How can I teach my sons tractors?

New here. I've been homesteading/small scale farming for several years. Not surprisingly, my 4 year old boy has been tractor-crazy almost since birth. "Tractor" was his first word after mama. Sadly for us, my selfish small puncture wound of an ex decided that 7 months into my second pregnancy was a great time to abandon us for an 18 year old girl (not even a country 18 year old, I'm way better looking, and I guarantee she can't bake like me). So now we are living in the burbs with my parents, and it's been a heartbreaking goodbye to Daddy, the homestead, the tractors, and our horses and other livestock.

My son is devastated as you can imagine, so I'm trying to do everything I can to hold onto whatever I can from our country days. Obviously a big part of that is tractors. Problem is, the grand total of my tractor knowledge is how to drive them, how to ID the make by color (hey, this is a big deal! I didn't grow up with this stuff!), and what maybe 50% of the parts are. What can I say; I was more into the living stuff on the farm.

I can take my boy to shows and auctions, but I want to teach him the nitty gritty, so that when he gets older he can do mechanical work and restore machinery and all that good stuff. Also, in the next few years I'm hoping to buy rural property again, and something more tractor-like than Grandpa's Craftsman lawnmower. So that means I need to learn, too.

Where do I start? Books, videos, some kind of classes? I'm cut off from our old life and don't have any live mentors available. Help me out, guys!

Marry a farmer.

I'm game! Should I post an ad at the feed mill??

Sure, just not at the local bar.

There is an unending amount of farming videos on Youtube. Find a man at church, work, the feed store, anywhere who would be willing to take the little guy under his wing. Walk around the shows and find they guys sitting under tents at their tractors. I make a point to put signs on my tractors at shows letting parents know kids are ok crawling on them and have wound up talking to several kids and their parents/grandparents. Put an ad on Farmersonly.com. A good looking woman who can cook and doesn't have horses shouldn't have any problems finding a man.
AaronSEIA

There has to be a farmer not to far from you(where you at?) that would like for the little guy to come visit the farm once in a while.

I like to give city kids rides and explain what we are trying to do as farmers.

A once a month 2 hour visit may keep his interest.

You may find that his interests will change as well. Mechanics may not be his thing 2 years from now.

It may be the fire trucks he sees rolling down the street.

For now let him watch You Tube videos about farming and mechanics.

Gary

The best way to teach a kid about tractors is to have one to work on. Dad had me out in the shop with him working on his Oliver 77 before I could even walk. He would just set me in my baby carrier and put it on the work bench so I could watch. Then I graduated up to handing him tools, then to actually working on things. Then when I was 8 he bought me an Oliver 66 and everything went down hill from there. Now at the age of 22 im farming 70 acres with nothing but Oliver equipment that I have picked up along the way. Needless to say there is no replacement for actually having one to play with. Since your space limited it doesnt have to even be anything big. Small tractors like a Farmall Cub, Oliver 60, Allis B, or a John Deere M are cheap to buy and easy to learn to work on and drive, and they dont take up hardly any space. Thats the route I would take and then you could learn together. All you really have to do is pick your color.

Lol thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

I'm thinking about buying some $500 Craigslist wreck to tinker on and just get our hands dirty.

Tell what city you are in the burbs of and there may even be a member here who can get you set up with some group or organization, like 4H or FFA.

Search out and join a local vintage tractor or farming heritage club, and join they are filled with friendly and knowledgeable people who will certainly welcome you and your child.
Many members still have farms both large and small. Thats where I would start. Also stay active on this sight, Facebook sites. There are a lot of good folks willing to share. If you
tell us your general location, as most of us belong to clubs and can point you somewhere.
Best of luck and stay in touch.

Being your son is 4, some children's books would be a good place to start. I'm not sure what color you are used to, but Deere had Johnny Tractor and his Pals, as well
as some others, like Corny Corn Picker Finds a Home. These would be good to start with. They were 1st published in the 50's, but have been reprinted. My eldest
son, now 14, has some copies somewhere.

Start there. There is also Green Magazine For Kids. Might be another good choice. The editor frequents this board.

Go to a tractor show this summer, depending on your location.

If your son has an interest, do what country folk do, and "cultivate it."

Depending on where you live, you may want to ask a farmer if you and your son can watch for a little while. We have a good-sized dairy that is near suburbia. We
frequently get requests to show kids/grandkids "the cows."

