&max
January 22nd, 2010
11:09 am
BK, no offense, but u are a tool. Are you going to write his resume, stand by his side as he interviews for his jobs, and help him do that project his boss wants by the morning too?
It’s parents like you in scouts that drive me right up the wall.
I think I am going to suggest to my pack leader that next year we have some kind of clinic where all tools are provided and scouts are supervise as they build the car themselves. THIS is what it has come to. Dear God.
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
11:13 am
If my son wants to join scouts next year, I am going to let him decide how he wants to have the car look. I will cut it out and help him with the weight issues. Give him some pointers and let him paint it. If he doesn’t do well, I will tell him why. He can get some ideas in his head for the next year’s design and so on. He needs to learn how to do things himself and I will be there to guide him when needed. He also doesn’t need to be shielded from joys of winning and the perils of losing.
motherjanegoose
January 22nd, 2010
11:14 am
Howdy from Dallas TX!
DB…rofl at your husband and the silver car. I had to remind my husband to back off, when ours were little too. No problems now as they are into AP Calculus, Latin, Anatomy and Physiology, Molecular Biology and Organic Chemistry….neither of us HAS A CLUE!
@Mkay….you are right on the money! These parents are everywhere and they will still be there when the kids are applying for college. Some parents write the essays and fill out the forms for their kids. Some write their kid’s college papers!!!!
Both of my kids got in early action to UGA ( I am aware that some of you will not give a flip but it is not easy to get in early, as others of you know) and I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! They earned it themselves as THEY are the ones who will be going to college and not me ( again) . Reality, I know I would not be able to get into UGA ( today) with what I had as a Senior, so yes I am proud.
Too bad that some parents did not get the memo about producing problem solving, independent children who will eventually be able to secure a job, move out on their own and pay their own bills. I remind myself that my kids are ( hopefully) heading in that direction….hoorah!
Those with little kids….you WILL be up against perhaps a child with a science project whose parent is a botanist and you will not stand a chance. Get ready for your future!
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
11:15 am
@ Julia…I am confused…are you saying that you believe the kind of assistance I give the kid is too much? I totally agree with you by 14 she is going to be pretty much on her own for how to research and organizing the project. She is 10 — she probably hasn’t got very many research skills yet, nor much practice on writing a paper. Why would I not assist her? Last paper I showed her how to make an outline a follow it. This time she will show me how she makes the outline (though we may discuss the organization of the outline).
In my business life, I sometimes have to go to others and say ok here is what I want to do now your better at this than I so teach me.
budman
January 22nd, 2010
11:18 am
Speaking as a 2 time winner..I received 2nd place one year and the next year I won 1st place.in the Swamp Fox Division…not just my pack. .Here’s a few tips..Get your weight close as can on your home scale..But have a pocket knife with you at inspection to make adjustments. The weights can be 2 holes drilled in the bottom of the car and filled with soft melted lead. Go heavy not light..you can take away but you cannot add weight at that inspection point. Pay attention to the axles..they should be polished and very smooth.If they still allow powdered graphite use it on the wheels…These are things my Dad suggested I do because it was South Carolina..!959-1960 we knew all about race cars….Let the child build the car..mine looked like crap…but it ran like lightning.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
11:21 am
FCM, not at all.. I think we should “help them”, not hover, not do it for them… :).. I did some of that at 10 but once it became a stroke on a daily basis.. I had to stop for my own sanity… :)
Webelo
January 22nd, 2010
11:24 am
DE – you’re one of the causes of the wussification of America. The proper use of a pocketknife is a skill taught to cub scouts and, yes while there may be accidents (a little cut won’t kill anybody), it is a part of growing up. No one is going to lose a finger by carving a pinewood derby car.
JoeV
January 22nd, 2010
11:29 am
Step 1…take your kids out of boy scouts before its too late and they are 35, living in your basement, and still a virgin.
Step 2…lighten up because I am just kidding. :)
mom2alex&max
January 22nd, 2010
11:29 am
Webelo: technically, the boys do not earn their whittling chip and the right to use their pocket knife until they are bears, so 8 or 9 years old, not 6.
And maybe not a finger, but my oldest in his haste to use the knife soon after he earned, got a nasty cut on his palm. I thought that was a better lesson than all the other “training” he had received.
