Should we both go?

[Tiley]

Hello Everyone,

My goal is to take the class early next year. I was originally thinking of going alone, but i'm now thinking it would be wise for my wife to come with me. Obviously this would double the tuition costs along with the extra plane ticket from Toronto. Is it really worth it for us both to go? Or can I get away with going alone?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Kris

[dvb]

I highly advise taking your wife!!
I took mine and she has been a tremendous help with what she heard and wrote in her notes. I missed some of the details because they were so simple at the time. She either heard them or wrote them in her notes because they were a :idea: to her. Other items I caught and she missed for similiar reasons. As we build and discuss plans, she is always contributing and keeping me out of trouble with things she learned at the class. It is also easier for us to communicate when discussing details or plans or problems because we both attended.
My only regret is that I didn't take my brother also.

[greenthumb]

Absolutely yes, your wife should attend as well for the same reasons dvb posted.

My wife wouldn't let me go without her. :lol:

[akemt]

If your wife is going to be helping build or plan the house, then the answer from me is definately yes. If she's a hands-off, "can't scratch the new paint on my fake nails" kinda gal, maybe not.

Personally, I'm as much into the building side of things as my dh, and it was more like I took him to the class than the other way around. It's a family goal for us to be mortgage-free and we work together according to where our strengths lie. Ex: I did the planning for our addition, ordered all the materials, and did some of the work (I've never built before, just researched how like crazy.) while dh really did the brunt of the labor. That isn't to say I'm the brains and he is the brawn, though he is more capable physically. LOL He doesn't have to watch the kids and he also has a lot more hands-on know how than I do. So, we split the labor according to what worked for us and work(ed) together as a team. It might be different in your family. Hey, I can now handle an electric chainsaw and even a nail gun, but I'm still scared of the circular saws! :oops: Regardless, I'm the one that will be finding/ordering the logs and other materials, designing the house, etc. DH will definately be involved and lend his opinions and understanding, but I'll be drawing up the plans while he will sift through the best of them, kwim?

I guess my point is, if your wife plans to be involved (And what woman doesn't want to be involved when deciding on home plans and layouts?), she needs to know what's going on. She could learn a great deal from the book and from you, but it just isn't the same. There is also no reason to worry about breaking a nail at class, should that be a concern... :wink:

Hey, you do get a bit of a discount when joining together. And if you stay at the Wallace Falls Lodge or Gaylord House (it was great), then you can even count it as a bit of a weekend away together. Bonus!

[adubar]

Tiley,

It is a good to have another person involved in your build to have attended the class. You will be in less of a situation of having to "educate" your helpers and partners. If your wife is not quite interested and you have a buddy that may be interested in building, you might want ask them to go instead.



-A