Sounds like you are doing your best to be a good mom. Keep it up. Grow his interests as well as him, and see where it goes. At this point though, keep it age
appropriate... he doesn't need to know how to change oil yet, or replace a clutch. When that time comes, you'll know.

A last thing... back in the 70's my mom, the farmer's wife, did her master's thesis on getting children to read. Her thesis was that if the subject matter was
something the kid wanted to read, it would captivate him or her. I was her guinea pig, and I was just like your son. So she sent a letter to all the major tractor
manufacturers, and she was overwhelmed with responses. I still have a lot of the publications they sent. So, you may try that as well.

We get Farm Collector, he loves Tractor Mac, we watch farming videos on YouTube, and we just went to the local machinery sale yesterday. I think the thing we are missing is to get brave and befriend some farmers. We are in Stark County, Ohio. Near-ish to Akron.

Safety first

I was the kind of child that was always trying to take my toys apart and put them back together. The problem was they weren't designed for that. I suggest providing your son with toys that will help develop mechanical skills and encourage creativity and imagination. ps: I still like to take things apart and put them back together.

You will have to join the dateing website, "farmersonly.com" HeHe
Loren

There are separate boards here for every brand,, Lots of good photos stories on many of them,, good place to visit with your boy,,, the same man who does Green mag also does this one,, I like it a lot as they cover more than just a copy from old lit pages in here, and they cover all brands,, good for you wanting to "teach" your son about them,,, nothing better than a tractor to a small child who likes them, my e-mail is open if you would like the contact info for this one
cnt

don't forget all the local fairs and farm shows.be patient,you'll start meeting the right kind of people.maybe some container gargening at mom and dad's?

If he's only 4,don't worry about the technical stuff yet. Just start with this.

(quoted from post at 07:43:53 01/17/16) don't forget all the local fairs and farm shows.be patient,you'll start meeting the right kind of people.maybe some container gargening at mom and dad's?

Click to expand...

Oh yes, we we will have a big backyard garden and put in some fruit trees this summer. Maybe defy the neighbors with a couple of hens.

Look for Tractor Vet's posts on here. He is in your area. Works on tractors, has a friend that has a couple of farms....

Look for Tractor Vet's posts on here and Tales. He lives in your area,
works on tractors and has a friend with a couple of farms...

Welcome, to the site.. At 4 that's a good age for a "go for". Then when he brings the tools back you can explain how he brought the wrong wrench with the numbers on them, or what part you are trying to get on/off. Websites,like this one, and videos are always a good source for information.
Find toys that help with mechanics, ones that can be pulled apart and put back together.. Even classics like Lincoln Logs and Legos have some value. As the others said books, youtube and find neighbors, friends, and so on that have the connection to a farm that you can visit.

Firstly, you are awesome for putting your son first and making an effort to cultivate his interests and potential talents. I am sorry to hear about
what you had to go through. Some men can be real @&#%*'s.

Are there any working farms within an hour's drive from you? If so, try to get to know the farmers. Gravitate to the folks who are kind and
generous with their time. A great first job for a little one is feeding calves on dairy farms. Plenty of cool tractors on dairy farms, just be prepared
to hose your son off after every visit.

Depending where you live, there are numerous farm machinery shows and plow days. I live in upstate NY, and there is plenty to do in that
regard. Many tractor clubs for IH, Deere, AC, etc. If you join a tractor club, that will open opportunities for your son to go to various shows and
events.

If you live in the Northeast, Country Folks is a good weekly newspaper that has auctions, events, etc, and it codify roughy $50 a year. There
should be a similar regional farm newspaper where you live.

Best of luck with everything and please let us know how you make out. There are many great people on this forum that will help you.

Jake

If Stark County has an Extention program yet, you may contact the county agent. They may direct you to a good farm that would be friendly to your endeavors. That may be
less scary than just dropping in somewhere and taking your chances.

Lovely farm girl loves the outdoors and farming looking for long term relationship, must be a farmer, send picture of tractor. this might work. LOL Seriously I hope
things work out for you and your boys, hang in there.

Hey,that's where girls used to pick me up.