I agree on the whole though. I was very apprehensive about him getting a knife, but I convinced myself it was part of growing up.
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
11:31 am
ok I get it. these day i just say don’t forget to turn in your homework. I still check the homework just not daily as SHE needs to learn to do it because it is assigned. (My boss doesn’t check my work daily but he sure knows if I do it!) She got a “C” on her report card in one subject…all the others were A & B. She said, but my tests are good how did that happen…her teacher (who had been talking to me and supported my idea) told her here are the homworks you didn’t turn it…Sure changed her attitude on the assignments.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
11:33 am
Webelo sorry no offense but you sound exactly like my ex husband that loses IQ points every time he takes a leak. He thought it was ok for our son in this day and age to have a dirt bike at a very young age. I told him not over my dead body, if I wanted to kill him as a small child I would have just had an abortion. I really did not care he had one, well he even knocked out all his teeth on one.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
11:36 am
FCM no kidding :).. how is the lil orkadork doing :)… With J, he would wait til the last min to do thing and I was running around like crazy trying to get extentions on home work. He even told me, I just did not feel the need to do it. Ok buddy, get that zero…
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
11:41 am
Julia, your way is not always the “right” way for everyone or every situation. You have to let your kids fall down and get scraped up.
Devildog
January 22nd, 2010
11:44 am
Let ‘em do their own. The kid in my den, with the ugliest, most unfinished, most unscientific–it looked like a block of wood with wheels–won the thing when I was a “den mother.” I helped my son some, but didn’t do any of the work. Nevertheless, he didn’t win. Maybe because I didn’t leave him alone.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
11:45 am
Hairy Banana Reid oh I know and I stood there and about passeed out when he busted his head wide open and then the time he broke his tooth on the side of the pool. :)…
Becky
January 22nd, 2010
11:49 am
@Julia, at what age should a boy have a mountain bike? My 7 year old grandosn has his own bow and arrow set..He has a BB gun(from Santa), he has his own pocket knife..All of these things, he knows how to use and to be careful with..I think it’s all in teaching them to be around these things and how to use them..
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
11:57 am
Becky, I agree. There is no one size fits all in this situation. You have to use good judgement. Some boys are very responsible – they are pleasers. Some boys don’t need a bow and arrow – ever! LOL!
Devildog
January 22nd, 2010
11:57 am
I killed a rat with my .410 shotgun when I was 4. I was sitting in my father’s lap on the back porch . . . in newly fashionable Kirkwood (N. Howard Street). Yet they never allowed me to have a BB gun. There’s a message here about respect for things that shoot.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
11:58 am
Becky, If the men and women in your family that have comman sense and this has been taught the right way I applaud you and them. My ex husband the whole line of them lack this gene. Sorry but its true. Hid grand dad thought it was cute to hold a squirming toddler on a john deer tractor. His father my ex.. this is too long a list to even go on here…
When J was around 2 we moved to Paulding County and at that time my ex was talking about maybe I can get an ATV. We had not lived there a week and there were 2 girls that were on one and for some reason got out on HWY 61 and were killed by a car. I may not be the best mom in the world and some things I am over protective over.. I wont do his home work but I am not gonna put a target on his back either :)…
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
11:59 am
Hairy Banana Reid I cracked up over that :)
budman
January 22nd, 2010
12:05 pm
Julia, sounds like you have a “real” boy on your hands…Love him, guide him and let him grow into a “real” man.I was in a body cast when I was 5 yrs old because I was convinced I could fly..real boys are adventuresome little creatures my parents knew that and they let me figure out stuff the hard way…still remember how stupid some of my stunts were…but at least my children were not as stupid as their dad.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
12:09 pm
budman.. you are soooooooooooooooooooo right :)… but when he was 3 :).. I was not willing to put him in harms way.. He knows I am relasing the choke chain on him :) and he is a great awesome boy! :)
I just have to play mom and dad… :)
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
12:12 pm
Budman, that reminds me of a neighbor kid of ours. He hauled his bike up onto the peak of the garage roof and then proceeded to ride it down off into the creek behind the garage. Problem was, he didn’t judge to well. He landed on the bank, among the brush and trees – head over heals and then into the water. The other problem was, the creek was less than a foot deep. Even if he had made it into the water he would have been in serious trouble.
budman
January 22nd, 2010
12:20 pm
My favorite Mark Twain statement…The hardest animal to train on the earth is a little boy!!
