I have been thinking of starting a Rocketry forum that is mainly for kids . The forums that I have found seem to be geared toward adults and a lot of adults seem to have a low tolerance for children as when they post it isn't always in the correct area and they don't stay on subject.
I got this idea up when my 12 year old asked me what forum he could join.

Anyway, the point of this post is do you think this would be a good or bad idea. If this is a good idea and I do it I would need some adults that are willing to join to "mentor" the kids, as this would be a place where kids could come together and talk about what rockets they like, are building, but also a place where thay can ask questions and get advice.

Let me know what you think.

Loretta

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Mark & Loretta
NAR#'s 85852 L1 @ NSL 2006, 85930 L1 @ NARAM 48
NHRC Club Member
DARS Club Member
Just Lookin' To Have Some FUN !!!
Hawks Hobby

Hi Loretta:

Sounds like a good idea. I think the main problem with having a kids forum is that for someone like my kids (10 year old boy and seven year old girl), their attention span for something like this is very short; they go into our (or the Cy-Fair College Library's) computers for playing on-line games and nothing else at the present. It wouldn't hurt to
give it a try. Maybe we'll be surprised by some!

I know like at the Challenger (or even the NHRC) launches, my kids interest is focused for
only a short period of time before they're wanting to go somewhere and do something
else. That's why some of the time, I usually have them stay at home (when my wife is
off, or they sometime stay with relatives) especially if the launch(es) is a NAR Sanctioned
contest as I personally don't have the patience of being nagged by them during the
"heat" of the competition. They do come with me a lot, though, when they definitely want
to and can contribute in some way. And, most of the time, they're very well behaved and
great to have! I usually make these launches a family event, and my kids really do appreciate my taking the time to make them feel welcome to such activities. Especially
when they get to see their own rockets fly with everyone else's!

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Dave, NAR # 21853 SR.

It kind of depends on the kid, actually. I'm a computer programmer, and like many of my ilk I suffer from Asperger's Syndrome. I won't bore you with the details (though boring you with the details is one of the hallmarks of the disorder), but I will point out that children with Asperger's often can communicate electronically as well as adults. You discover you are talking to a kid when he (most often) or she gives it away by not knowing "adult" subjects.

It makes me cautious when interacting on forums. I don't want to get into a discussion of any truly "adult" topic when I'm not sure I'm talking to an adult.

My daughter, thankfully, does not seem to suffer from the same condition; a consequence of me not marrying a nerd like me, or so the medical literature says.

ON TOPIC: THIS forum site seems like a reasonable place for kids. I haven't noticed much intolerance here, though I've already asked some dumb questions myself, and there doesn't seem to be much "adult" conversation going on. I'm afraid a "kids" rocketry forum might not have enough traffic to keep them interested...

Concur. There's alot of us "kids" here already. The only time we get demeaning is when a kid asks questions about how to do things that violate the rocketry safety code. Well, maybe not at first, but when they continue to nag

Don
NAR 53455

It's the possible lack of traffic that I wonder about. Would a kids' rocketry forum be 'popular' enough to make it worthwhile, both for the kids and for the adults who run and maintain it?

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John Thro, NAR #84553 SR
I was too old when I started! Now I'll *never* become a BAR!