On the subject of men who can be real "@&#%*'s", let me add a note. First, let me put up my disclaimer. There are, on these primarily male forums, a few interested and dedicated women with a genuine interest in tractors and equipment and who enjoy the platonic company of the opposite gender. One in particular comes to mind, a very "sweet" person. Having been raised in a nearly 100% female environment, I understand this. On the other hand, there have also been a few who seemed to be here for reasons other than tractors...if you get my drift. Reading your thread today, first impression is that you want and need a man who shares your interests...and he isn't four years old. Having said that, I think you are going to run into a couple of issues with the advice given here.

Seeking out local farmers? Well, that is a group of people who work really hard. You are not likely to be taken seriously by the men. They may even be annoyed at you walking up and interfering with their work. Depending on the day, I probably would be. As a single woman you will likely be taken very seriously by the women on the place. Might be an icy reception there.

You could have the same issue at a tractor show...but may not be so bad. Women still are going to be a hard sell, but some of the guys may be more receptive and it is, after all, a social event.

Tractor forums? There are more lonely men here than women and you will find a warm reception I am sure. Just have to be careful it is about the tractors, right? Don't want to clutter up the forums so a person cannot get an answer to a question.

If you are on the level, here is what I would say. Go find an older lawn and garden tractor to start with. Something you and your son can still use in the suburbs while you are there and will still be useful if you move. It will be a size you can handle and won't need so many big tools. Can be a lot of fun to work on. When you get closer to moving time...move up to an 8N or other smaller tractor.

Just some observations...no offense intended.

Mam your to be commended on wanting your son to have a rural grounding. Go into the country around your town. Look for smaller livestock farms. They will usually be more family oriented than the larger grain farms. Stop and introduce your self an IF they are not real busy and you "feel" good about their reaction, then explain what your wanting to do. I know there are OLDER farmers that would love to help with the next generation and their own grand kids maybe miles/states away. Look for some of them. You will make life long friends.

I agree with rrlund, get the little guy some farm toys (and play with him with them).

Take him to tractor shows and fairs.

And hang tight... my husband and I knew a couple where he ditched her for a younger woman.

HIS life sucks... jumping from gal to gal (on at least his third wife now), fat, bald, moves all the time and BROKE.

SHE though, eventually met a wonderful man, who treated her kids as if they were his own. They married and in time had a child. They are a very successful farm family and have a great life.

However, don't be in any hurry to get into another relationship... just do things you love and you will likely eventually connect with someone with whom you share common interests (which makes for a good relationship and life).

Here is a good mag Antique Power . Farm Collector is another good one. Or get the kid a dirt bike and he won't care about tractors . A dirt bike is also a good disciplinary tool. Short of a dirt bike a small ride on mower with no mower deck.
antique power mag

Ok, friends, I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression
with my post. I'm not trying to start up a personal ad
here, and with two little boys, one of which is only
two months old, the last thing I'm looking for is a
dating life. Sure, as a young woman, I might want to
get married again some year, but not anytime soon.
What I'm looking for is practical advice on how to
get started learning the ins and out of mechanics
and machinery, so I can teach my boys even
without a male around. I want to farm/homestead
again one day but I'd be happy to achieve that ON
MY OWN, so no man can ever take it away from me
again. I specifically mentioned books and videos,
because I'm all about teaching myself, just like I
taught myself organic gardening, food preservation,
baking and cooking, spinning and knitting, etc. It's
that self-reliant spirit that attracts a person to
country living in the first place. The last thing I want
to do is step on any toes, on this website or on local
farms. I would dearly love to have some farm
FRIENDSHIPS, not tainted by my evil ex, and I
would be perfectly content it if those friendships
were old, female, or happily married. Some of you
have given me some solid practical advice, and for
that I'm grateful. And honestly, I do desperately
want my kid to be happy, believe it or not, and to
just keep alive that love of all things rural and
agricultural that I worked so hard to instill in him and
that I don't want to see stamped out by the snobby
McMansion dwelling $&@?! we now live near.

Not saying I don't appreciate the relationship advice too, just want you to understand that I'm actually not trying to "clog up the forums."

When you tell the whole story you're going to get advice on the whole story.

Loren, I don't know if you are serious or "kidding", but, FWIW, the little brother of a good friend of mine met a gal through that site. She's a nurse, a good "catch" from all appearances, they have been together for several years and have a child together.

So who's to say it would be a bad deal for her to check out that site?

I like your attitude. I told our daughter once that, much as I hate to admit it, there are members of my gender who are not that far removed from the animal world.

That being said, I don't think I can add to the advice of the others.

