Railway modelling with children - I'm starting to understand.

[OnTheBranchline]

I'm starting to understand why a lot of modellers wait till their 50s to start modelling - kids take up a lot of time. I have a toddler right now who isn't sleeping that well and we are expecting our 2nd in July. After that, I fear my free time will be gone forever for at least the next 5-10 years.

 

When I got into the parish, my dad warned me not to buy too many things because once you have kids, you won't have time for it (he's a wonderfully optimistic person).

[AyJay]

Once Junior is into school, your modelling activities may well be confined to Smartie tubes, yoghurt pots, cardboard boxes and parcel tape.

However, do not underestimate the fun that can be had in building spaceships and castles.  Enjoy it !  :-)

[laurenceb]

Make the most of your kids, in the blink of an eye they will be grown up and gone

[Kris]

You need to try and get your children interested, brio is a great starting point so are duplo trains. You can build from there. For modelling for yourself, whilst your children are napping try to take some of this as your modelling time. 

[OnTheBranchline]

The thing is I don't want to use the modelling glue in the house - that stuff stinks/toxic and it's not that big of a house.

[OnTheBranchline]

20 minutes ago, laurenceb said:

Make the most of your kids, in the blink of an eye they will be grown up and gone

 

Right now, I just wish he would sleep through the night. He's waking up every 2-3 hours.

[33C]

They do that...we had 4 boys by the time we were 29 and because I was on early/late/night shifts, and in bedsits in the early days, we had a system. Anytime before 3am, her turn. Anytime after 3am, my turn. No arguments. No excuses. And it worked great. I still did loads of modelling as I could ALWAYS find 5-20 mins, on an old wooden, tea tray, to stick some plastic together and she would do Logic problems! The other residents in bedsitland were a great crowd overall and we would babysit for each other so we could enjoy a night out. I have always thought that bringing up kids is as hard as you want to make it. I was a teenage father by choice and knew what I was getting into and loved every minute. Kids are fun! 

[Kris]

55 minutes ago, OnTheBranchline said:

The thing is I don't want to use the modelling glue in the house - that stuff stinks/toxic and it's not that big of a house.

Can you model outside in the summer?

 

[Kris]

53 minutes ago, OnTheBranchline said:

 

Right now, I just wish he would sleep through the night. He's waking up every 2-3 hours.

I feel your pain. One of the best things that we did was to sleep train ours boys. It was painful at the time but reaped lots of rewards in the long term for us and our boys (they can now self settle 99% of the time so they get a better quality of sleep). It was not an instant fix and sometimes they did slip backwards. It's not for everyone however and you have to find what works for you. 

[APOLLO]

Twenty years ago we had Twins, moved the railway to the loft, floorboarded etc etc. A very busy period, and I was also on call at work one week in four etc.

 

Just get on with it all - and yes you will be busy. Enjoy the challenge.

 

Brit15

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Boundless energy and the ability to stay awake almost 24/7 are useful assets for a parent at the stage you are.
 

I’m a ‘second time around’ dad, and I was almost in that category first time around, being young, and I managed to maintain work, hobby, other interests, and family, mainly by sleeping no more than 6 hours a night, using the commute to and from work as resting time (although I never actually slept on the train), and being full-on busy all the rest of the time.
 

Second time around, very different, because age had taken away some of my energy by then, I needed 8hrs sleep, and work was more demanding, so hobby stuff took a very far back seat for a few years, but that phase does only last a few years. Semi-retirement has been very useful, because I can fit in hobbies and domestic jobs in the week while the children are at school now, obviating the need to stay up

half the night.

[sjp23480]

52 minutes ago, Kris said:

I feel your pain. One of the best things that we did was to sleep train ours boys. It was painful at the time but reaped lots of rewards in the long term for us and our boys (they can now self settle 99% of the time so they get a better quality of sleep). It was not an instant fix and sometimes they did slip backwards. It's not for everyone however and you have to find what works for you. 

