My dad wants my kid to work in the cattle industry

[LiteFeather]

Hello all. I hope this isn't too much of an off-topic topic. My dad used to work in the cattle industry waaaay back (don't know much of the details, to be honest, I just know he really liked that job). And when we visited them last week he was telling me and my son (10 years old) he wants him to work the same... I'm not sure what made him bring up the topic esp since my son is just 10 y/o. My son said he wants to be an athlete (loves basketball) and told his grandad that... Not sure he liked it and kinda got mad. I respect him and all the jobs he did for us but he's a tad strict... I guess I just kind of wanted to share this...

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

First of all :welcome: to Cattle Today.

I'm a grandfather too. The most important thing we can do for our grandchildren is to offer strong positive support for them and the activities they are interested in. I have introduced my grandson to the farm and our cattle and as a 5 year old he thinks it's absolutely awesome. We will see how he feels as he grows up.

 

[jltrent]

I have three grand kids and all I have tried to teach them as much as I can about the cattle industry and hope to get a little help down the line.

Here is the youngest and every time we baby sit and she hears a tractor start up she wants to ride and drive..

I also taught my daughter to drive a tractor and she can handle about any of the equipment..

Grand daughter

Daughter

 

[HDRider]

Just let them spend time together.

 

[1982vett]

Hope the kid makes his dream come true....but you better prepare him to be prepared if it doesn't.

 

[Ryder]

Rather short sighted to decide what line of work someone else should follow at ten years of age.
Did the kids father (you) follow in grandpas footsteps?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I thought I had nearly burned my son out on it when he was a kid...I was wanting him to follow my dreams..I just hope I got this mess in some kind if order when he takes over..if they ain't raised in it they need to be eased into it. Make the work enjoyable ..they can find the hard stuff out soon enough..https://youtu.be/6LbJEcS4GyM

 

[backhoeboogie]

There are a lot of memories with my grand dad, dad, and uncles when it comes to cattle. Good memories. I had my gut full of cattle themselves by about 16. Some time along about then I vowed to never own any. I never did own any while my granddaddy was still alive.

 

[shaz]

I didn't appreciate my rural lifestyle until I moved out. I just wanted to be an engineer and live in front of a computer. Later on I met some older engineers and older cattlemen and decided I wanted to be like a cattleman in my old age.

I'm so sick of firewood I could through my guts up!

Anyway, I preached farming and country life to the step kids and they want no part of it. You're asking someone to work their butt off for nothing. Should we feel noble?

 

[Son of Butch]

My dad used to work in the cattle industry... last week he was telling me and my son (10 years old)
he wants him to work the same...
My son said he wants to be an athlete (loves basketball) and told his grandad that...

Never too young to choose a career and by 11 a kid should at least have a full time job (32+ hrs wk)
unless you live in one of those sissy states with child labor laws.

Even then if the kid had any gumption he'd get off his butt and get fake I.D. and go to work
underground. He wouldn't be the first 11 yr old to dig coal or iron ore to help support the family.
After 18 months of that maybe he'd be ready to quit back sassin' his grandpa and appreciate an
indoor career on the kill line.

Sheesh kids and their parents today, acting they have minds of their own... and another thing
(insert shaking fist emojie here) stay off of my lawn!

 

[bball]

My dad used to work in the cattle industry... last week he was telling me and my son (10 years old)
he wants him to work the same...
My son said he wants to be an athlete (loves basketball) and told his grandad that...

Never too young to choose a career and by 11 a kid should at least have a full time job (32+ hrs wk)
unless you live in one of those sissy states with child labor laws.

Even then if the kid had any gumption he'd get off his butt and get fake I.D. and go to work
underground. He wouldn't be the first 11 yr old to dig coal or iron ore to help support the family.
After 18 months of that maybe he'd be ready to quit back sassin' his grandpa and appreciate an
indoor career on the kill line.

Sheesh kids and their parents today, acting they have minds of their own... and another thing
(insert shaking fist emojie here) stay off of my lawn!

Haha!

I'm 47 years old and still don't know what i want to be when i grow up!

 

[TCRanch]

I suspect your dad is trying to instill an honest, hard work ethic in your son that includes responsibilities and not tethered to his phone (think 4-H!). No entitlements. How many professional athletes are truly role models?

Your son is 10. I have no idea how old your father is but he won't be around forever. Take your son to the local or state fair and invite your dad. Expose and educate him to the Ag Industry and be his best supporter at his games. What your son eventually decides to do for a living is entirely up to him and all subject to change. Multiple times!

