Best hired hand

I like the fact that my wifey cones out and helps me in the field. She loves getting on the old 45 and raking hay in front of me, and I appreciate the help. The kids all have jobs and their own lives now so it's just me and momma

Nice to have them want to help ! My hay help is either unreliable or unavailable most of the time, may have to give it up because its getting to be too much for me alone.

unreliable or unavailable sounds like all of the younger generation. All those "entitlements" caused that. Its like why work when you can get a free phone and food and your rent paid. The american dream

I can't complain too much. My two sons helped me deliver hay on Saturday to three different buyers. At one place the owner (ex army currently active with the reserves) and his brother were there to "help". Both of them were about were younger than me (about 45 or so and appeared to be in decent shape) and I thought good this should be easy on everyone. After 15 minutes of humping bales across the shed and into the tiny loft the owner wanted them in and stacking them 7 to 9 layers high it became apparent that even my 14 year old could work them into the ground in the 100 degree heat. We unloaded the last of it with the two men sucking wind and pretty much trying to stay out of the way. Driving away I told the boys "Feels pretty good to show full grown men how to work doesn't it". The owner paid them .50 a bale for delivery and stacking.

Saying in the bible be not afraid to discipline a child the life you save might be there own. Or something like that a lot of times I think that's been misinterpreted as an excuse to hit a child my niece and nephew really taught me the meaning of that. I was tough on them they knew the had to work for every thing even respect I think they did see through me and knew I loved them very much . Today they both have good high paying carers and there not in factories or flipping burgers. The discipline they learned was to be polite respect the boss even if he's wrong to be at work on time to honor your word that kind of discipline led them to have good successful lives . You can't help but wonder how many lives good be saved and successful people if a little word like no was used.

That's awesome i hope when they look back they will see that. And i am sure they will. Good Job

Thats awesome also. I bet that 14 year old had that chest stuck out when you told him that and he should have. You know it made him feel proud. And actually words like that is all it takes sometimes. Great job to you also

I would like to share my own story about growing up on a farm and working for my dad. I am 52 so this goes back a few years.

My dad and I never had a good personal relationship. I worked on the farm and got my personal needs met. He was a terrible communicator and I was somehow expected to learn by osmosis. If he told me to do something and I asked a question he just got mad. So I learned to try and do it and get yelled at after the fact. When I finished high school I wanted out of home so I went to college got a degree, got a good job, moved a few hours away.

Somehow I was expected to come home on the weekends to help out. I thought about it. This was one way work. I wasn't getting paid. I didn't see my dad showing up at my place of work and helping out for free. It took a little while for him to figure out that his work choice was his choice and not a burden on me.

My dad is retired from farming and we have an arms length relationship. More like a neighbor you see a few times a year. I worked real hard to have a better relationship with my kids. My son is 22 and we talk regularly and do stuff together. So far so good.

My point is don't expect free help from your kids unless you have put the time into having a solid mutual respect relationship with them. I don't know each of yours relationship with your kids so if I have it wrong, sorry. If I have it right then time to make some changes.

Here are two of my best helpers. My wife sometimes helps out too!

You did the right thing my dad was the same way something about the Germans . I was a cheap hired man. After I got out on my own and ready to start buying cows on my own my dad wanted me back . Three people told me flat out not to but it's the family farm. It wasn't long and with the banks help my dad had me right back where I was before. He finally slipped up and I blackmailed him into selling the farm . He went to the bank and told them to sell me out. I hung on but the stress and trouble my dad created still affects me today . If nothing else take my word for it your kids benefited from your decision it was the right one

It's not only there helping you there also learning. A city kid helping out grandpa one summer learned to drive a bobcat now he's working for a landscape company driving a bobcat a lot more fun and pay then a factory. Same family girls learned how to drive the truck picking up bales a lot of embarrassed city boys the girls know more than they did. Keep up the good work.

Sorry, but no children on tractors, never, ever. Too many absolute tragic horrific stories. Never.

Just remembered had a girlfriend come out and help and she was raking hay and I hit one row and it was all over the place for a short distance I asked what happened well she was trying to get a tan and had a halter top on and had a wardrobe malfunction I just walked away

I had girlfriends ride along but never got to much farming done, always had to stop in some remote place and check each other for ticks! LOL

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who didn't have a good relationship with his father. Only my father didn't overwork me, he didn't WANT me to do any work. He preferred to do it himself and mostly ignored me.

Things weren't bad until I became a teenager, then it went downhill. My mother and I were able to talk at length about it and we decided that my father, himself, was so insecure a person that he simply wasn't up to the challenge of another male in the household.

they were gov people what did you expect lol

Momma looks too young to have grown up kids lol

i never have understood and still don't why my dad didn't seem to want me around after age 14 i will be 68 in august.dad has been gone about 15 years
i was hurt really bad on sat by tall kid i wanted to go to a car show with him. he went out for a pizza with a friend i asked him why he didn't go with me and have a pizza later.
it seemed to me dad only wanted something when he could borrow my money which never got repaid.

Dad and I didn't get along at all til mom removed herself from our lives.

We get along better with 1200 miles between us.

Til he starts lecturing again.

Wonder why I don't call often?????