05/03/2026
Hi, it’s Tina again!
I have really fallen behind in posting these - but I think it’s because editing timelapses for parts of the build where not a lot “changes” is not the most fun thing to do, if you had to line up all of the things to do in a list from most entertaining to least😅
This video is all of the plumbing lines, drainage, and HVAC for the cottage. In it, it is all my husband, Alex, and my thirteen year old son, James, as well as one day of drainage for my 12 year old son, Joe. Yes, my 12 and 13 year olds are building a cottage!
We have homeschooled all of our children their whole lives, they have never attended even one day of public school. Projects like this are, I feel, one of the most important parts of raising them, for a lot of reasons.
1. It is very important that children see people providing with their own hands. It is VERY easy in this mostly digital world for kids to assume that things just ‘happen’. Buildings ‘appear’, garbage ‘goes away’, food is ‘bought’, money ‘comes’, and someone else will always get paid to ‘fix it’. I feel that growing up not knowing how these things really happen leaves many people with a feeling of helplessness - the idea that they couldn’t survive without the conveniences of things just happening around them. I want my kids to grow up looking for a way that they can make things happen with their own hands.
2. It is important for kids to know about money is made. The kids know the cost of the entire build, down to the last penny. They also are always told how much each trade would charge if we didn’t do it ourselves. They can calculate the difference between paying others to build this house and building the house ourselves. They can calculate how much they need to save in order to make this happen for themselves, as soon as they’re old enough. They can see opportunities for themselves, for future businesses or careers.
3. It is important specifically to know how to provide themselves housing. “As of the 2021 census, Canada had 16,284,235 private dwellings and 36,991,981 people. Or, about one dwelling for every 2.3 people. That’s a homes-to-person ratio lower than any other country in the G7.” [Don’t Be Canada, Hopper, 2025]. The number one thing most people work jobs for in life is to pay for housing - no matter what my kids’ futures hold, I want housing to be a non-issue.
4. It is important for kids to participate in society. Too many people are growing up now in their own room, on the internet, worrying about ever being able to hold a ‘good’ job, own things, raise families, or make changes or differences in the world. It is my own personal opinion that this leads to many young people today ‘giving up’ on having goals and dreams. Giving up on having a career they want - if any job at all. Giving up on raising a family - as it seems to daunting or overwhelming providing financially for one. Giving up on political opinion - as they don’t feel connected to the world around them or feel that any policies will affect them positively or negatively either way. We need kids today to feel a sense of responsibility for what the future will hold - and a confidence in being able to be a part of it.
These are all my opinions (other than cited), and I’d be happy to hear yours below!
