It’s impressive how far some people will go to keep their kids away from phones and devices.
VSV staff member, Sam, jokes that rebuilding a 1979 Holden with her partner and kids has been one of her more effective tactics.
Sam, an amateur mechanic with a passion for old Holdens, rebuilt one with her dad and mates when she was 16. Now, she’s doing it again with her partner, David, 17 year-old son Tyson, and 13 year-old daughter Indy.
“The car has helped us all hone our problem-solving skills,” Sam explained.
“Every time we spend time together on the car, we face a dilemma – how do we fix this? There’s a lot of YouTubing, Googling, and discussing going on!”
“Working with the kids on the car also opens the conversation up on various topics. The activity breaks down barriers. We could go from restoring seatbelts to repairing a relationship within a few minutes!” she added.
“I initially started this project to teach my kids some basic car maintenance skills. But what they’ve learned is far bigger than that.
“My kids better understand the importance of delayed gratification. Rebuilding a car takes time. It also takes money. Sometimes we have to wait until we can find an affordable solution to a problem.
In times like these, where social media fuels the myth that success comes instantly, this is a significant gift to my kids,” she said.
Sam is hoping that the car will be on the road by early next year – almost two years after they began working on the project.
Photo of Sam, David and children Tyson and Indianna and Storm
