When Grandpa Gives you a Toolbox

Name: When Grandpa Gives you a Toolbox
Author: Jamie L.B. Deenihan

A story that explores patience and opens a conversation with your child.

★★★★★ Loved by families

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♥ This book teaches: Patience. staying calm while something unfolds.

Before, During & After Reading

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Definition: Patience means having self-control, waiting and enduring when one would rather not. In short: Stay calm while you wait. Summary: A young boy is disappointed when his grandfather gives him a toolbox instead of a special house for his collection of “dolls” (superheroes, etc.). Instead of getting upset and reacting, the boy uses self-control while Grandpa takes his time explaining why a tool box is valuable. The boy learns that a toolbox is indeed a gift that keeps on giving when he uses it for many interesting projects, including building that special house with his grandpa. This story illustrates the famous proverb: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Lesson Objectives:

Students apply what they learn from this story in teacher guided explorations of the theme. They discuss examples of learning how to do something compared to the easy way of getting something.

Guiding Questions:

Why was the boy disappointed when Grandpa gave him a toolbox?
Do you think Grandpa had a lot of experience working with tools? Why or why not?
What motivated the boy to ask Grandpa to be a project manager and help him make something? What did he make?
What happened after the boy started to use his tools?
What did he and Grandpa build that was exactly what he wanted?
Why do you think Grandpa gave him a toolbox instead of something that was already constructed?
Do you have grandparents or elderly relatives in your family?
Do they like to tell you stories about their past? If so, share about a story a grandparent told you.
What is something you’d like to learn how to do and who will teach you how to do it?
What do you think this proverb means? “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Can you explain how this story is similar to this proverb?

🌿 Virtue Connection: Patience means waiting without losing yourself.

About the Story.

This guide is part of the Values & Virtues library, a free collection of 400+ book guides and activities organized around 12 core virtues for children from pre-K to 6th grade. Each guide includes Guiding Questions designed to open a real conversation with your child in 10 minutes or less.

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Patience · Family Discussion Guide

When Grandpa Gives you a Toolbox

by Jamie L.B. Deenihan

Guiding Questions

Students apply what they learn from this story in teacher guided explorations of the theme. They discuss examples of learning how to do something compared to the easy way of getting something.

Guiding Questions:

Why was the boy disappointed when Grandpa gave him a toolbox?
Do you think Grandpa had a lot of experience working with tools? Why or why not?
What motivated the boy to ask Grandpa to be a project manager and help him make something? What did he make?
What happened after the boy started to use his tools?
What did he and Grandpa build that was exactly what he wanted?
Why do you think Grandpa gave him a toolbox instead of something that was already constructed?
Do you have grandparents or elderly relatives in your family?
Do they like to tell you stories about their past? If so, share about a story a grandparent told you.
What is something you’d like to learn how to do and who will teach you how to do it?
What do you think this proverb means? “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Can you explain how this story is similar to this proverb?

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When Grandpa Gives you a Toolbox

Guiding Questions for Parents.

About the Story.

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When Grandpa Gives you a Toolbox

Guiding Questions