Precious Non-Seat Time

[Anonymous Poster]

I've started my 10 year old daughter on my DX33. I'm right there watching her. I left her a little piece of lawn to mow the other day, the look of concentration on her face while she tried to mow a straight line was priceless. Daddy's little helper... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I remember helping my grandfather on the farm. Felt so proud when he had me drive the tractor, I don't know how old I was but I could barely reach the clutch. Still remember that.

 

[weedsportpete]

If you don't listen to country music, check out this song.. "When Daddy Let Me Drive" by Alan Jackson. worth a listen.

 

[bmac]

Murph,
Seems like everyone has an opinion about your daughter's activities. You are lucky that she has an interest in spending time with you and that she is physically capable of doing operating this equipment. My son just turned 12. He has for a long time wanted to help out with the mowing. Unfortunately, he is very small for his age and his legs are not long enough to depress the clutch on my Craftsman garden tractor. Last summer, we bought a Snapper riding mower that fits him perfectly so now we share the mowing duties - he does the front and I do the back. Trying to teach him respect for all things motorized and responsibility of ownership. When I am satisfied that he can do an acceptable job on his own, he can take the next step and earn some money mowing for others.

Now, with the addition of the TC29D, we are back to square one. He really wants to operate it and I would love to teach him how, but he just can't quite get the clutch or the brakes fully depressed. This is delaying some quality time for us.

As far as the ATV goes, this is another interest I have but have not yet acted on it. I have no where to store 2 or more of these things (the "or more" is because I would love to make this a family activity). Just like the year I spent on TBN researching and learning about tractors before making a purchase, I have also logged many hours on a popular ATV forum (ATVNation.com). The issue of riding 2-up is always a hot topic and each side of the arguement seems to hold fast to their position. Personally, I'm inclined to favor the arguement of one rider per machine. On the other hand, for short rides on flat terrain, it kind of hard to believe anything bad would happen.

I don't subscribe to age guidlines that have been mandated. Some 12 year oldds are much to big for a 90 cc machine. Probable more dangerous for them than a larger bike. Certainly need to match the ATV with the rider's size and abilities, but not necessarily their age.

One thing I would question is the lack of a helmet in the picture. Certainly its hard to show off your pride and joy if she is wearing a helmet for the photo. However, I hope she (and you) always wear one while riding. Don't want to leave her brains on the trail.

You are a great dad. Many of us can learn from the example you are setting.

 

[BB_TX]

murph - Once again I say hurrah for you. If more parents took an interest in their kids as you certainly do, there would be a lot fewer kids with major problems.

 

[Bird]

I'm with you, Murph, those kids (just like us adults) are individuals; some are ready to do certain things at an earlier age than others. And there are many times we worry that they might get hurt, and sometimes we decide they aren't old enough yet to teach to do certain things, and then by the time we think they're old enough, it's too late; the opportunity has passed. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I've decided it's never too early to start, so long as they have the best supervision we can provide and we have to realize that there will always be some risk at any age.

 

[Tractors4u]

I don't think we give our kids enough credit sometimes in the "smarts department"! My daughter is 6 years old and it never ceases to amaze me at the things she picks up and understands. I am not saying my daughter is smarter than anybody elses. I give her the oppurtunity to learn or do something and if she isn't ready, that's OK, we will try again later. I won't hold her back from doing things because of her age though. I just hope nobody else saw her driving my dozer /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I was on it with, she was just pulling the handles to steer /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[bmac]

Naw, Murph, you don't need any help with your writing. Good post. Good stories. Lots of love in your family.

 

[warren]

Murph,

I understand your viewpoint. I re-read my post, and, in retrospect, it seems to imply that I was 'reprimanding' you
personally, too harshly.

In reality, I was probably sub-consciously reprimanding myself for even thinking of allowing my kids to operate my tractor. They are nowhere near old/mature enough to drive a tractor right now. I guess I was picturing them in your daughter's 'shoes'.