 

[Lucky]

10 is the perfect age to buy a horse and start practicing roping and riding skills. Imagine the fun y'all will have at rodeos or jackpot ropings. By the time he gets out of school he'll be ready to get a ranching job!! Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[Son of Butch]

The kid wants to be a basketball player, not a cowboy. Cowboy ranching will be dead when he comes
of age ATVs are where it's at. Buy him an ATV or 2 and encourage him to be the next awful knofel.
He can incorporate his slam dunk basketball skills as he jumps canyons for entertainment thrills.

 

[LiteFeather]

Thank you all so much for the insights, advice, and for sharing your stories!! I suppose I'm just kind of worried... My partner's mom was strict and wanted her to be a doctor back then. She didn't want to and it caused a heavy strain in their relationship. I guess I sort of panicked because I don't want that to happen to my son and my father. I don't want my son to end up thinking of my father as somehow toxic. (I read some stuff here and it's not like my father is domineering or any of those signs, thank god.) We're actually going to visit them again in 2 weeks. If he brings it up then we could talk more about it... And that visit to a state fair suggestion sounds great. Again, thank you!

 

[HDRider]

I didn't appreciate my rural lifestyle until I moved out. I just wanted to be an engineer and live in front of a computer. Later on I met some older engineers and older cattlemen and decided I wanted to be like a cattleman in my old age.

I'm so sick of firewood I could through my guts up!

Anyway, I preached farming and country life to the step kids and they want no part of it. You're asking someone to work their butt off for nothing. Should we feel noble?

Is any profession "noble" any more?

 

[HDRider]

Thank you all so much for the insights, advice, and for sharing your stories!! I suppose I'm just kind of worried... My partner's mom was strict and wanted her to be a doctor back then. She didn't want to and it caused a heavy strain in their relationship. I guess I sort of panicked because I don't want that to happen to my son and my father. I don't want my son to end up thinking of my father as somehow toxic. (I read some stuff here and it's not like my father is domineering or any of those signs, thank god.) We're actually going to visit them again in 2 weeks. If he brings it up then we could talk more about it... And that visit to a state fair suggestion sounds great. Again, thank you!

When is the last time your son spent the summer with grandpa?

By 12 or 13, if he does not want to, you will not be able to make him spend time with him.

 

[hurleyjd]

My great grand father mined coal, my grandfather mined coal and my father mined coal. And by gosh I will mine coal when I am old enough. No my fore fathers never mined coal.In the era and small community that I grew up in you were exposed to dairy farmers, sweet potatoes farmers and watermelon farmers. None of kids had any exposure to any professional careers with out the exception school teachers, preachers and oil field pumpers. Had no idea when I looked at a catalog from the nearest college that had associates degrees in drafting and pre- engineering courses. Had no idea as what these careers were about and what person did with them. Well when I started I signed up for the drafting courses. A Tee square drafting triangles and such and set about learning. After finishing two years I was married and my wife and I was partnering with my father in an all Jersey dairy. So we had a misunderstanding in the partnership and I started looking for a job. I landed one and I did not know what the heck I would be doing. Reported to work and found out I would be a technical illustrator drawing exploded views of parts for an illustrated parts manual. It got slow in the Tech Pub area and I was loaned to the engineering department as a detail draftsman. The man running the department asked if I would like to transfer to his group and I said yes as I would be creating something for someone that was an engineer. I got along pretty well and was creative in my thinking and moved on up through the organization. Quit and started a small dairy and pretty well failed at it. The company hired me back and I never left. I ended my career as a senior design engineer. Pretty well lucked into any job or career that happened and also to my marriage that will be 59 years old next June 3 2020. Never planned anything just did my job and let my life go where ever I let it. I let my two kids find their own way in work and religion. Son is a banker and the daughter is an insurance executive. And I am still running a cow herd in my retirement to prove to my Dad who has since died that I can be a great cow man.
Really just fooling myself. Jest of my life story is let the kids decide what they want to do and expose them to different careers and let them decide.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I think most are missing the point. Grandpa doesn't live on a farm. He has grand memories of days gone by.

 

[ChrisB]

I've never really compared, but if I had to guess, a pro basketball player probably makes more than your average cowman. If I could have a do-over, I would play 2-3 years in the NBA then use that money to buy a ranch. But too late now... Wish I would have thought of it when I was younger.