Not ONE but TWO Gasoline Girls are expecting additions to their families! We were able to join in celebrating along with them recently – and while enjoying the festivities and admiring their motherhood….I realized that child-bearing often puts a stop to women and wrenching (or women owning cool cars for that matter).
Not being a mother myself, I wonder why that is. Do women change more, sacrifice more, than men in parenting? Is it a safety factor? Is it because any spare money is going towards the kid? Is it because the garage is (generally) a messy place and Moms don’t need another mess?! I don’t know!!!
Luckily, both Rosa and Jessie are great examples of moms who have succeeded in continuing their automotive passion while at the same time being terrific parents. Including their families into their car hobby has changed it no doubt, but also been enriching.
They can describe it best…so here are their takes on being Hot Rod Mommas…
Jessie
A mother’s work is never quite done, especially when trying to wrench or taking care of the day-to-day with family. Finding time to wrench on our ’62 Ford Falcon, aka “Little Miss Red”, has been a very slow process in customization.
Wrenching with kids can be challenging and fun at the same time. My children Alexis (age 11) and Chris (age 7) make wrenching easy as they both want to learn. My husband Carlos and I always include our children in wrenching, whether it’s passing a tool, shinning a light, or overall help getting Little Miss Red ready for a car show.
When the children were younger, between the ages of 3 to 5, keeping the kids busy and safe for those wrenching jobs was more challenging. We use to bring out coloring books, finger paints and plenty of snacks to keep them busy; not to mention the potty breaks in between.
Currently, “Little Miss Red” is down due to broken control arm and wrenching is out of the question for me right now as I am 8 1/2 months pregnant – expecting our third wrenching addition to the family. So before you send those kiddos back into the house, rethink it as you could be missing out on a bonding experience now and life saving knowledge later when they’re the ones in the driver’s seat.
Rosa
Being a mom and working on my Callejera – I sometimes wonder how I manage it…well here it goes!
While sometimes I have the luxury of leaving the kids with their grandparents, there are times when I must involve them into the wrenching mix, and luckily they enjoy it.
For some this sounds crazy, especially if you have a deadline and need to get the car up and running for transportation! But believe me, it is possible – it just takes a lot of patience and quick thinking. A perk of belonging to an all girl car club is having another member with children – plus my kid tolerant gals without kids help too.
I am passionate about my lifestyle because it involves cars, music and art – something my children enjoy, especially when we take our Callejera with us to car shows. Nothing is more rewarding than taking the car we’ve worked on together and showing it off with pride.
If you love getting dirty and learning about your own vehicle what is there not to enjoy?
Having children has not prevented my enjoyment of cars – and the best part is my children get to be involved as well. Ladies and single moms, don’t be afraid of wrenching because you’ve got a family to juggle. There’s nothing to keep you from starting with the basics, and hands on is the best way to go – not only will the added knowledge give you valuable skills, but it could be fun for both you and your whole family!
Gasoline Girls Car & Motor Club 
I love that you involve the kids… I know too many women who get taken at the auto repair because they don’t know what questions to ask, or what the mechanic is talking about – and won’t ask them to explain. Starting your children early may help them as they get older and get cars of their own. My friend’s dad had four girls, and he made sure they all knew how to change their tires, battery, and do an oil change. All the basics!
Congratulations, it is fantastic to include the kids, and I bet they are proud that they have the coolest hobby out of all their friends!