Dr. Emmett Brown
January 22nd, 2010
12:21 pm
Flux Capacitor
budman
January 22nd, 2010
12:28 pm
What makes me mad!! Is I watch Johnny Knoxville, Jackass and Nitro circus and I’m thinking “hell people are making money doing this stuff!!!!! Just born at the wrong time…We did those stunts for free….not a “Red Bull” endorsement…
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
12:30 pm
budman I was gonna ask you about the jackass thing :) LOL!! :)
JJ
January 22nd, 2010
12:40 pm
When I was younger, and my brother was in scouts, they had the Soapbox Derby and they actually sat in the “cars” they built. I remember standing at the bottom of the hill watching all these boys come racing down in their box cars…….what memories…..
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
12:45 pm
But sometimes you do have to let them learn for themselves. I had one who broke her arm at 5. She jumped from playground equipment while at daycare. I never blamed anyone but the kid.
Same child had a broken foot (differen daycare and that one I did blame for the break) at 18 months. We put her in a cast and she kept climbing on EVERYTHING (like that age does). I supposed I could have strapped her to something (highchair, stroller) for the whole time she was in a cast. That kid is rough and tumble even now. I check her for new brusies every night and say “Where did that come from?” Oh I was on the scooter (not motorized) and ran into the fenece. Oh, I think that is when tripped on the balance beam. Oh we were skating today adn I fell down alot.
I remember having two badly scraped up knees in about 2nd grade. I had tried out somebodies skateboard.
Chris
January 22nd, 2010
12:48 pm
The guidelines encourage the scouts to do all the work– as long as it is safe. I feel something is lost when everything is cut out on a band saw, sanded with a disc sander, and painted with an auto-body quality spray gun. The Derby is about several things: Sportsmanship, Craftsmanship, & Competition. Sadly several parents only look at the last one. My son is proud of the car he build, and can say he built it. Did I help with the hand saw he got tired? Sure– that that’s a huge piece of the experience as well– working together. I love the Mario Kart theme– Nice work :) PS– our den did an ‘open’ competition in which dads, siblings, etc- were allowed to build cars to compete against each other– to help curb this sill vicarious living through our sons…..we’ll see.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
12:48 pm
FCM there are just some things we can not prevent other than strapping them to the wall or putting them in a bubble.. J fell out of his crib once and I took him into day care holding him out in front of me going.. He did this NOT me :)
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
12:48 pm
JJ that’s cool!
Chris
January 22nd, 2010
12:49 pm
Too true…watched my daughter roll off the couch yesterday…oops. *glares at the typos* sorry ;)
Becky, aren't you the one...
January 22nd, 2010
12:51 pm
…who has all the nephews with the missing “common sense” genes – druggies, prison stays, etc – and you are bragging about a 7 year old who is allowed to use weapons of destruction?
Becky, aren't you the one...
January 22nd, 2010
12:53 pm
…maybe we have two Becky’s since one said she did not have kids (how could she have grandkids) but did care for her young niece and nephew.
jasonenfa
January 22nd, 2010
12:54 pm
We have our race tomorrow, and we’re looking forward to it. I have some crude tools for making the car, and we passed on the pack-wide event with nice shared tools, so nobody has seen the car but my son and family. I took photos as evidence that he did his own work. I taught him how to use the tools, and I put a starting groove in the block for each cut, but my 8 year old cut his own car, drilled his own hole for weights, and put wood putty in the hole to smooth it out. He sanded the car. When he needed a break, I let him take one, and it has been a nightly pleasure to go play with the car together. He knew the rule that I would not be making his car for him, and he was driven to do a good job.
I treasure my time with my son, and he refused to stop sanding until he thought it was perfect. So he spent a lot of time with his car and got it nice and smooth. I helped put the wheels on as he held the gauge, and he did his own base coat, two-color paint job that fades between blue and green (he did 4 coats of blue alone), and he did the gloss coat afterwards. He was so proud of his paint job that he has decided not to use the stickers that he picked out for the car.
