[Sage]

Hi all.
Bit of a sad story really. Since I started on my layout about two years ago, my grandaughter who was seven at the time has absolutely loved it. She loves 'driving' the trains, controlling the points, building scenery, going to model exhibitions and fairs, in fact everything about the hobby. However, lately peer pressure from her friends has made her reluctant to admit that she is keen on model railways, but I can still see the excitement in her eyes when we do get to the layout.
There must be some female modellers out there. I know of one from you tube 'Jennifer Kirk' and when I showed my grandaughter one of her videos, she thought it was great. If there are any female enthusiasts out there, please post a message so that I can make her see that it is what she is interested in that is important, not what her friends expect expect her to like.
Or could it just be that she is growing up, and I am trying to keep things as they were? I don't know. Let me know what you think.

Regards

Dave

 

[craw]

Hi Dave
I think that she is maybe just starting to grow up when I start mine
my granddaughter was also interested she would of been about ten
but as the years have gone by and teenage kicks in they seem to find other
things to occupy their interest.
I would keep going with layout and you never know her interest may come back.
John

 

[Sage]

Hi John
Thanks for your response. I think you are probably right, and it is just natural for her to 'grow out' of it. Funny thing is I think that boys 'grow into' it. Still be interested to know how many females there are who like model trains. I would imagine it is very few.

Regards

Dave

 

[Bear 1923]

"Peer pressure" is an infernal thing.
I would encourage you to let her enjoy the railway and modelling expperience with you as, when and as much as she wants to. Peers (like most of the piers round our coast) come and go... Family and good interests stay with us. Unlike many so-called "friends" a good interest will often still be there whan many other things have past.

The main thing about this hobby is to enjoy it.

Bear.

 

[7113]

Over to Sarah methinks...

Regards

 

[Terry Dyckhoff]

Boys can "grow out of it" when they discover girls. Boy and girl model railway enthusiasts need to discover each other!!!!

Not much chance of that though.

Peer pressure inhibits many adult modellers from publicising their hobby.

Terry

 

[Sage]

Thanks Bear and Terry, good points. 7113, who is Sarah?
A friend of mine made a good point last night when he said 'Would you like your grandson playing with dolls'. I hadn't thought of it that way, but perhaps I am a sexist after all.

Dave

 

[Suzie]

In my experience girls are just as interested in model railways as boys, but it is not just peer pressure that discourages them, but often their parents who recoil in shock when I suggest that they might like to buy their daughter a train set because she clearly enjoys driving the trains. As well as Jenny who is a member here who has had articles published in Model Rail, Anne Diamond is a role model to look to as well.

 

[LFDRR]

It's actually been said recently by a male modeller here regarding his own model railway experiences.... During your life you drift in and out of different things. As a child, you're into trains, then your teens, the nightmare of the opposite sex and dating!, then work, and family life etc. When all settles many come back to model railways if that was their main love before family life etc happened.

I never realised Anne Diamond was a recent modeller of the railway persuasion, thanks for that link Suzie

I'd love to ask the local Yoot round my way what they have made, built or created lately. It seems less yoot make stuff these days, their thumbs seem to be the only digits that are exercised

There are quite a number of female modellers, one of whom was on the recent model railway program on TV.

Angie

 

[amsie]

My daughters love comming up and playing with the layout. They play with the little people and I let them have a go at driving the trains. I doubt they will get into the hobby but kids are usually facinated by it.

 

[Jaz]

Well I am female, I enjoy the hobby.
Admittedly I am a late comer. My husband started a couple of years ago. His initial interest was focused on the DCC angle so he was very busy with the tracks, points,software basically the gadgets - the male thing lol.
Being female I took on the scenery side as being a rather small set of dolls house, with moving figures. So I enjoy painting the scenery, modelling trees, painting the people, and placing of the non train scenic items. There is actually a lot of creative aspects for children of ALL

ages.
Check out Arboretum Valley.There's a video as well as pictures.
There much to my husband's amusement I have incorporated a Harry Potter theme, and although he bought me the Harry Potter red castle train it does not get out much lol.
He has cleverly encouraged my love of Harry Potter and got me to help set up a Goathland train station. So we have Goathland with elements of Harry Potter's Hogsmeade and Hogwarts and thanks to the addition of Heartbeat element also out of Goathland this area is now designated as a film studio (and preservation) which allows him to drive any train it suits him.
Remembering my own childhood and love of lego - not for the more modern mechanised stuff but for building houses for my miniature dolls. I am sure there are ways to keep her interest even as she grows up, and plus when she discovers boys she can lure her self a boyfriend by pointing out her Granddad has a great model railway.
Basically keep her interest in the layout and updating them, themes for kids such as side shows and circus, little dogs and 'cutesey' scenery are sure to be useful.
Some of the sellers at the model train fairs specialise in quite inventive cutesy buildings.
As she gets older art creativity can easily be encourages. My first attempts at scenery used a roll of wallpaper backing (a couple of pounds from Wilkinson) and some dulux paint samples, xmas watercolours (from all good supermarkets) are just as good. You can help her draw some trees and stuff (check the backs of Arboretum VAlley) for her to colour in.
If you look around there is in fact a lot of scenic items that would appeal to a little girl.
She, and you, are welcome to chat, if she wants to consider a little modelling job for you. Check out papermache (newspaper flour and water) there are some loverly modelling clays in small packs with wonderful colours she could make stuff related to Thomas the Tank engine. Your only limit is your imagination.
Regards Jaz (also known to little girls as Jazzy

)
P.S. You might want to put some of her stuff up on the forum, bet she'd be impressed, though expect to fend off dedicated scalers who might laugh themselves silly, though if the truth be told all of us on here are basically kids

 

[Bear 1923]

Great post Jaz!

