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Cautionary Tales For Children
Wonderful witty poems great for reading to your children. The stories and rhymes will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
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Research has shown how important YOU are to your children and how as a dad the things you do, and keep on doing, really count, whether you live with them, or you are a single dad and are only able see them once a month, once a week or more, what you do really matters. This site is dedicated to all dads but will be of special relevance to the single dad. Remember, you are half the reason your children exist and they need you whether you live with them or not. As their dad, you have what it takes to make their lives successful and fulfilling no matter how often you see them. This site is about all the positive things that we as parents have to offer our children.
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Scalpel
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A very sharp knife traditionally used by surgeons that's great for cutting out detail in relatively thing materials
 
It deserves a special mention here because it is the cutting tool of choice for the graphics and model making industry. Typically craft knives are differentiated from other knives because they have removable, disposable blades, allowing them always to be sharp as possible. Because of its medical heritage, the scalpel has a huge number of different shaped blades and handles available so it is easy to get confused, but it does make it one of the most flexible knives available.
Make sure you use a 10A blade
Each blade type has a number, as does each handle variant. For model making you only need one blade shape, and that’s the one pictured here, No. 10A. (Note: Do not get a No. 10 (that's 10 without the A) as this type has a curved blade edge and is very difficult (dangerous even) to cut with against a ruler), and one handle variant, Handle No. 3, again, that’s the one pictured here. Change the blade regularly so that it stays sharp and you don’t have to press too hard when cutting. If the material you are cutting is thick or tough, then use a stronger craft knife rather than risk pressing so hard you snap the scalpel blade. The blades are sold singly, in little foil packs of five, or in boxes of 100. However, a box of 100 bought on-line is only twice as much as a pack of five bought in my local art shop, so like anything it is most definitely worth buying in bulk.
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In the US the craft version of the trusty scalpel is the X-Acto Knife, although becuse of it's slightly stiffer blade, the X-Acto bridges the gap between scalpel and the heavy duty Stanley knife.
Safety first
Scalpel blades are extremely sharp and are perfect for cutting foamboard, thin card or paper with the neatest edges.  As with any blade, it should be handled with care and children should never be allowed to use a scalpel, that is definitely a dad's or mum's job. Be careful when changing the blade, because it is easy to slip and scalpel blades are very sharp. Be careful when model making using a scalpel and always put it out of reach of your children when using it, and after use, remove the blade and put it back in its packaging so that it doesn’t jab you when you’re rummaging around in the kitchen draw later on.
Tip:
Because of its very fine point, a scalpel is perfect for cutting round small details. But remember, a scalpel is so sharp it will cut through more than just the layer you want to cut, always cut onto a surface that doesn’t matter if it gets marked. You can get a proper cutting mat, but any piece of thick cardboard will do; most graphic designers resort to the back of their drawing pads in an emergency. However, a self-healing cutting mat is probably a wise investment, it extends the life of your blades, makes cutting with blades more controllable (it slows the blade down as you cut with it) and will save you making horrendous marks and scratches in your kitchen table top.
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Modelling Equipment
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This is your guide on how to easily make your models look great using a few simple tools and supplies. If you get the right glue and paint, then you can make a fabulous model out of more or less anything.  Here are few tips about getting the right stuff, so that you won’t be wasting your time waiting for rubbish glue to dry or paint that doesn’t  cover the surface properly. One of the things that frustrated me as a child was the rubbish stuff we kids had to use when doing any kind of craft work.
Professionals and art studios use a whole range of proper graphic products: Performance glues ( hot melt glues, double sided sticky tape, and Spray Mount), really sharp knives ( scalpels), dense ( permanent markers and lightweight but stiff mounting boards, ( foamboard) that are now all available cheaply on the web or every in DIY shops,  and all make it possible to make more or less anything and make it look superb. So really there is no reason to waste the valuable time you spend with your kids trying to make things using feeble glues that take forever to dry, felt pens that rub off on your hands, or useless cardboard that doesn’t fold right. Get a few nice bits and pieces and make your place an Aladdin’s Cave of wonderful making and doing things.
 The idea of making things with or for your kids is that you work on these projects together. For some of the more complex ones you will be doing most of the work, but as long as they are participating then they are learning and getting confidence from seeing how to solve problems and follow a plan. Some of the projects especially the paper folding and maybe even the easier pompom ones are suitable for children to tackle on their own, but whatever their skill level they should never be left alone with potentially dangerous equipment.
Craft knives and scalpels are very sharp and should never be used by a child, or left unattended where children are making stuff.
Glue guns get very hot and the melted glue is not only very hot but also very sticky. Children should not be allowed to use a glue gun unsupervised and if they are using it under supervision they need to be shown which bits get hot and learn how to use the glue without getting the hot melt glue on their fingers.  If a burn occurs get the glue off the finger as quickly as possible and run under cold water for at least five minutes. Turn your glue gun off after using it and put it to the back of the work surface out of reach, while it cools down. Make sure the wire isn’t trailing anywhere that might get tripped over. (All sounds like common sense, but we have had every type of minor accident!)
Superglue (cynoacrylate) sticks skin together permanently. In the hands of adults this feature can be tricky, in the hands of children superglue is downright dangerous and children should never be allowed to use it under any circumstances.
Permanent markers are just that; permanent, and will mark clothes, permanently, best to wear old clothes or an apron when doing painting and using permanent markers. They also mark table tops and carpet rather nicely and will bleed through one layer of normal paper to mark a table top underneath, so always put down another sheet of paper under your work, if using a marker to draw on paper.
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