My kid asked me why I never build anything for us at home

We were putting together a flat pack bookcase for his room last weekend, the kind with the little hex key. He looked up and asked, plain as day, 'Dad, you build stuff for other people all the time. How come you never build anything for us?' It hit me right in the gut. I've been framing houses in this town for fifteen years. I come home tired, my hands are sore, and the last thing I want to do is pick up a tool. But he's right. Our own fence is still the cheap wire kind from the previous owner. I promised him a treehouse three summers ago. I spend all my skill and care on other people's dreams. How do you guys find the energy or the will to do quality work at home after doing it all day for a job? I feel like I'm letting my own family down with my best work.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wyatt6d ago

Man, my dad was a mechanic and our family car was always the last one to get fixed. I get where you're coming from, but I see it the total opposite way. You framing those houses is how you put food on your table and keep a roof over your kid's head. That flat pack bookcase time with him is the real building for your family, not some fancy fence. Your best work is providing for them, full stop.

murray.jana5d ago

That "flat pack bookcase time" line really hit me... my buddy's a plumber and his sink was leaking for months. He finally fixed it on a Sunday, and his little girl called him a superhero. The job pays the bills, but those small wins at home are what they actually remember.

rowan_thomas845d ago

Ever notice how the stuff we fix at home feels more real? Like @murray.jana said, the job pays for the bookcase, but putting it together with your kid is what makes the house a home. That leaky sink your buddy fixed is now part of their family story, not just another work order. The paycheck builds the life, but you build the memories with your hands after hours.