@KrisIs that the same as controlled crying? Totally heart wrenching when we did it, but it worked.  

We also swaddled ours - wrapped in a blanket like a cocoon and unable to move (too much) they seemed to settle much more quickly and stayed asleep longer.  

 

They soon grow out of it, and into other bad habits - like waking up at the first light in the summer!

 

Steve

[Nearholmer]

PS: each child is different. My youngest daughter was an angel as a baby, off to sleep sanely, and happily, no trouble. Until she was about six, when she became precisely like my other half: late to bed, late to rise by nature, which is fine until the world imposes inconvenient things like school starting time! Son was truly challenging about sleeping as a baby and toddler, truly, truly challenging. Then he became sane from about 4yo and had continued so into his teens.

[Kris]

1 hour ago, sjp23480 said:

@KrisIs that the same as controlled crying? Totally heart wrenching when we did it, but it worked.  

Very similar, and I agree that is is heart wrenching. It's one of those things that you can only do if it works for you though. 

[DenysW]

I'm viewing this through Grandparent eyes. Yes they are all different, but they also age. The 5 & the 7 year-old are total speed freaks, and what is needed is something that survives a DC controller at 100%, including falling off the track - presently this is a Thomas set for the 5 year-old and an old LMS 0-4-0 in Crimson lane pulling a single wagon with a scale dinosaur in it for the 7 year-old. But I don't set anything up under radius 3 as a result. The 10 year old is being treated as an apprentice adult and is allowed to use Grandpa's LMS and K.Bay.Sts.B locos and rolling stock - so far without problems. They need to have fun at an age- and personality-specific level or it degrades to destructive play, or not-fun.

[railroadbill]

10 minutes ago, DenysW said:

I'm viewing this through Grandparent eyes. Yes they are all different, but they also age. The 5 & the 7 year-old are total speed freaks, and what is needed is something that survives a DC controller at 100%, including falling off the track - presently this is a Thomas set for the 5 year-old and an old LMS 0-4-0 in Crimson lane pulling a single wagon with a scale dinosaur in it for the 7 year-old. But I don't set anything up under radius 3 as a result. The 10 year old is being treated as an apprentice adult and is allowed to use Grandpa's LMS and K.Bay.Sts.B locos and rolling stock - so far without problems. They need to have fun at an age- and personality-specific level or it degrades to destructive play, or not-fun.

Just seen this, also have 5 and 7 year old grandchildren, younger grandson is another speed freak, but also very keen on doing exactly what should be done, therefore trains may well need to be slower at times. His sister is very good at driving at a more reasonable pace - this is with LGB in garden, which will take a lot of abuse. Haven't let them up in the loft yet, but do have some older (0-4-0 tanks etc) stock set aside for them.

 

[OnTheBranchline]

1 hour ago, Kris said:

Very similar, and I agree that is is heart wrenching. It's one of those things that you can only do if it works for you though. 

 

We are not doing any type of sleep-training/controlled crying, we are doing more of an attachment parenting style.

[33C]

We went through the Duplo trains, Brio, Thomas and lastly, an apocalyptic railway supply oval for Warhammer Blood Angels.....but then the Sega Master System was invented and they never looked back........including the wife... Gamers all!!  

[westernviscount]

I had a sudden urge to revisit the hobby when my daughter was a toddler. Completely crazy but i just needed something. 

 

Even with children, what else are you going to do which is your thing? Modelling is so broad, I think you will find a way to keep your hand in by pinching an hour here and there. 

 

I know you didnt mention it but it doesnt matter to me whether my daughter likes trains or not. She did like playing with the layout but she isnt into it now and thats fine. We have lots of other mutual things (and things I happily pretend to love of course). 

 

Dont worry if the modelling slips. Time flies so fast. It feels quite literally a year or so since I became a Dad and this year I have been so for a decade. I have knicked time hear and there throughout and had periods away from the hobby.