 

[Sage]

Hi Jaz, Thanks for taking the time to post such a great reply. Indeed thanks to all who have replied. Absolutely nothing negative at all. I am at work at the mo, but will reply to your post when I get home. Also Suzie, very interesting about Anne Diamond. Has she posted any follow ups?

Regards

Dave

 

[Suzie]

I think these are all Anne's blogs so far:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annediamond/201...g_up_steam.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annediamond/201...ond_railro.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annediamond/201...ong_nicely.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annediamond/201...n_were_thi.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annediamond/201..._back_down.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annediamond/201...t_just_for.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annediamond/201..._even_chan.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annediamond/201...s_happened.html

Which exhibition? we all ask.

 

[Robert Stokes]

Some people above have said that it is natural to lose interest in the hobby at some age. However, as I read it she hasn't lost the interest - it is others trying to make her lose it. Encourage her to stand up to them and be her own person. It will be good for her later in life.

When I was a teenager in the late 1950's my friends tried to get me into smoking. However, after the first cigarette I said, "I don't like that, I'm not having any more." And I didn't - the best decision I made in my life!

Don't let others persuade you to do what you don't want to do - and equally don't let them persuade you to give up something you like doing. Anyway, what kind of friends are they if they won't respect your wishes?

Robert

P.S. Actually it wasn't the best decision in my life. That was asking my wife to marry me 43 years ago. She doesn't have my interest in model railways but is happy about it and encourages me with it.

 

[Sage]

Hi Robert.
I really don't know if it is just me that will end up trying to pressurize her into doing somethig. just because it makes me happy. Suzie it would be interesting to know which exhibition, because suddenly I'm a much bigger fan of Anne Diamond than I used to be.
Jazz, hope you got my reply. I've never done a PM before so not sure if it posted alright.

Regards

Dave

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Sage @ 11 Mar 2013, 09:50) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>7113, who is Sarah?
A regular contributor here, a collector of old Tri-ang and a damn fine modeller to boot - I think her layout is called Ffryd Lock, or something like that...

Regards

 

[StuB]

Hi Dave

Could this be a presentation problem. I know several boys who are embarrassed to admit to railway modelling but are very happy to do Warhammer modelling. Could your gran-daughter just tell her friends that she likes making models and is helping her grandad by making some models for him. Of course once the model is made it needs to be tested in place to see if it looks right with trains going past it. Exhibitions are also no problem as she would be researching things to make to help her grandad.

Stu

 

[Jaz]

Sage unfortunately I didn't get the message - I have repeatedly in the last month (never used them myself before either) kept getting caught out by the fact you have to put a subject BEFORE the send button works.
Anyways it's fine to put the msg on the forum. I just thought it a little low brow for the forum

But personally all good modellers need someone to feed them whilst they work, often banished to a cold shed or loft, and a non critical audience should always be encouraged and appreciated

Just for those who are curious as to what I actually said topics included :
1. Horsehair from Modellers fairs, plus craft glue, and some green turf colour(s) are a good starter for a little girl, and make useful bushes
2. Modelling clays in small packs and lovely colours are available to interest kids, by the way DO NOT stand the modelling clay near good plastic modelling items before they are heated in the oven something in them melts plastic and can cause massive swearing, and hair tearing!

3. Wallpaper backing approx £3 from Wilkinsons and some cheap watercolours make great scenic background you draw a few hills and trees and child gets to colour them in. Supermarkets do great cheap watercolours and acrylics at Xmas. Wilkinsons also do very cheap paintbrush sets and paints. Wallpaper or old news paper can also be used with flour and water to create paper mache, tunnels, hills etc just fold paper over an old lemonade/coke bottle.
4. Thomas the Tank engine has a place even in a serious modellers world if they want to be child friendly. Just ensure you can store them away when child not visiting, if your likely to be emabassed!

5. Black bin bag with holes to protect child from resultant mess.Old shirts etc also acceptable and saves mum/granny not talking to you for days.

6. Never overlook the said model train layout being a great draw for potential boyfriends in the future for said little girl

7. Encourage her mum or nan to bake fairy cakes whilst visiting a. so you don't hog the grandchild b. you can scoff warm cakes and praise grandchild thereby getting fresh baked cakes AND looking good.

Now you probably realise why it was a pm, however I'm sure those modellers who read this will agree though its hardly hard core modelling it has its sweet merits

Regards Jaz and finally for all kids out there

 

[David Todd]

QUOTE Jaz Today, 12:04 PM Post #19