More on lazy kids

Earlier there was a thread about lazy kids today. The are only lazy if the parents let them be lazy or are too busy with their own lives to take time to teach the kid to work. I have found with both my son and grandkids that children want to help but they are little and inexperienced and make mistakes. The parent must be patient, and show how to do it, and accept that the job they do won't be perfect. Those that do, raise kids that are the go getters when they grow up.

Here is my son at 15 months on my B. He wanted to drive it. It wasnt long before he was big enough to do so. 2nd picture he was 20 years old and still driving it. He was a good worker for me on the farm and now is a go getter at his civil engineering job.

It breaks both our hearts that he lives to far away now to farm with me.

My dad started me driving the tractor (641 Workmaster) at age 4 pulling the wagon while him and mom picked the corn up that the picker dropped on the ground. By age 12 I was driving the 10 wheeler truck we had hauling of grain and (with him)delivering water melons to Chicago and Detroit.

Nice pics. Seems like all kids want to do these days is play video games and text message on there cell phones all day long. Some kids text message a couple of thousand times a month!!! When I was a kid I played outside and had chores to do everyday. Kids dont even play outside that much anymore. Always in front of the TV!!!!! I can remember everyday being in the shop helping my grandpa build something. Miss those good old days!!!

I agree with you that it is the parent's fault for not parenting. However there comes a time when little kid desire to take part is overcome by desire to play computer games so a little parenting needs to come into play. I believe that many parents give in and do it themselves or hire it done rather than undertake the potential unpleasantness of a minor confrontation.

As a teacher, I know there are still kids who know how to work. Unfortunately, I believe it is becoming more difficult for kids to find someone who will take the time to teach them. Kids have always been and will always be kids, but more and more kids are being failed by the adults in their life.

When I was a kid, my heroes were my Dad, my Grampa, and my Uncles. These were they men I wanted to be like, and they let me follow them everywhere and loved me enough to yell and cuss at me (yes, and even occasionally spank me) until I did the job the way they thought it should be done. I am blessed to have family that took the time to teach me, but I'm afraid with all the "sperm donors" fathering children, this is becoming more rare.

Add to that the parents who feel so guilty for not spending time with their children, they let them do whatever makes them "happy". After all, they just MUST have two incomes (even though one income goes mostly to daycare) because otherwise they couldn't make the payment on the new $40,000 Suburban and they might have to drive something 5-10 years old (GASP, what will the neighbors think?).

Besides, if we discipline a child, we might hurt their self-esteem. Did you know self-esteem in located in your backside and must be pruned with a good spanking now and then to grow properly? My Dad taught me that. I looked it up in a couple anatomy books and couldn't find it. Is it possible he just made that up?

Add to that, the well-founded fear parents have of someone harming their children if they leave them outside unattended for even a moment, and we have children being raised by TV and video games.

Do we really want our children to be raised by the folks on TV? Do something about it. Kids aren't any less teachable than they have always been, but they still have to be taught (and by taught, I mean forced).

Think about it, how many kids are forced to brush their teeth every night? If they really want healthy teeth, won't they just brush them on their own? No, they have to be forced to do it every night until they are old enough to make the choice on their own, and by then, hopefully they will make the correct choice. Why would we expect hard work and pride in one's work to be any different? Kids don't know what is best for them, they have to be taught (forced) to do what is best.

Anyway, long winded, but this and $1.00 will get you a cheap cup of coffee. You'll need $5.00 if you want some of that fancy stuff.

-Henry

Sure [ Good Parents are not always liked :
Good Priorities and Good Judgement is not magic:

Your dad was almost right about self esteem. It is really just pride, the thing that is most likely to get in the way of relationships with others.

You hit the nail on the head.

Wife just has a fit because any time the grandson is here I want to take him to feed cows and he is only 5. He lives in town and I am going to try and get all the farming into his system I can, if I don't keel over first. I feel like I was one of the luckiest persons on earth to get to follow dad everywhere he went.

Way to go JD, as a brother teacher WELL SAID!!!!

When I was a very young man I overheard a conversation of a bunch of older men in the bar. Afternoon bull session of my Grandfather bunch of his friends. A couple of beers and lots of stories then off they went. Well when we got in the pickup to leave, Grandpa said that every generation says that the kids now days are worthless, funny how we seem to progress with every generation. Well I now have seen a couple of generations of kids myself. I have heard my fathers friends say it. And just recently some of my friends. Funny that we aren't worthless by now. Maybe it will be my grandsons generation that is really the worthless ones. Probably not.

When I was a boy, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint.

- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesiod">Hesiod</a> ~700 BC