Why It’s Important To Teach Your Kids About Car Repairs
Kids look to adults to show them the way things work. When you do, you’re preparing them for life. This is most apparent when teaching a child basic skills. From keeping it running to saving money to avoiding accidents and more, here are just a few reasons why it's important to teach your kids about car repairs. First, you might wonder…
How Young Is Too Young?
Obviously, a preschooler can’t perform an oil change, but they can still feel useful. Use good judgment about what a child can handle and be sure to make it fun and interesting. Young children are inclined to wonder how things work, so a no-touch look under the hood is enough. Combine that with a car wash to keep them busy. Elementary school-level kids can tackle simple repairs like replacing the wiper blades, changing air filters, and checking tire pressure. Teens have the coordination and comprehension necessary for jobs such as changing oil, doing a jump start, and pumping gas. They’re also a better audience for more detailed instruction on changing spark plugs, belts, and the like. Of course, it's also important to teach them that, unless they're fully confident when it comes to doing the repair, it should be left to a professional, whether that's alloy repair St. Albans, a more serious internal issue, essentially anything that would require an expert's knowledge so it can be fixed correctly.
Responsibility and Savings
Teaching kids how to maintain a car is a stealth method of instilling a sense of responsibility—not just in taking care of one’s things but also in watching one’s finances. Make it clear that a car is no small investment, and that a well-maintained car lasts longer, goes farther, and looks better. Letting them work on the family car also makes them feel like they’re contributing something to the group and that they’ve been entrusted with a big responsibility. These lessons help down the road, so to speak, when they have their first vehicle and realizes every penny counts!
Safety
Kids need to know car safety as well as car maintenance. Let them know it’s not just about keeping the car rolling along, it’s about preventing accidents and major issues that can lead to expensive repairs, injuries, or even death. Take them on a trip under the hood, around the wheels, and beneath the chassis and let them know you don’t need to be a mechanic to maintain an automobile. Show them how to check the fluid levels and top them off, check the tires, and—if you’re handy—how to change the oil or transmission fluid, flush the radiator, rotate the tires, and so forth. Explain the instructions and how the maintenance prevents bad things from happening. They need to know why you’re doing something, not just that it needs to be done.
Bonding
One more reason why it’s important to teach your kids about care repair: it pays off on many levels. It’s a long-time bonding opportunity, and requires physical, mental, and emotional involvement—so many ways to stay engaged! If they show aptitude for it, you can even consider a car restoration project or something similar. Just make sure you make the most of the time you have with them at this age!
