Are DIY Dad's Becoming Extinct?

The Telegraph raises an interesting point that we continue to hear whispers of each year.

Are current 20-30 year olds less capable as do-it-yourselfers than their fathers?

One could argue the modern man has many more resources to turn to for researching (books, magazines, websites, blogs) a project as well as completing it (Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowes). But we also have many more specialized contractors all competing for our work and they are only a phone call or email away from fixing our household problems.

According to the Telegraph:
Author James May states that in days of yore, when men were men, they were taught by their fathers to do practical physical stuff involving spanners, saws and gearboxes. Today's young men, by comparison, he says, are wimps.

A significant factor working against us is technology. It seems everything has a circuit or computer chip and when that goes so goes the engine or mechanical function it controlled. There was a time not long ago when auto mechanics were a grimy bunch that had permanent grease under their nails but visit a modern day dealers autoshop and many of the mechanics simply plug in the broken vehicles and the computer tells them what needs to be replaced, never fixed.

Yes, some Dads are extremely handy but some are not and just because your Dad was handy with a saw doesn't mean you were going to take to it.

What's your take? Are men these days lacking basic DIY skills and who's to blame?

[via Telegraph]

Charles & Hudson | Comments () |

Mitch

I'm guilty. My skills are poor. Largely because I'm so busy at work, that I don't want to take the time to learn even the most simple DIY projects.

Swischris

any time a parent allows a child to try something for themselves from a young age they build a confident person willing to tackle a variety of problems. It can be as simple a starting point as allowing a two-year-old to build a peanut butter and jelly sandwich by themselves or to use a tape measure even if you don't really "need" their help to get that new appliance through the door.

Charles & Hudson

Great advice. Little accomplishments early definitely build confidence in children.

Allison

I'm amazed that no one mentioned DIY women, who make up a large portion of the market and often are more capable than their husbands! Not a very progressive post.

Joe

Women belong at home raising children. Ever since women entered the work force society has crumbled... I can talk for hours on the subject...

Charles & Hudson

Of course we can't forget about the women but this article is really focused on the skills that Dad's pass along to their sons which are traditionally of a DIY nature. Great point though as we'd like to know how many people get their skills from Mom.

TabathaM

That's how I learned mine (from my mom) -- and who my husband's learning from now!

Jeff Williams

There is a distinct absence of these skills in today's world. None of my friends know how to fix much. Their dad's don't really either. Their grandfathers on the other hand know how to do everything. Perhaps the accessibility of higher education is partly responsible. It allowed people to specialize in fields instead of learning tons of general knowledge. Also the blue collar trades seem to be considered lower level jobs by society. Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs) goes into it a bit in his TED talk from a few years ago. http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_...

Todd Fratzel

I'd have to agree. However, I think all of us in the DIY, home improvement and construction arena need to take the time and share our skills with our children. My 5 yr old loves learning about tools and fixing things. Hopefully I'll be able to pass on my skills to him!