Now we have a beautiful car that resembles a cross between a mini-van and a limo, and it weighs 5.0 oz according to our food scale. Now we get to go to the race tomorrow, and he hopes to defend his title of “best overall look” that he won last year.
I’m a dad, I taught my son to use tools, and he refused to stop working until he was happy with his own car. And the comments I’m reading here show me that I will be sitting in judgement of people who think I did all the work.
I wish I had never read this. I don’t want to be cynical when I’m playing with my son. Tomorrow is a day to relax and enjoy the race. Have fun, everyone.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
1:11 pm
jasonenfa you sound like an awesome dad!
JJ
January 22nd, 2010
1:14 pm
FCM – your daughter sounds like me when I was younger. I had been to the emergency room so many times, they knew me by name. I have had stitches over 7 times, broken an elbow and had surgery to have it pinned back down (fell off a trampoline), stitches in my knees from bicycle accidents, stitches in my chin twice, once by falling off the monkey bars at school, and from being dared to do a handstand in the two foot deep water section of a pool. I tripped over a huge floor pillow and split my forehead open on the tv, etc. and other than the surgery on my elbow, I’ve had two other surgeries…..
I was a bit of a tom boy, as my neighborhood was full of boys and I either had to run with them, or sit inside and play dolls and THAT wasn’t gonna happen……
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
January 22nd, 2010
1:17 pm
I just got back from weighing his car at the post office — we were 5.1 ounces so I had to rip off the center engine piece and now werre at 4.8 — some nice man went back out to his car to get a pocket knife for me to pry the glue off — I was trying to do it with my keys. but at least now we’re under weight — next to get on the wheels when he gets home from school.
Becky
January 22nd, 2010
1:22 pm
@Becky..Yes, I am the one that has nephews that are missing the commom sense gene..I’m not bragging that the 7 year old has weapons of destruction..He has these and he has a Poppy that is teaching him how to use them and to be careful with them..This (IMO) is part of the reason that the nephews (2)are/have been in jail..They didn’t have Dads that spent time with them teaching them things..
I don’t have kids and yes I do have the niece and nephew on the weekends..They call me Nanny, because the only grandmother(Dad)that they have is a druggie..They have a Poppy (Mom) and he has nothing to do with them..Their Mom and Dad taught them to call us Nanny and Poppy, that was 7 years ago and I would not trade a day of it for anything..
So, no I’m not perfect and neither is my family..Either way, I think that kids can learn to use these weapons of destruction and not be dangerous to others, if they have the right people teaching them..
jasonenfa
January 22nd, 2010
1:23 pm
Theresa, make sure you get that weight with the wheels, although he’s probably OK starting out a little high. The scales are always going to be a little different. Our pack always has a couple of cordless drills at the race in case you need to take off some weight. Last year my son’s car was over by about 0.5 oz, so we had to remove some of the lead inside the car, and my son drilled a mickey head in the bottom of the car to get it down to the right weight. He really loved that he had a “Hidden Mickey” on his car!
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
1:25 pm
say this to parents to kids whom died in the hands of kids who have guns or wepons in their house.. Just a thought here
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
January 22nd, 2010
1:29 pm
Even though the wheels weren’t installed I laid the wheels and the nails on the scale with the car so hopefully they’ll be right — I’m hoping the post office scale is pretty accurate
So I’m supposed to sand the nails and then put the oil on the nails and then put the graphite in the wheels?????????
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
1:31 pm
Theresa here is a stupid thought but do you have a digital food scale?? I just wonder if that would work…. :)????
Lisa
January 22nd, 2010
1:36 pm
Theresa, you said: “So I’m supposed to sand the nails and then put the oil on the nails and then put the graphite in the wheels?????????”
NOooooooooo! Your son is!
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
1:52 pm
Theresa, use oil or graphite – don’t use both… it will make a sludgy mess.
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
1:54 pm
Errr, I mean, tell your son that.
jasonenfa
January 22nd, 2010
1:59 pm
No wet lubricant is allowed, so only the graphite.
To sand/polish an axle (nail), he put the axle into a drill like a drill bit and turned the drill on while holding a wet strip of sandpaper to the nail. My drill is cordless, so I held it flat on the bench and turned it on while my son sanded the nail. We used the same technique to file the bottom side of the head of the nail, and this takes off the burrs that come from molding the axles.