That said, I still don't know if I agree with a 13 year old on a
'CUT', but you know your child better than I do, obviously.
Perhaps, we can agree to disagree on this matter.

No offense was intended,
Warren

 

[thcri]

Warren,

I guess I didn't look at it that you were repromanding me. In fact I didn't think of it until you said it.

There is no harm done.


murph

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> I still don't know if I agree with a 13 year old on a 'CUT' </font>

I doubt I'd have been a hit with you when, at 13, I was driving either the combine or the truck alongside during harvest season. If I drove the truck (with an old 5+2), I also took it to the elevator in town. It was a different time then, because I remember seeing parents of classmates, classmates and even younger siblings of classmates in line at the elevator. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you grow up in the country, it's just different. There's equipment around and you learn about it and how to operate it. If your Dad's out in the field a couple miles away you're the one who gets sent out there to bring him supper so he can keep working. In the days before the little four wheelers, you just hopped in the pickup truck and went.

It's kind of funny, but you never gave a second thought to doing something like that because it was work. You also knew that if you even thought about taking that truck somewhere for yourself, you'd better apologize for letting your mind wander like that. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If you grow up in the country, it's just different )</font>

It really is. When I was 13, I was working with the tractor when Dad wasn't even home; he'd be working in town. And I had my own .22 rifle and 12 gauge shotgun to hunt alone for squirrels and rabbits to eat before I was 11. And caring for the hogs and my horse and milking the cow was solely my job from the time I was 10. And there was no such thing as an "allowance" from mom & dad; if I wanted money, I just had to figure out how to earn it. I collected scrap metal and sold it, I picked up soda bottles along the road and sold them, and I picked and sold plums and pecans and okra in different seasons.

 

[thcri]

Bird,

I am an owner of a Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing Contractor. There is 80 people on the payroll. I would give anything to find an employee that grew up in the same conditions you did. You just don't find kids anymore that had that responsibility. Even a lot of the farm kids today just aren't there. The fact that you had to work on the farm just to have the right to sit at the kitchen table, and then if you wanted some spending money for yourself you had to earn it. I had it some what the same way but not as young.


Murph

 

[ns_in_tex]

Hi Bird,
Seeing your occupation, you might appreciate this.
I grew up in Tarrant county, not far from you.
At age 13, a DPS officer stopped me on the highway and asked for my drivers license, then proceeded to follow me home, go down in the field & ticket my dad for letting me drive, or something to that effect. I drove the family car all the time to do family errands, such as haul drinking water. Go to the feed store, ETC.

I did get my drivers license as soon as I turned 14.

I also remember flat brakeing 60 acres with our farmall cub. Jobs like this, many times called for plowing all night long. Sure was hard to stay awake, just before daylight.

I suppose, that might be considered child abuse, nowadays.
I don't regret a minute of it and think it was good for me.

 

[Bird]

Neal, I didn't move to Texas (Plano) until I was almost 17. I guess the one thing that was different from a lot of others' experience was that my dad never allowed any of the kids to drive the family car. He got me a 10 year old Chevrolet (1946 model) with only 96,000 miles on it when I turned 16 and took drivers ed in high school; told me that was my car if I could keep it running. But doesn't every kid have a favorite aunt? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Dad knew that his oldest sister let me drive her car ('47 Ford coupe) all the time from the time I was 11, and his mother let me drive her car ('50 Plymouth) from the time I was 13, and he'd periodically fuss at all of us for it. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Probably sheer luck that I never had an accident and never got caught. But yes, I've taken a few underage drivers home to their parents. Also had one 14 year old run from us after midnight one night, lost control, ran into a house, knocked a big hole in a bedroom wall, part of which fell on the couple in the bed (fortunately didn't hurt them), threw it in reverse, backed out and took off again, then stopped a few blocks later when the transmission blew. Turned out he had sneaked out of the house and took his dad's new chevrolet convertible without permission. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Don't know what dad did when he got the kid home, but he did make a comment at the station that we should have beat the ?????? out of him. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif