Family interest in models?

[johnbuzzed]

Now that we're empty-nesters, my wife is taking more of an interest in my hobby, which she has tolerated for a looooong time (as has the rest of my family). She even agreed to get one of our club t-shirts to wear to contests and shows, and she's mentioned that she's considering her first snap-kit. Does your wife, husband, spouse, significant other, mate, life partner, etc, build models, too? How about your kids, your mom or dad?

[Tom Geiger]

I am the only male in my family (aside from the dog) with a wife and two grown daughters. As my girls were growing up, they each did the 'build a model with dad' thing but really had no interest. We even hosted the girl scouts with a snap kit as a craft once. My daughters are now in their 20s and still like to do craft type things. My younger daughter stayed with us for a month recently and I tried to lure her up to the model room with my scratch built camper interior. I thought I could get her to work on a diorama, no go!

My wife has never had an interest in my hobby. We also are empty nest at this point. She understands what it means to me so she is respectful of it. She knows it's my sanity, my art, and the center of many of my friendships. It's never gotten in the way of raising our family, or money spent that we needed, so it has never been an issue.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Tom Geiger

[ChrisR]

My son, now seventeen, builds models.

[thorpedo66]

I got my start in building from my dad and uncles back when I was a kid (i'm 30 now). The gf and I bought the boy his first snap kit about a month ago (he's 8) and loves it. Now that my interest is sparked again I've been showing my dad websites and sparked his interest back up again. Can't say my mom is too happy with me though!

[Rob McKee]

Both my son and daughter built models with me on and off while they were growing up. My daughter now 15

has no interest any longer but my son now 19 will still build the odd kit and comes to the model show with me.

My dad was building models before he died a few years back. I also have a cousin who is into this hobby as

much as I am.

[Sam I Am]

All of us do. My wife has not had the time in the last few years, but she enjoys it. the three boys all build. They enjoy it as well.

[Jantrix]

My son builds, but not seriously and part of me thinks he does it mostly because I do and likes to have this in common.

My wife had tried a couple times, is also such a perfectionist she never gets past the clean up stage.

[Ace-Garageguy]

What's a family? I'm not familiar with the concept.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[my name is nobody]

we only have one child, and she has been around cars her whole life.

when she used to toddle into my model room and watch, I would ask if

she wanted to build something. after years of saying no she relented....

so I would pick up a snap kit whenever I was in the city.

she did well, improving rapidly until she decided to move onto other things. but I did keep her builds:

[Scale-Master]

My wife has built a few, once she got the hang of it she went on to other hobbies. I think really it was that I made her clean up the airbrush when she was done with it. (She even placed well in a couple contests.) But she still helps at the shows and is very supportive of the hobby.

My dad got me started in the hobby, and he is still in it up to his ears.

My mom has built some incredible fully rigged sailing ships.

My brother is a very accomplished builder too.

My dog is trying to partcipate, but right now just watching and not eating anything is good enough for me.

[Eshaver]

My son has done some snap kits . he enjoys the way a particular contest we always look forward to attending in Norfolk Virginia every year .. I can second his judgment as the TAMS club is always hospitable and they do a fair job in junior categories ...........

[rmvw guy]

My kids, Son and Daughter both built a few model cars growing up with 'Ol Dad. They are now 29 and 31 and have moved on to bigger projects. I'm the only one stuck with the likes of a 12 year old still at 62. My Granddaughter is working on her third car with Grandpa and I have a Grandson that loves cars already and has, all his one and a half years We just started getting out the old Hot Wheels to play with, which he loves. I have never seen a little guy this small push two little cars around and make engine sounds like he does and has for a long time. I think he might be a future model builder. Ironically it was my Mom who encouraged me to love cars at an early age and purchased some of my first models. She even bought me the BigT for Christmas one year and also one of the early Roth Weirdos. I think she wanted me to become a car designer and even taught me how to draw cars.

[Rob Hall]

My older brother built models as a teenager and passed his kits down to me when I was a kid, he never got back into it. My sister built a few as a teenager also, and in the last couple of years she's gotten back into it also, focused on 1/20th scale F1 kits, NASCAR, and vintage endurance racing subjects....alas, like me, work and life takes up her time so she's better at buying kits than finishing ones so far...

My dogs are good at stealing parts and leaving tiny tooth marks on them...

Edited March 7, 2013 by Rob Hall

[rel14]

Just me,,,,,,, 7 kids, and 16 grandkids, and no takers in the hobby,, if it was a video game yes,

[Ramfins59]

My wife shows no interest in the hobby herself, although she is my BEST critic. She completely appreciates the time, effort and skills that go into what I build and gets upset with me if I am NOT building. She looks over my finished builds and can and does point out the little flaw that I may have missed or just didn't or couldn't fix. She takes me to local shows since I don't drive any more. (Partial vision loss after a stroke back in 2000). She has absolutely no problem with whatever or how much I spend on the hobby, and is very supportive.

I did get both of my daughters to each build ONE model about 16 or 17 years ago but that was it. One is now 32, married with one son and a good career, and the other is 30, soon to be married and working on her career. They have no interest in the hobby other than being supportive of me.

I'm hoping to get my one grandson involved in the hobby at some point. He'll be 2 in May and he DOES like cars. I gave him a couple of built SnapFast Slammers to play with last year and they have been his favorite toys for awhile.

[Chuck Doan]

My Dad got me started when I was 8 or so. Forty some odd years later we are both still at it. He recently added bare metal foil to the bumper of an HO scale truck. Hope I can still do that at 86.

[Guest Johnny]

My wife has always given me input on builds, mostly as a cheerleader for what I am doing. But she is my go to on ideas also! Like the 55 Nomad/Camper idea.

All three of my sons were into it when they were young. The oldest dropped out of models when he left home.

The youngest two (twins) dropped out of it when they hit High School and got into music and formed their own band. One dropped out of the band after he married and had their first kid. he wanted to stay home on weekends. So two years ago he got back into model building! he's 32.

We babysit his daughter who just turned three and she is really interested in what grandpa is doing. She even said recently "I'm going to help you fix the cars when she I get big" while pointing at the model parts on the desk!

My youngest grandson who we watch one or two days a week comes in and in a booming points at the shelves and says "TRUCKS papa" CARS papa" and wants to sit on my lap looking, and I mean looking as he does not touch the stuff on the desk! he will stand for long periods of time just watching me put stuff together. So I am looking forward to helping bothe these little ones with their first kits when the time comes.

[forthlin]

I have four adult children & they never showed much interest growing up. My wife has no real interest other than helping me pick out body & interior colors. She likes to display my better builds in a clear case in our living room.

[Craig Irwin]

My dad brought home some Jo Han kits and built them with me back in 1960 (wish I still had them) and got me started. I built with my son who managed to win some contest and get printed in the SAE contest annual. I've been building with my two grandchildren the last few years.

[clavender17]

My dad and I build . I have a girlfriend who try's to paint for me lol she has MADD skittle !!!! Now for the rest I guess you all could call yourself's family on here. We might as well be one heck some of us live on this site ....

[Art Anderson]

The husband of one of my niece's builds model cars, I found out over this past Thanksgiving, when I drew his name for our Christmas gift exchange. He was really excited when he unwrapped a Moebius Hudson Hornet!

Clyde's also building a G-Scale garden railway (model railroad layout in the back yard).

Finally, after all these years, a fellow traveler in the family.

Art

[Harry P.]

The husband of one of my niece's builds model cars, I found out over this past Thanksgiving, when I drew his name for our Christmas gift exchange. He was really excited when he unwrapped a Moebius Hudson Hornet!

Clyde's also building a G-Scale garden railway (model railroad layout in the back yard).

Finally, after all these years, a fellow traveler in the family.

Art

I've seen garden railways on TV and always wondered how weather affects them? Rain, sun, dust, etc., etc. Those layouts are not cheap... so how are they protected from the ravages of nature?

[disabled modeler]

I am the only one here that is into the hobby but my dad use to build i have his collection and my goal is to restore them someday when the needed parts are found for them..so i guess its a sort of family thing???

[Kris Morgan]

My youngest son (11) builds, my oldest (19) has no interest. Nor does my wife other than the money orders bring in,

[Harry P.]

..so i guess its a sort of family thing???

Not in my case. I'm the only one in the whole extended family that builds models. My kids built a few back when they were young... mostly because I built them and they wanted to do what dad does. But none of them kept at it for very long--except me!