Foxboy Nailed It

Foxboy has some memory of when I was more able-bodied. He joined me running electrical lines, running data cables, terminating cables, installing light switches, installing outlets, and framing out rooms before he was a year old 😁

As he gets older, it seems he was heavily influenced by those first few years of life (he was 4 when things got bad for me), and he wants to be a maker. It is incredibly frustrating to not be doing these things, but it is a different level of inner turmoil to see my son's interest in things I struggle to do

Recently, I tried to verbally guide Foxboy through swinging a hammer. On his second try, he smashed his thumb - nothing major! It's not like a gave him a 5 lb mallet or anything. Light-weight hammer and small nails. The pain was enough for him to abandon his project 😢

Alright. Take stock

Goal: Foxboy able to use a hammer to build his project
Have: Scrap lumber and a garage full of tools
Obstacles: A lack of confidence, fear of smashing his hand, and my lack of shoulder muscle

If he could just hammer away without worrying about his fingers, he should be good to learn coordination. However, my nest of tools doesn't have a nail holder thingy like kids toolboxes come with. Shouldn't be hard to make something with similar function, right?

Foxboy helped me gather the drill, drill bits, and some scrap lumber. We drilled a hole slightly larger than the head of his nails in the thinner piece of lumber, and screwed some 2x4s together for a practice pad

It took him a few tries to get his swing consistent enough that nails weren't bending too much, but thanks to the My Little Fox Nail Starter Set™ he is now completing his project. After about 10 nails, he decided it was easier to set them with his fingers and had enough confidence to do so

The path might be a little crooked, but a brazen walk will take you far

His project is coming along nicely - he wants a lift for his Power Wheel. So far, he's got a lift platform put together and is using some 2x4s as a lever

It is always a pleasure to see him overcome obstacles, but making stuff is a different level. Foxboy is cool, my heart is full, and if he ever gets that Power Wheel in the air, I'll be back here with a pic

Y'all have good