 

For me, the hobby doesnt go anywhere and its always there when I am ready for it. Just dont pack everything away. Have something modelling related in sight. 

[westernviscount]

20 minutes ago, OnTheBranchline said:

 

We are not doing any type of sleep-training/controlled crying, we are doing more of an attachment parenting style.

We did the same. 

[Bucoops]

2 hours ago, DenysW said:

I'm viewing this through Grandparent eyes. Yes they are all different, but they also age. The 5 & the 7 year-old are total speed freaks, and what is needed is something that survives a DC controller at 100%, including falling off the track - presently this is a Thomas set for the 5 year-old and an old LMS 0-4-0 in Crimson lane pulling a single wagon with a scale dinosaur in it for the 7 year-old. But I don't set anything up under radius 3 as a result. The 10 year old is being treated as an apprentice adult and is allowed to use Grandpa's LMS and K.Bay.Sts.B locos and rolling stock - so far without problems. They need to have fun at an age- and personality-specific level or it degrades to destructive play, or not-fun.

 

My Grandad is the reason I like railways. I very fondly remember the days of two loops of O gauge tinplate track with a crossover on two sides with myself, my Brother and my Grandad taking turns on the controller and the two crossovers. We had two trains going round, in opposite directions. The idea of the game was the person on the controller was "neutral", and one crossover person tried to cause a head on crash, the other tried to stop it. Hours of hilarious fun, sometimes quite destructive too. 

 

Now - the items we used were all heavily play-worn, with many replacement parts. We were allowed to play hard with them, and if damage occured, that was OK - we also helped fix them. There was another collection of near mint, boxed O gauge stock that we were allowed to USE, but had to be careful. If there was one point in my life that I learned respect for property, this was it.

 

4 minutes ago, westernviscount said:

I had a sudden urge to revisit the hobby when my daughter was a toddler. Completely crazy but i just needed something. 

 

Even with children, what else are you going to do which is your thing? Modelling is so broad, I think you will find a way to keep your hand in by pinching an hour here and there. 

 

I know you didnt mention it but it doesnt matter to me whether my daughter likes trains or not. She did like playing with the layout but she isnt into it now and thats fine. We have lots of other mutual things (and things I happily pretend to love of course). 

 

Dont worry if the modelling slips. Time flies so fast. It feels quite literally a year or so since I became a Dad and this year I have been so for a decade. I have knicked time hear and there throughout and had periods away from the hobby.

 

For me, the hobby doesnt go anywhere and its always there when I am ready for it. Just dont pack everything away. Have something modelling related in sight. 

 

Snap - I think I got back into the hobby when she was about 4. She's now 8. I've not finished ANYTHING yet! But I dip in now and again and things are progressing. She quite likes watching sometimes, and helping a little bit (most of what I am doing involves soldering so she knows not to get TOO close). Mostly I do a little bit of an evening when she is in bed though.

[APOLLO]

Tip

 

Put half a spoon of Horlicks in the babies nigh time milk and they will "sleep like a baby / log" !!

 

The twins are 21 in Feburary and still like Horlicks !!!!

 

Brit15

[OnTheBranchline]

6 hours ago, Kris said:

Can you model outside in the summer?

 

But it’s the winter and I want to model now?

[OnTheBranchline]

2 hours ago, APOLLO said:

Tip

 

Put half a spoon of Horlicks in the babies nigh time milk and they will "sleep like a baby / log" !!

 

The twins are 21 in Feburary and still like Horlicks !!!!

 

Brit15

Unfortunately, the common medical thinking these days is to limit sugar that babies have before they are 2 years old.

[Richard_A]

Well, I have a 2 and half old toddler/dictator and a 4 month old, and just finished a civil engineering degree so spare time has been at a premium!

 

You get used to it and even if I only get one evening a week I find it's more enjoyable and relaxing.