The graphite goes “in” the wheels, and you can get the most in there by filling the hole with a nail partially in, then push the nail through. It’s a messy affair, so you may want to do that part outdoors or in the garage!
He should be gentle when putting the wheels on the car – this is why I helped with this part. Last year his car broke while hammering the axle in, so minor Elmer’s surgery was required. Be sure they’re going in straight. If the car turns it may not make it to the end of the track.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
January 22nd, 2010
2:01 pm
I’ve heard the wheels are a real problem — that;’s why we are helping with that –
my food scale is not digital — it’s from 16 years ago when we got married so not so high tech.
oneofeach4me
January 22nd, 2010
2:15 pm
lol… this is great. I cannot WAIT til my son gets to do this. He is going to love it!! He will just love watching all the cars race. I am not sure he will give a rats but if his wins or not. lol
@jasonenfa ~ don’t be sorry you read this. From what you wrote, you are not the one doing it all for him. Like one poster who’s father waited til the last minute, then spent all night building it and got pissed when his son started playing with it as he should. You won’t be cynical… you showed your son the way and he took pride in creating his own car. That is something you should cherish and your son is lucky to have that closeness with is father.
Theresa, I am with Lisa here. Those are things Walsh can do himself. It’s all gonna be okay. Just have fun….
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
2:18 pm
@ JJ — yeah she is a tomboy and proud of it. When she was a baby she was rolly (round reared) so we called her a Weeble Wabble….you know the ones that don’t fall (and stay) down. You still can’t get her to stay in one spot for long (including sleeping) she is in constant motion. She just isn’t rolly anymore.
Wayne
January 22nd, 2010
2:20 pm
Gee whiz! I was wondering where everyone was. I was still over in the Haiti blog because this one didn’t show up until this afternoon. I was adding some good stuff too. At least in my mind, anyways.
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
2:38 pm
Wayne, day late and dollar short there huh darling :)?
Wayne
January 22nd, 2010
2:43 pm
I’m tellin’ ya! Sheesh. What’s really sad is I don’t even have anything to add to this fine conversation ovuh heah. Other than if my son does join the scouts, he’ll be building his own, with some minor guidance from me. Heck, he’ll probably build it on his own without telling me about it…
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
3:07 pm
I didn’t know anything about the ban on wet lubricants… lol, that’s how many years I’ve been out of it! I guess it was somewhere around the early 70’s when I was involved.
Tiger needs me on his PR team
January 22nd, 2010
3:08 pm
I remember back when I was a young man participating in this…i was using a small hand held electric saw my dad gave me while he went to get himself a six pack down at the local 7-11. Not having ever handled a power tool before, when I began my cut into the wood, the saw kicked back and cut my nose off…I was so shocked I dropped the saw and it fell and cut my toe off. My dad came back, having already drank the six pack on his way home, and was shocked at my injuries but too frightened of being arrested for child neglect and drunk driving to take me to the hospital, so he decided to re-attach my severed nose and toe himself. With a needle and fishing wire he did a nice clean re-attachment. The only problem was that in his drunken state, he sewed my nose to my foot and my toe to my face. Now every time I sneeze my shoe flies off . Good old dad.
JJ
January 22nd, 2010
3:10 pm
And on that note Tiger,,,,,,I’m outta here…..thanks for the chuckle…..
JJ
January 22nd, 2010
3:12 pm
Tiger, I just thought for sure there was gonna be a “toe truck” in your story…..but that’s for the chuckle…..
Wayne
January 22nd, 2010
3:14 pm
Was your Dad in the Scouts? I was just wondering what badge he would have got for that?
Hairy Banana Reid
January 22nd, 2010
3:17 pm
Medic Badge?
Is it just me . . .
January 22nd, 2010
3:20 pm
or does it make anyone else crazy that Julia says in her 9:02 post, “I have no comment” then goes on to blog 20 freakin’ times???
Reminds me of my teen, always has to have the last word!