I second the tractor club. My wife , myself and 2yr
old son belong to our local one. The old farmers
there are really good with my son. Seems to bring
out the old sissy in them. Heritage iron and the
fastline magazine are my son's favorite.

LOL not trying to "clog up the forums."

I say this in the most light hearted,fun loving way,but that's what us old coots do here all day. LOL

There are a lot of farmers here in geauga
county that would be willing to help you. I
just lost a good friend that helped me get
to were in am today and thought me the many
ins and outs

My email is open. Send me your snail mail address and I will send you a toy tractor. A Farmall SMTA Diesel. Bought for someone and never delivered it. Still NIB.My "collection" of one.
Anyone else downsizing?
75 year old Gordon.

I'd suggest you start with something simple to repair without specialized tools, small enough that you can comfortably use it as a lawn mower but big enough to be a "real" tractor, and old enough to need a bit of regular tinkering to
keep it running well. For example a Cub Lo-Boy. You won't find those on Craigslist for $500, though, unless they have stuck engines and trashed transmissions. One that runs but could use some love would probably start in the
neighborhood of $1500. You'll always need a machine like that around, once you move to a real farm, as it's perfect to mow in an orchard or clean up pastures. Then after that you can add something like a hundred-series (6XX/8XX)
Ford to the fleet, for real work.

Your post is not a clog on the forums at all. You have 3 pages of replies so far which is more than many topics receive so you did get responses which is a good thing.

Just remember anytime you post any topic to a public forum you will likely get responses that are intelligent and useful, some confrontational posts, some total idiot posts, and keep in mind that even your evil puncture wound ex could be posting under an anonymous handle.

You simply have to sort through the useful posts from the garbage. It is the indirect price all of us pay for using a free anonymous public forum. That said, the rewards are usually worth that price.

Overtime, you usually learn who to read and who to skip over...

Back to the topic: Videos are good and books are good.

That said, Nothing will hold his interest like toys though. I played with my toy tractors a lot and still have them today.

I would recommend attending every tractor show in your area. Most of these are free or low cost and they are always happy to have more people attend. The ones that enjoy talking about their stuff are usually hanging around their stuff and all smiles. The ones that do not wanna talk are pretty obvious and not too many smiles.

As he gets a little older an inexpensive lawn mower sized tractor that you two can piddle on together and then use it for something productive around where you live will hold his attention for sure even if that is still in the suburbs.

A lawn tractor is good for learning to drive. Then
when he is mature enough, let him cut some grass
and learn other chores. Yes, chickens are usually
great for kids. I was so proud of one of my
grandsons when he was about 4. We went to pick
up the eggs, and one of the hens was brooding and
would peck at you to protect her eggs. I showed him
how far she could reach, and he carefully picked up
the eggs in the next nest, keeping his hand just
inside the safe zone. Life lessons and quality time
makes a grampa grin! Good luck!

If you are on facebook check out some of the tractor groups......I joined the old farm tractor group and I think your son might enjoy seeing some of the pictures on there.

There are old garden tractors out there that accept sleeve hitch implements like a plow or cultivator. Most can be had pretty cheap. They are small, easy to work on and with net access you can find almost any repair procedure you want. I myself prefer Wheelhorse with the K series Kohler engine. But JD, IH Cub Cadet, Bolens and others are out there and good too. Plus being smaller they are not nearly as intimidating to a small child. I had a C120 with a hydro transmission. The way that was set up I could walk along side it and control movement while my 5 year old grandson steered.

Rick

If you're looking for videos to educate yourself, you might want to watch some repair videos on steinerdotcom.

If you're wanting to educate yourself on repairing tractors, just google tractor parts, and one of those sites has tractor repair videos.

Thanks everybody for good advice. We've got the farm shows and fairs in hand but I never thought about looking for local clubs, so that's an avenue we'll explore. Magazines are always great, too. I have to keep the Farm Collector issues pretty much locked up or else he'll shred them with love. We have an epic toy tractor collection and if there are any "removable" parts, they've been enthusiastically removed.

A Wheelhorse is not a bad idea. We used to have one, but the ex later used it in partial trade for a Cub, which I really loved. I'd like to get one again. I also like old Fergusons and Fords, but the little guy is enamored of John Deere. I think it's the in-your-face merchandising. I guess my plan is to save up to buy something that runs but isn't mint, and also learn enough about what to look for so that we don't get taken.

