Lapidaryforum.net
Let's Rock => Rock Talk => Topic started by: brentnewton on February 21, 2019, 03:03:39 PM
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How do you engage the younger folks ... I mean you put your butt in the car and go whack at rocks .... when I was a child (admittly a long time ago) ... it was a treat for me to go gold panning with my daddy ... or scrounging about on rock piles. I spent most of my teenage youth ... hunting rocks. It was fun. We didn't have video games though ... lol. But now . kids look at you like you have three eyes if you want to actually DO something. besides play games or .. buy stuff. How did we get here????
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T.V. -- internet -- Sparing the rod. Amen !! :Bash:
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Start by getting them out there. They will never know if they will like it until they try it.
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Most of my coworkers' kids pick up pretty parking lot rocks (and crystals and polished rocks out of my office free rock box) but by the time they're in their teens, other kids will actively mock them for showing interest in "nerdy" things or their parents tell them "no that's dirty, put it back outside." That, and the equipment for cutting, polishing and setting stones is expensive, loud and messy. It's not something most families with kids have access to, ergo the rocks are a fun temporary pursuit that get put back outside once they've run their course, because they never make the leap from 'collected rock' to cut and polished, or a cleaned, identified display piece, or some other form that the non-rock-inclined adult will see as worthwhile (when compared to sports, homework, socializing, etc.)
I got into rocks because my mom's friend's dad had a saw and cut thunder eggs for me when I was about 4. (This is now my saw.) And I stayed into rocks because my parents actively supported the interest by taking me rockhounding, stopping at rock shops, getting me a good hammer, etc. It took adults saying "I don't understand it but this is a worthwhile thing to do and I'm going to respect it and make an effort to facilitate your interest" for it to go from a childhood time-filler to an active adult hobby. (And they are happily warehousing my collection while I'm in co-rented company housing.)
All that to say, give your local kids permission to interact with rocks, teach them about what they find and facilitate access to information and technology that they aren't getting through schools or from their peers. It won't be everyone's thing but I bet you'll spark some long-term interest.
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Most of my coworkers' kids pick up pretty parking lot rocks (and crystals and polished rocks out of my office free rock box) but by the time they're in their teens, other kids will actively mock them for showing interest in "nerdy" things or their parents tell them "no that's dirty, put it back outside." That, and the equipment for cutting, polishing and setting stones is expensive, loud and messy. It's not something most families with kids have access to, ergo the rocks are a fun temporary pursuit that get put back outside once they've run their course, because they never make the leap from 'collected rock' to cut and polished, or a cleaned, identified display piece, or some other form that the non-rock-inclined adult will see as worthwhile (when compared to sports, homework, socializing, etc.)
I got into rocks because my mom's friend's dad had a saw and cut thunder eggs for me when I was about 4. (This is now my saw.) And I stayed into rocks because my parents actively supported the interest by taking me rockhounding, stopping at rock shops, getting me a good hammer, etc. It took adults saying "I don't understand it but this is a worthwhile thing to do and I'm going to respect it and make an effort to facilitate your interest" for it to go from a childhood time-filler to an active adult hobby. (And they are happily warehousing my collection while I'm in co-rented company housing.)
All that to say, give your local kids permission to interact with rocks, teach them about what they find and facilitate access to information and technology that they aren't getting through schools or from their peers. It won't be everyone's thing but I bet you'll spark some long-term interest.
What she said!
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Well .. you can lead a horse to water ..... my own kids had little interest. My daughter learned silverwork and can cut stones ... but its not really her thing. I got a couple of grandkids I need to be working on ... lol. My dad dragged me everywhere .. rock hunting, gold panning, etc. I thought everyone gold panned ... lol. The rock thing bit me really bad .. but the real treasure was the people I met rockhounding and such ... I had a lot of "parental" supervision ... lol. But when I grew up we didn't have video games and daddy would kick your butt if you tried to change the channel off gun smoke or Gilligan's island or McCoys navy ... so you had to make do with what you had. I'd hit the woods (yes, with a gun) and not come home till suppertime. If you didn't make it home by suppertime .... best be ready for some serious parental supervision of the kind ... you didn't want to experience.
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A lot of times it can just be the seed and nothing comes of it for decades. I have vague memories of an uncle who gave me a bag of stones, I still have those stones today. We were not well off and my Mom got me a tumbler when I was around 10. I bought chain from a local store and made necklaces I sold to neighbors who supported young kids with drive. After that nothing till I was in my late 20's and my wife's cousin said they found a turquoise vein when we visited them in Phoenix. I drove back to L.A. looking at the hills thinking "what's up there" and been hooked since.
I helped my son make jewelry for girl friends and also his now wife. He doesn't seem that interested now but that seed is planted. The ring he wears daily I helped him cut and helped him do the silverwork and his wife's favorite pendant is one that I helped him make for her. May take years but he will be hooked too.
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why is this member not a member now?
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Did BrentNewton drop the forum?
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Yes, he did.
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Maybe he got the answer he was looking for or maybe he lost interest like some kids do with rocks. The subject is not for everyone, but for those that dig it, its a pretty neat activity.