Becky
January 22nd, 2010
3:24 pm
@Tiger, my little one will also be building it by himself..As it is now, he is always taking parts off of his cars and rebuilding them..He loves to go to the thrift store and buy “broke” cars, so that he can work on them..
oneofeach4me
January 22nd, 2010
3:26 pm
LMAO @ Tiger… you really know how to tell a story! Reminds me of the Fisher King! lol
Tiger needs me on his PR team
January 22nd, 2010
3:26 pm
tell him to stay away from the power tools! ;-)
Tiger needs me on his PR team
January 22nd, 2010
3:29 pm
Well…I’ve been accused of being everything from a degenerate to someone without any moral standards on this blog in the last two weeks….so I’m just trying to show that even thought I’m all of those things (plus a couple others) it doesn’t mean that I can’t still be liked!
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
3:31 pm
@ Tiger some of us (raises her hand) never once thought anything awful about you. Unless you count the resident atheist as awful, and you certainly didn’t seem too nor do I.
I loved the story though!
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
3:31 pm
@ Tiger some of us (raises her hand) never once thought anything awful about you. Unless you count the resident atheist as awful, and you certainly didn’t seem too nor do I.
I loved the story though!
Tiger needs me on his PR team
January 22nd, 2010
3:33 pm
@FCM…actually, I wear that title like a badge of honor! ;-)
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
4:21 pm
Tiger, you aint right! :)
Tiger needs me on his PR team
January 22nd, 2010
4:23 pm
@Julia…maybe not..but if feeling as good as I do about life is wrong…i don’t want to be right! ;-)
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
4:24 pm
Becky when he was itty bitty I can just hear him go in that very independant tone.. I do it!!! :) LOL
Is it just me . . .
January 22nd, 2010
4:32 pm
I pick my boogers and I pee my pants. I am a very horrible person. I am the mom that made my son kill his hamster for a bad grade. I am a horrible person and I suck as a parent.
Becky
January 22nd, 2010
4:34 pm
@Julia, boy do I remember that tone..As we’ve talked about before, to me it was a very bittersweet moment..:) They both do tell me that no matter how big they get, they will always still be “My” babies..If only they knew that they will only want to be at my house on weekends for (maybe) 2-3 more years..
Tiger needs me on his PR team
January 22nd, 2010
4:34 pm
wow….where did THAT come from?
Becky
January 22nd, 2010
4:37 pm
@Tiger, not real sure..BUT that was horrible about that “Mother” doing that..Oh. if you don’t know what this is about, a “Mother” south of Atl. made her 13 year old son kill his pet hamster (with a hammer) for getting bad grades..
Julia
January 22nd, 2010
4:37 pm
(((Becky))) I remember J telling me the same thing.. No mommie – I do it.. Those moments just crack me up and are such an awesome memory :)
Becky
January 22nd, 2010
4:41 pm
((Julia)), memories of children are indeed some of the very best..
Hope that everyone has a great weekend..
Tiger needs me on his PR team
January 22nd, 2010
4:54 pm
Wow!!…that lady is one SICK TWIST!
Becky
January 22nd, 2010
4:58 pm
Yeah she is..
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
5:16 pm
@ Bexky — I don’t know I enjoyed seeing my Granmother (that I was close too) whenever she came in town. I would go spend summers with her until college/work became what I needed to do and even then take trips to see her in college, after I got married, and when the kids were born.
I think if you foster a good healthy relationship (and it sounds like you do) they might just choose to hide out at your house when M & D are “flipping” or whatever term the kids will use for that. My children love to call my parents (though the kids are close to your twins ages I admit) and plan things…or just report how mad they are at Mommy not letting them play Nintendo DS or something.
I know your not the Grandma of the kids…but I have feeling that they (and mine) are going to have similar desire to keep visiting you forever. Man I miss my Grandma everyday and she left us March 08!
FCM
January 22nd, 2010
5:19 pm
ooops I mean Becky! Sorry hon
boots
January 22nd, 2010
6:59 pm
Theresa, you are proving the point of us saying this is not about the Scouts learning, but the parents racing each other. You said “So I’m supposed to sand the nails and then put the oil on the nails and then put the graphite in the wheels?????????” No, your scout is supposed to do it. The fact is, if he does, then he won’t win. But does it matter? He is racing against grown men ordering $50 worth of weights, $50 worth of wood-working tools, $25 worth of oils and files, and so on. The race has gotten to be a joke. It is not about boys building something. It has become a space-aged race for men to compete with one another in the name of their sons. Scam and a shame.