If the kid likes green, there are a few John Deere's local to you and affordable.

https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/grd/5360760014.html

https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/grd/5390845060.html

https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/grd/5376101772.html

That 110 I posted would be a fun toy to just drive the neighborhood with the little guy steering. Its cheap and takes up the space of 2 bikes, even if it sits outside (mine do) it will be fine. If your boy moves on to other interests, just sell it to get your money back out of it and move on.

I just started reading this conversation, and was going to ask where you are. My wife and I could both enjoy a junior farmer around here. We saw our 8 year old grandson at Christmas time. He's 650 miles away, and gets precious little time here. He wanted to drop his new gifts, family, friends, and everything, to come home with us. I agree- there must be a farmer near you like us. Central NY is a bit far.

Don't rush into anything. See if there isn't a church group, grange or 4H group around. There are many good people around and some very helpful ones on this site. Many of the older generation are good at mentoring younger people.A simple tractor to play and learn about is a Farmall Cub, it is not a fast tractor and can be fairly foregiving

A 4H club is ideal. (from 8yrs old to 19 as a member, and from 2006 to 2012 as leader) the opportunities are inclusive of city/urban/suburban families. With exposure to the club you will get a solid connection to others of like mind. There are many differing clubs, choose one that has 15 to 20 active members. I would also recommend one that provides pretty solid meeting protocol with motions and reports and committees. Consensus style is usually dominated by a group with their own agenda. Also select one that has diverse interests. Some are strictly horse people, or livestock. (nothing wrong with that, it is just too content specific). The county extension office will have a list of clubs (and maybe some focus info on them as well. Assume you can go to any club you choose. also when attending, let them know you are getting to know them and have yet to commit as a member. Fun for all. I pledge my Head to Clearer Thinking my Heart to greater Loyalty, My Hands to Greater Service, and my Health to Better Living. For My Club, My Community, My Country, and the World.
Jim

Your story has touched a lot of the old guys here. If you liced close I'd give you a tractor. Lot's of good advice, it's all free, so here's mine.

Since you have a yard large enough for some fruit trees and a large garden, you likely have enough room for another lawn mower. Although I'm partial to Farmalls, and Cubs are great, your son will think any John Deere lawn tractor is a tractor. If you can get him an electric start one, you can put a trailer behind it and use it to haul garden stuff around. Working on a lawn mower is good experience toward doing mechanics. Cleaning out the carburetor, changing the battery, replacing cables and wires are all good learning activities which can make a junk mower a great garden tractor.

As you know mechanics is a skill he will use all his life whether he stays with farming or becomes a concert pianist. However with your genes he'll likely stay around the land.

Later on you can get a Cub, JD M, etc. when you have a place of your own.

I'd like to say a word about your ex, but the site has filters...

Oh, and by the way, just because you care, things will work out fine.

buy him some tractor books. Ebay has a good selection of used books. When I was in the 4th grade. For my birthday present I
received a book titled "150 years of International Harvester" I read that book from cover to cover. Could not wait till I got home
from school to read my tractor books.

I also would get 1/64 scale historical tractor sets. I would look up the toys in my books to see what model they were and what
years they were made.

I only put Tractor Vet's name out there as some one who would most likely be able to help you and your son continue to experience the farm life. I know he is happily married to the "War Dep't".....his nickname for the better half.
I was not trying to set you up with him......

I think it is good and neat that your son is interested and you want to join him in tractors. Maybe
at a local show you could meed someone who is retired or has the time to work with both of you on
the tractors he has. Showing you how to do things as he does them. How about as others have said
getting a garden tractor, that could be transported in the back of a pickup with good ramps. You
could use that for lawn mowing or a garden later. Get a common tractor that parts and manuals are
easily available for. I don't know how well my idea would work, but I know if anyone was
interested in my tractors and wanted to come and help out while learning I would be open. In fact I
wish some young person would take an interest in my stuff, aside from tractors I am a bit of a
machinist and have a few machine tools that I use to support my tractor and mechanical interests
and I have no one to take over this stuff when the time comes. I hope it all works out for you. Tom

I grew up in central Ohio with a Dad who left my Grandparents farm as soon as he graduated high school and never looked back. My best
memories are visiting the farm and sitting on, riding on, and just looking at the tractors. I also have good memories of going to steam shows
with my Grandpa and looking at tractors and steam engines. I'm 46 and still remember those things from as long ago as when I was 5. As I got
older I would go help bale hay, and work ground until they eventually sold the farm. I inherited one of Grandpas tractors, which I restored a
couple years ago. Since then I have bought and restored 2 more. I don't farm, but we have 11 acres. I feel like I am reliving my youth with my
tractor hobby! You don't have to grow up on a farm to have a love for the farm life. My full time job makes my passion for tractors possible.

