We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about how they learned to be handy and the stories about their parents teaching them were truly heartwarming. Here are some of the sweetest responses.
1. This mom and dad who were basically handy for a living.
2. This dad who used his daughter as an extra set of hands.
My dad's a contractor, so he taught me everything. Eventually, I knew enough that I could help him. Now, my boyfriend and I hardly ever need to call our landlord to fix a problem because I know it's easier if I just fix it myself. I even took apart our entire bathtub drain and installed a new light fixture when we first moved in. Our landlord and I always joke that he should just start calling me when his other tenants need things fixed in their apartments.
—Katharine Judd, Facebook
3. This badass mom who ran a ranch and was basically a straight-up cowgirl.
4. This empowering dad who trained his kiddo to be his right-hand man.
My dad could fix anything, so by the time I was ten years old, he had taught me how to help him. By the time I was 14, he had me doing home and auto repairs on my own.
5. And this forward-thinking dad who insisted on teaching his kid basic mechanics before they even learned how to drive.
6. This dad who was teaching his daughter as soon as her hands were large enough to hold a screwdriver.
My dad taught me! By the time I was five, I knew the difference between a Phillips head and a flathead screwdriver. I used a power drill at age eleven to put posters up in my room. When I was fifteen, I could change the garbage disposal and fixed a broken outlet on my own!
7. This dad didn't want his daughter to rely on a man. 😭
8. This patient dad who'd teach them how to fix something instead of just doing it himself.
Whenever something would break in my home, he would come over and show me how to fix it.
9. This example-setting dad who helped them be self-sufficient in their own home.
When I was younger, I would watch my dad do handiwork. Now I’m the only one in my house who can put furniture together or fix things without help.
10. This dad who talked them through a plumbing disaster.
11. This loving grandpa who would bring them to his shop.
My grandpa had a parts manufacturing shop so, when I was a kid, he would take me to see what he did and mess around with the machines. As I got older, I would consult a book or YouTube, but it all stemmed from quality time with my grandpa.
12. This dad who brought their kid to the garage to learn beside him.
As a kid, I would go to the garage almost every Friday night and help him out.
13. This independent mom who helped her student become a master.
14. This grandpa who helped out when they were really stumped.
My parents got a divorce when I was young, so I took up the role of fixing things around the house. Thankfully, I had help from my grandpa just in case there was something I couldn't figure out. Now I can fix a toilet and de-clog a drain like a pro!
15. These family members who just happened to all be engineers.
I love doing handiwork! Ikea is like a toy store to me. It probably came from my grandfather who is an engineer. I always enjoyed watching him build and fix things.
16. And, finally, this dad who inspired his kid to believe that they could accomplish anything they set their mind to.
