I lived in town, so when I was 12 years old I got a paper route...which I kept for almost 3 years. I learned about making my own money, paying my own bills, saving and paying cash in order to cut costs...and responsibility. Those newspapers aren't going to deliver themselves, no matter what you think you'd rather be doing. And I learned about customer service. If the old lady with the walker wants her newspaper hung on the inside door handle of her storm door, just tossing the paper on the porch isn't gonna get it. I also learned about deadbeat customers...the folks who'd keep promising to pay you, get 4 or more weeks behind on their bill, then they'd call the newspaper office to complain if you tried to cut off their service for nonpayment.
I also learned about being on time. It was an afternoon paper route, and school got out at 3:30. I had a couple of customers who worked in town, but lived out in the country...and they got off work at 4 o'clock SHARP. So I had to have their paper delivered to their car, or to the appointed drop-off spot, before these customers left work. I also had 4 "newsstand" stops in town...two drugstores, the ice house, and the local hospital. Those also had to be delivered in a timely fashion, or else the retailers didn't have the fresh newspapers to sell.
It also taught me that nobody gives a DAMN when YOU have a problem, if it affects THEM negatively. It doesn't matter if you're in a wreck or in the hospital...to the employer and to the customer, those are EXCUSES. And nobody likes people who make excuses. That's an important lesson for a kid to learn on a job.
I'd suggest that, if there is ANY job a 13 year old can legally do outside the family home, you send him in that direction. Learning to please an employer, or a customer, rather than just pleasing yourself, is one of the most valuable lessons a kid can learn.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Third Brush Generators - by Chris Pratt. While I love straightening sheet metal, cleaning, and painting old tractors, I use every excuse to avoid working on the on the electrics. I find the whole process sheer mystery. I have picked up and attempted to read every auto and farm electrics book with no improvement in the situation. They all seem to start with a chapter entitled "Theory of Electricity". After a few paragraphs I usually close the book and go back to banging out dents. A good friend and I were recently discussing our tractor electrical systems when he stated "I figure it all comes back to applying Ohms Law". At this point
... [Read Article]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