Scandal Lover
January 22nd, 2010
11:14 pm
It’s scandalous I tell ya!
fk
January 23rd, 2010
4:40 am
my son really enjoyed the pinewood derby races. he has all of his cars, packed away in the boxes in which he brought them to the competition. he put his initials and year the car competed on the underside of each one. obviously, he was “into it.”
of course, he needed help on the cutting end. he would spend a couple of hours one weekend afternoon at my brother’s workbench, and he always had his plan thought out & on paper before he went over, however rudimentary it would be. other than suggestions and supervision, that was the only adult help he had. every year, after every race, he called my brother with his “stats.” yes, there were a lot of winners who obviously had more than just adult supervision.
one year, he decided to not focus on the speed factor. he won ‘best design’ and took 3rd place at the next level. my husband said there were dads all around polishing and fussing with their “sons’” cars, up until the submission deadline. my son stood in line, with his car in the covered box, until he turned it in. his car was simple and it was quite obvious that he worked on the car himself, but it was great to see that his efforts were recognized.
the last car he built placed second behind a boy whose dad ran a wood working business. hmmm…. my son did a lot of research trying to build the fastest car that year. he did a really good job. his design: as flat & smooth as he could get it, and placed the lead weights length-wise. if this car had crashed or was dropped, it probably would have splintered into dust. he also filed the ridges on the outside of the wheels and (always) used the graphite…messy. it did not matter that he did not go on to the next level of competition, he knew that he was beat by an adult. i have to say he handled the situation a lot more maturely than his parents. although i would never say anything, i used to get so irritated by parents passing off their work as their children’s.
DB
January 24th, 2010
7:59 pm
Congratulations to Walsh!!! He did a great job!
Becky
January 25th, 2010
8:20 am
@FCM..Thank you..I never really had a relationship with my grandparents..Three were dead by the time that I was born and the only grandmother that I knew wasn’t the grandmotherly type..That’s part of why I want these 2 to have that feeling..I want them to know that they can show up at my house any time..If it’s just to visit or if they have a problem..
As for the typo, don’t worry about that..Trust me, I’ve been called a lot worse things..LOL..:)
LK
May 1st, 2010
5:07 pm
When I was a Cub (late Sixties) the first car I made I essentially made myself, my father was very busy and not around much so he showed me how to use a draw knife and I was learning how to whittle with a jackknife so I used what I knew and made an adequate car (old style kit with indy car look much more forgining ofmistakes than today’s). My father stepped in when I asked him to drill out a slot for me to put in lead weight. That was it I never saw the rules, I didn’t know what graphite was or what it did. i didn’t know that the weight limit was or how much my car weighed. I heard from other kids that you had to put fishing weights in. I easily could have been a disaster. The car was painted blue because we had some blue spraypaint around.
When we went to the race, I didn’t know why they were inspecting it and weighing it. They whistled when they weighed it because it was the exact max weight (sheer luck). while I was taking it over to the track I met a friend who’s Grandpa was putting graphite on his spiffy looking model with stripes and decals (mine was … blue). They offeredto put someon mine and sinceit made it go faster I said OK. Icouldn’timagine how black soot was going tomake it fasterbut they were friend so OK.
At the endof the night I was undefeated. Everyone wanted to raceme head to head afterwardand Iwon all of those too. I won the pack championship and a … Blue ribbon. No trophies. I had no idea there was a district race because they told my parents about it and they didn’t want to make the drive.
I never repeated the feat (I was a Wolf) but tried my best every year after that. I learned to love woodworking and have the permamnent scars to prove it. (I removed a big chunk from my thumb while whittling a later car)
I never was a contender for best looking by far but I cherished that car. I was in my thirties before I finally threw it away after a “look” from my wife when we were packing for a move.
I’m sure that if some other Cubs weren’t great friends and sports that I would never have won and I figured out that the spiffy looking cars were the result of lots of parental intervention.
I won with no small amount of luck (the “fluke” if you’ve see Down and Derby) and good friends and sportsmanship. I try to apply this with my kids but it is a very difficult balance.