My advice is take him to every farm show you can. Also take time to go to Farm Scence Review in September. It's an easy drive (London, OH)
and all of the manufactures display their equipment. You can get on as many of them as you want! Also use this web site. Look at the for sale
tractor pictures with him and discuss the tractors for sale. I look everyday myself. Google farm shows in Ohio, you will be surprised how many
there are. Your summer will be full, and your children will be surrounded by good people, which will create a lifetime of memories.

For $500 you should be able to get a decent garden tractor, one that shouldn't need tons of work to
run, just minor repair and maintenence. Tom

I don't know about your area, but local farmers markets and farmgate sales are a good place to do your regular shopping for eggs, veggies and u-pick produce. This would give you and your boy a weekly contact with local farmers and you might just be able to watch or help ( as in volunteer) on special occasions, like weeding, planting etc. Having contact with the soil or animals is the backbone of many a country boy.

I for one applaud your efforts to cultivate your sons interests. The mind of a young child is a thirsty sponge that absorbs all
around him. But try to keep him away from the video games and the electric baby-sitter because after watching all the crud on TV,
his brain will be a wasteland of lost potential. At four years of age he might not be quite ready for a real tractor to tear
apart but I can understand his fascination with them as I was the same way as was my own son. When I was a little shaver, I used
to gather up all of my Dads farm magazines and I'd cut out all the tractor and combine pictures and put them into a scrap book. I
learned more about tractors at a very young age from doing that than anything else. Of course there was no internet back then or
trips to town unless we were going to the dentist or somebody's wedding. Ugh!

All of my kids responded very well to the library. Also pre-internet but still relevant. Reading books to them as toddlers and
preschoolers was an everyday ritual. Maybe at nap time, bed time or just for fun anytime they wanted. Then we discovered the
library in a bigger town 30 miles away that had a story time program. Our kids loved it. As parents, we made the sacrifice and
effort to get them there every week. As the stories were read aloud to them (with much animation) the whole group of kids would
be wide-eyed and engaged, their imaginations running wild. Then they could go check out books of their own to read at home. This
is where it gets fun. You start to learn where their interests are by the books they pick. Because they picked their own books,
they had much more fun reading them or having you read to them. Your son no doubt will find every tractor book on the shelf.

Some libraries won't have a lot of tractor books but with the internet or a stop at a Barnes and Nobles book store, you should
have no problem finding available publications on most any subject be it a childs story book to a repair manual. eBay also can
have very cheap new or 2nd hand books often with free shipping. The point is, it will reaffirm his interests and fill the void of
not being with the tractors at the moment. Buying books can be expensive but a library card is pretty cheap to have access to any
book on the shelf.

Otherwise toys can be a great teacher also. A sandbox outside in the yard is a must for little boys. Grandpa can help with
that. And the bigger the better. I think ours was an 8' X 12' box made of 2 x 12s on edge. Never mind the sand drug into the
house, that's what vacuum cleaners are for. Winter time sucks but spring through fall there's a lot of acres that get farmed with
1/16th scale tractors. Not to mention all the road building and lakes and rivers created when a garden hose is added to the fun.
Play invigorates the imagination, curiosity and learning.

I highly recommend a good 4H club also but I think the child has to be 8 years of age to join. But that doesn't mean you can't
start now doing the same stuff. One easy project for a kid stuck in town could be rabbits. Gramps could put a hutch behind the
garage. Teaches about caring for animals, keeping them fed, watered, sheltered, attention to their needs instead of their own
self-absorbed problems kids have now days. Having daily chores not only teaches responsibility but also teaches a little self
sacrifice and giving of ones self when you don't always feel like having to do chores or do for others in general. When I see
parents doing the kids chores for them I cringe because it is doing more harm than good. They learn they can manipulate an adult
to get them to do the things they don't feel like doing at the moment or they learn they can shrug their responsibilities if they
whine enough.

