Many families maintain a constant effort to help their teens learn needed life skills and develop useful habits that will help them throughout their lives. One great way to encourage both soft skills and hard skills while having fun is to restore a project car together.
How can car restoration help your child to learn positive traits? Read on to learn seven of the best takeaways from a restoration project.
1. Patience
Restoring a car generally takes a lot of time. The level of work needed by the vehicle you choose determines how much time you will have to put into the car, but even a simple project will call for your child to learn to be patient and wait for the results. In the modern world, where we expect immediate returns, this is a valuable trait to foster.
2. Mechanical Expertise
Working on cars reaps hard skill returns. Your teenager will be better equipped to take care of their own cars in the future, and basic mechanical knowledge, including the ability to properly choose and wield tools of various types, will help them in other home maintenance and improvement projects later on. They may even decide to become a mechanic.
3. Budgeting
Most backyard restorers work on a limited budget. They must decide how to spend that budget and how to prioritize tasks. Does the car need a new transmission or a new paint job? How much should you spend on a used car? Should you choose a fun Mustang or a practical classic truck? Help your child to understand how to deploy financial resources for the maximum benefit.
4. Teamwork
Will you work alongside your teen on the project car? Then they will learn the value of being able to work with others, not simply blasting ahead on their own. If more than one youngster is going to participate, they will all learn even more the need to delegate, let go of certain parts of a project, accept criticism, give criticism, and compromise.
5. Investment
As your child puts more and more time into the project car - and, for older kids, puts some of their own money into it as well - they will learn how to invest resources for the future. The child has only limited hours, for example, and they must choose how to spend those hours. If they spend them working on the car, they are investing in a future return rather than receiving an immediate benefit.
6. Responsibility
A vehicle project is a big job with weighty responsibilities. The car must be restored to a condition that will provide safe transportation for others. It must be able to safely share the road with fellow cars. Parts must be replaced the right way - following instructions recommended by the manufacturer. To accomplish these, your child will have to show maturity and restraint by adhering to guidelines.
7. Creativity
While much of the work will adhere to instructions and guidelines, your child has a lot of room for creative thinking. Together, you and your kids can decide what goals you want to achieve with the project. You may need to solve problems as they arise, utilizing workarounds and unconventional methods of repair. You'll also be able to choose interior and exterior decoration and design.
Can your family benefit from learning or reinforcing these useful traits? Most parents agree that they can't give their children enough preparation to face a challenging world as adults. Start at
Advantage Salvage & Auto Parts today. With a wide variety of used cars and all the parts you'll need, you and your children can get started today on a fun and educational restoration project.