Just give me a screwdriver!! *rant*

[MystyGlyttyr]

Not the drink, heh. I'm a teetotaler.

Anyway...for background, I know my way around tools. My grandmother gave me hammer, nails, and loose boards when I was a LITTLE girl...we're talking three or four...and I could nail straight and build basic little boxes even then. Since then, I've added screwdrivers, drills, sanders, etc., to my ability. Hand me a household tool, electric or regular, and I can fit it in the right hole 11 times out of ten. In our house ALONE, there is a computer desk, two sets of shelves, a bookcase, and an EXTREMELY complicated bed/chest of drawers combo that I have put together ALL by myself.

So explain to me why, when I went to the store yesterday and bought myself a $20, tiny, very basic two-shelf storage unit, with maybe four pieces and about 12 screws total, with the holes PRE-DRILLED for everything, my father doesn't think I can get it done?

"Daddy, where's your electric screwdriver?"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm just gonna put this shelf together."
*grunt* "Bring it here, I'll do it."
"...no, Daddy, seriously, I'll have it done in about three minutes. I just want to borrow your screwdriver."
*digs microscopic screwdriver out of Swiss Army knife* "Just bring it on back here..."
"...you know, never mind, I'll find it myself..."

EVERY TIME! EVERY TIME I have something to build, fix, program, or whatever, he has to hover over me, tell me how to do it, "fix it" or break it because he has no idea what's going on but I suppose because I lack outdoor plumbing, I must not either. GAHHHH!!! *strangling motions*

I put the shelves back in my car trunk and brought it back to town with me. That way he can't "put it together for me" while my back is turned. :rant:

He's gonna be REALLY freaked out when he realizes I rotate my own tires, too. *le sigh*

[LostMyMind]

Don't you know, girls can't do anything that complex. Especially daddies' girls. :ducks and runs for his life:

[Broomjockey]

For some reason my skill with tools ebbs and flows. Somedays, I can go with the best, other days, with 3 hammer strokes I've got 3 bent nails and 4 sore fingers.

Tell him if he hammers one more of your nails, you'll hammer him! :p
Seriously though (or as serious as I get), have you explained that you enjoy these little projects? That you take pride in knowing that you assembled your possessions? A talk like that would probably make him go :eek: , or maybe even :cry: , but he might also start asking for your help.

And if you have tried telling him that, just swipe his tools and hide them really well.

[Sphinx]

Ooh I so know where you are coming from MystyGlyttyr, my dad is the EXACT same way, heck I even helped him build our horse barn,(6 20x20 stalls on each side, middle isle, an office, and 2 storage rooms on each end) and yet he still thinks I need help putting together a bookshelf or something really simple.:rolleyes:

[Tanasi]

He's just being a Dad, he can't help it, he's thinking of the days of putting together your first bicycle, your first doll-house or whatever. Dad's are fixers, if you want a problem solved tell your Dad, if you want someone to listen to you tell your Mom. It's not that Dad doesn't care it that it's his nature to solve the problem and make his little darlin happier.
The last few years of his life my Dad wouldn't fix anything around the house and wouldn't let Mom hire anyone to make repairs. When I'd visit, Mom would have a list of things for me to do. Unless she'd tell me ahead of time I most likely wouldn't have the tools with me to fix the problems. So I started buying my Mom Craftsman tools for Mothers Day. Now she fixes what she can and she has the tools for others of us to use. I've also bought my wife, oldest daughter and son basic tools. Sooner or later everyone has to stand on their own but Dads, Husbands, and Sons still want to fix problems, it's our nature.

[Ryu]

that doesnt just apply to dads but guys in general

[Mr. Rager!]

I have to agree, guys just want to solve the problem.

I've done this with girlfriends. I know she can fix it, but I'd rather just fix it myself. It's not about her being a girl, it's about me being a guy.

[protege]

that doesnt just apply to dads but guys in general

I second that. For the past several years, I've been helping my grandmother out around the house. Whenever something breaks, she starts worrying about it. Rather than let her deal with that, I take care of it. I either fix it myself, or if I can't, I have her take the item (usually the car) into the shop, and tell her what to say to the mechanic. One thing I like about this, is that whenever she tells her friends, it's always "my grandson fixed/built that. He can do anything."

However, even I have my limits. I don't mess around with 120V (house) wiring, nor do I mess around with car brakes. I *can* do it, but I don't like to. In fact, I impressed my dad with the MG last year. We were getting it ready so it could be shipped out for repairs. Rather than wait for him to do it, I not only put the brakes back together (minus the shoes--the system had been drained, so they wouldn't have worked anyway), but put the drums back on, the wheels, and lowered the car to the ground :)

To sum things up, I don't think *most* of us are being jerks. We just like to see a job well done, and want to share our skills. That's it. There's a certain pride in knowing that I did a job, or helped do it.

[MystyGlyttyr]

Oh, I know it's just that he's trying to be my dad and take care of his baby girl's things for her. (I'm the youngest of three by a good 4 1/2 years, did I mention that?) But then sometimes he just flat does things WRONG. Like, I know he has degrees and certificates and things I could never DREAM of having...but after having to explain what a defragmenter is for the 18th time, I'd rather he didn't try to "help" me with the computer...

[protege]

Like, I know he has degrees and certificates and things I could never DREAM of having...but after having to explain what a defragmenter is for the 18th time, I'd rather he didn't try to "help" me with the computer...

I hear ya on that one. My father's been using computers for years...and is still clueless about them 99.9999% of the time. He still can't figure out why he gets viruses, spyware, and other nasties, yet I don't. No matter how many times I've told him about Spybot, Ad-aware, and AVG, he still doesn't get it :rolleyes: Needless to say, he's not allowed to touch my computer :p