An engineer’s approach to raising children, especially in the realm of teaching them how the world works, will set an engineer apart from all other types of people. Here is an example, and I don’t mind saying, from my life. OK, I am proud of this one. When my son was two years old, I decided that when we opened the drain at the end of a bath, there would be none of this, “Bye-bye, water.” Wouldn’t he wonder where it’s going? Shouldn’t he know that engineers clean up that water before it returns to our environment? Won’t all these types of questions confuse him? So, I taught my son as any good engineer father would. When I asked him where the water was going, he would state emphatically, “To the wastewater treatment facility.”
Of course, I conjectured later that the images viewed in our minds were likely quite different. I had settling tanks, clarifiers, and anaerobic digesters in mind. I am fairly certain he just thought of the “wais wotter treemnt fasility” as big blob of something under the house. That may or may not have contributed to the nightmares he had as a child. But he learned about engineers, and that is what was important.
Jun 18, 2012 @ 15:20:31
This is so funny to me because this has happened to my mom. She got her degree in civil engineering and worked as a draftsman when she first got out of college. Then she became a stay at home mom to raise me and my twin brother :), and decided to work as an event planner/coordinator at our church. I remember talking about how one time when helping out she told a kid how to pour the juice and then explaining about the air flow concept. :p And everyone else there made fun of her for that, saying stuff like “That’s an engineer for you.” The truth is though it’s part of what makes us good at what we do, we always connect the what with the why and how with any process or fact.
Jun 18, 2012 @ 20:54:28
I am soooooo glad to hear that I am not the only engineer to do things like this. I was pretty sure there are many great examples like your pouring juice one, but validation is always good. Thanks for telling that story.