Other activities could include baking...(sugar cookies in tractor shapes and frosted according to brand or jello tractor shapes in
JD green, IH red, MM yellow, or Ford blue), Grandma could help with that. Photography....(pics of tractors at a tractor show or
an ag. museum or a farm visit at the neighbors), Sewing....(throw pillows, blankets or bed sheets with tractor prints on them).
Carpentry....(bird house the shape of a tractor with room for a nest in the cab) You get the point. I feel for any kid who
wants to be around tractors on the farm but that doesn't mean he can't be involved with tractors in his mind in so many ways. My
son was also tractor crazy at that age but he's now 25 and living in the big city. He still loves tractors but has to fly home to
go to tractor shows with the old man. Enjoy it while you can. I'm sorry about your situation but feel for the little guy more.
Wished I lived closer to you because I have a couple of Case 7 and 8 hp garden tractors just his size that I would donate when
he's ready to pull wrenches.

I maybe didn't answer your question directly but at his age, learning to do the mechanical work and restoration might be putting
the cart ahead of the horse. Many of the responses I read sound like advice for an 8 to 12 year old. I think you just need to
keep him connected to the tractor world any way you can and that will be helpful. You will be surprised what he will learn on his
own once he is older and becomes an avid reader. I think once he's old enough to be able to safely handle a lawn or garden
tractor, (maybe in another 4 years), then working on them bit by bit and learning how will just come on naturally by way of
reading and asking questions as the need arises. A mentor who he can ask questions of would be good for both of you but I guess
that's the gist of your inquiry here wasn't it. Sorry I went the long way around the barn and don't have a good answer you, just
some cheap opinion and a few suggestions for what its worth.

Farmgirl, since you live in Stark County buy a copy of the Farm and Dairy weekly newspaper that comes out of Salem Ohio. A week or two reading this paper and you will gets lots of ideas. and things to do in the coming years. God Bless.

The suggestions about tractor shows is a starting point. To carry it further consider joining a local chapter of a national collectors club. They have events, meetings, shows and some sponsor refurbishing a tractor and raffleing it off. At your son's present age, it may be a little early, but they all need new blood and have events for children (Plus they are always looking for volunteer office holders)

Thanks all; you're a really nice bunch of people and I'm very glad I decided to join this site. Lots of good ideas including some I knew about but forgot, like all the event postings in Farm and Dairy. I didn't even think of 4H; it never occurred to me we could participate without acreage and farm animals. I've been feeling really terrified that my guys will get their heads turned by all the empty, materialistic junk that seems to consume the kids in our immediate area. I really hope that with continued exposure, the farming fires will keep on burning until we can move back out to where we want to be. In the meanwhile, we do have half an acre and the lawn tractor, and a great farmer's market at the park right by our neighborhood, so that's a start. I appreciate all the encouragement this forum has offered up today. I think I'll be a regular lurker from now on; not sure I have much to actually contribute unless you go off on a tangent about root-cellaring, or... alpacas (shudder). Thanks everyone!

Every little boy that age needs to have a sandbox. I built one this past summer for my two year old grandson. Took less than a day. Measures 7'X 7' and holds a ton of sand. Bought him some Tonka retros. A bulldozer, road grader, quarry dump truck and a Mighty Tonka Dump Truck. These are the ones made of metal. Got all four for less than $100. That plus his regular tractors and trucks plus the ones his cousins bring over provide for hours and hours of quality play time with mechanical stuff.

I thought the old coots "clog up the pipes" all day long

I was in 4H when I was in school and am currently a 4H leader. When I was in high school, I was also in FFA and my youngest son, a high school senior, is currently an FFA and 4H member.
While your kids might want to join these two organizations, keep in mind that 4H doesn't take new members until they are about 8 or so and FFA is mainly an organization for high schoolers.
So what I'm saying is that you might want to get them involved in other types of rural life before they are are old enough to join these clubs.
Good luck.

Little green magazine is a tractor magazine for lkttle ones, I subscribe for my daughter.

Love this post.
Lots of good advice. Has anyone mentioned a (John Deere) pedal tractor? Seems to be the cat's meow for a four year old.

(quoted from post at 12:15:21 01/17/16)
HIS life sucks... ... fat, bald, ... and BROKE.

Click to expand...

Easy!!! sheesh!

Bald is genetic. Fat and broke are sometimes the result of being a farmer. We don't make much money, but we sure do eat well.


..man... The claws come out quick!

:wink: