Whew! Close call!

[Medic24]

Ok,, first off, let me admit this... it was my bad...my fault.... but it happened....

Been slowly trying to teach our 12 year old daughter a bit about actually working, and what daddy does all day, while she plays with those infernal Barbies, and easybake ovens, etc.
Plus daddy has been getting itchy for some extra help out there in the great outdoors... cus the momma rarely goes past the gate anymore...

Look, I was being careful... I adjusted the seat for her, made sure she was wearing the seatbelt and everything... this is not the first time she has operated our smaller tractor...........but it has to be her last for a while... although I was calm, cool, and collected on the exterior.......I just hoped she did not smell the load I dropped in my pants when she did what she did......

We still had plenty of room in the barn to add more rolls of hay... I know it can be tight in there, and would never expect her to move around like that.....
but she was doing sooo good. we got one trailer unloaded, she had put up and even stacked 10 rolls of hay, when i went out to drive the other trailer around......as I did.......I felt the truck take a hard roll to the right and also felt the inside door panel come apart to my left, as the hay spear came through the door and into the cab just below the steering wheel........she had come out of the barn and whipped around the corner right into the (thank goodness) OLD truck I was pulling the wagons with.......

Ok, after about and hour of crying... it was all better....... I got my tears dried up in time for mom to come home and not get panic-ed over the 'little' incident. As for our little darling daughter... not a tear was shed, but enthrallment as she began to relate excitedly that she almost speared daddy..........and of course mom was not the least bit fazed as she asked, 'so.....what did you expect?'......... a conspiracy I tell you......has to be a conspiracy :cboy:

 

[HatCreekFan]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

NOW I'm beginning to see a little bit of what my sister and I put our dad through. Hmmm...No wonder he was always changing his pants after we would help him..... :lol:

 

[ctlbaron]

Glad you're alright Medic.

 

[jt]

:shock: that coulda been bad...glad you are ok..

sounds like something my wife would have said too...i can hear it now... you shoulda known better! what you expect, she's never driven a tractor much!

medic, i'd probably got in trouble for it on top of having my truck torn up.. :roll:

jt

 

[madbeancounter1]

I heard that!

 

[bigbull338]

medic so glad that you an your gaughter are ok. an as for the truck that can be fixed or replaced. i know how scared both of you was. but get her on the tractor again so she wont be afraid of it .an gets used to driving it. scott

 

[milkmaid]

Wow - glad you're both OK!

I did something like that with my boss's tractor last summer. It was the ancient red tractor that the brakes wore out on years ago, and my backing skills have never been that great. I ran into a fence, tractor was fine, fence was not. I haven't been allowed on the tractor since then.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

IMO a 12 yr old is not old enough or experienced enough (use of proper judgment, etc.) with farm vehicles or equipment to be running/driving them. Granted a lot of farm kids drive tractors long before they can get a driver's license. But, it is still a very risky venture to let the real young ones operate such equipment. A life is worth much more than "giving the kids practical experience at a very young age."

They can operate non-power tools (shovels, buckets, hoes, etc.) and gain "first-hand" practical "work" experience around the farm without endangering their lives or other's. Can also carry stuff, etc. JMO.

 

[madbeancounter1]

Dad started me at age 5 on the old wheel horse (sans mower deck)... had me driving lands in the yard. Didn't get on the 8N until I was 7 when we were fencing. Then I was off to the races. Well not really he never let me get out of 2nd gear and didn't let me drive the 5000 or 3020 until a couple of years after that

But I agree w/Bigbull. Don't let her wait too long before you get her on there again even if you are up there with her.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

I also am glad you and your daughter are ok. Good thing you had her belted in. I hope you DO NOT take the advice of another and put her back on that tractor.She is too young. Think about it you could have been killed or her.

 

[Medic24]

Well, we found a another door for the old 79 ford today........thats fixed even better then new.......well as far as letting her on the tractor.. yeah I will, but I am going to be on it with her.........
if you knew her, you would know she is 12 going on 21! she is a responsible kid, and it was pretty much my fault in a lot of ways... she is and will be limited to where she can drive this tractor, because we have so many hills and mountains... it would be way too easy for her to roll it over, if she got away from the small area around the barn,.....but yeah it will be a while before she even wants to drive it I think.

Now she is back on the "I want a horse" trip............would rather her spear my truck a thousand times before I get another horse here. And no ATV's for her either. :cboy:

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Sure glad to hear that it all turned out well for you Medic. By the way, especially in view of the area you're in, you've indicated the tractor does have a seatbelt, but do you have a good roll bar on that tractor? And wheels spread out to the max?

 

[msscamp]

IMO a 12 yr old is not old enough or experienced enough (use of proper judgment, etc.) with farm vehicles or equipment to be running/driving them. Granted a lot of farm kids drive tractors long before they can get a driver's license. But, it is still a very risky venture to let the real young ones operate such equipment. A life is worth much more than "giving the kids practical experience at a very young age."

They can operate non-power tools (shovels, buckets, hoes, etc.) and gain "first-hand" practical "work" experience around the farm without endangering their lives or other's. Can also carry stuff, etc. JMO.

Hell, by the time I was 12 years old I was loading the feedwagon with the front end loader (and knew how to drive the feed wagon and how to feed the cattle)! I learned to ride at about 5 or 6, and was working cows at 7. At about 14 I finally earned the privileg (sp?) of being allowed to use the 18' gooseneck trailer for my foray's into the hills for the purpose of checking water and moving cows as necessary. My first driving lesson took place when I was about 10, Dad put me in the winch truck (no seats, just buckets), said this is the clutch, this is the brake, this is the accelerator, shut the door and turned me loose! I had fun!! At least until I ran it into a ditch and didn't know how to get it out.

 

[Tod Dague]

IMO a 12 yr old is not old enough or experienced enough (use of proper judgment, etc.) with farm vehicles or equipment to be running/driving them. Granted a lot of farm kids drive tractors long before they can get a driver's license. But, it is still a very risky venture to let the real young ones operate such equipment. A life is worth much more than "giving the kids practical experience at a very young age."

They can operate non-power tools (shovels, buckets, hoes, etc.) and gain "first-hand" practical "work" experience around the farm without endangering their lives or other's. Can also carry stuff, etc. JMO.

Hell, by the time I was 12 years old I was loading the feedwagon with the front end loader (and knew how to drive the feed wagon and how to feed the cattle)! I learned to ride at about 5 or 6, and was working cows at 7. At about 14 I finally earned the privileg (sp?) of being allowed to use the 18' gooseneck trailer for my foray's into the hills for the purpose of checking water and moving cows as necessary. My first driving lesson took place when I was about 10, Dad put me in the winch truck (no seats, just buckets), said this is the clutch, this is the brake, this is the accelerator, shut the door and turned me loose! I had fun!! At least until I ran it into a ditch and didn't know how to get it out.

The farm across the street from my brother's place had two boys plowing with two big eight wheel center pivot JD tractors. I saw them as they were finishing up. They looked to be ten and twelve. They were jumping around and high fiveing (sp) each other. It looked like they had a blast.

 

[Medic24]

There are admittedly some emotional benefits to allowing a younger person accept responsibilites such as farm driving.....and I will continue to allow my daughter to do some, keeping into account the controlled situation....as I stated above, it was likely my fault most of the way around. But will keep me aware of what can go wrong. I still think it's a great learning and personal growth experience, and also lets the younger ones know that we trust them............

What I love about this child is that she is starting to want to come out to the fields and work with daddy, and not go shopping, or hanging around getting into mischief with her friends.....or care about what she is wearing or listening too....
She is really starting to like going to the livestock markets etc......But still comes home to play with the girlie things.

Maybe mom has been doing ok after all............was getting worried I was gonna have a 'eeew gross' child on my hands......but it was precious yesterday, when she was feeding the calves, and one got poop on her legs... oh the 'look' was worth a thousand dollars! :cboy:

 

[jt]

sounds to me like you are making some good memories that will last a lifetime.. ;-) :cboy:

jt

 

[J Baxter]

By the time I was twelve I had logged a couple thousand hours on various tractors. If a kid has enough wherewithall about them 12 isn't too young.

JB

 

[msscamp]

IMO a 12 yr old is not old enough or experienced enough (use of proper judgment, etc.) with farm vehicles or equipment to be running/driving them. Granted a lot of farm kids drive tractors long before they can get a driver's license. But, it is still a very risky venture to let the real young ones operate such equipment. A life is worth much more than "giving the kids practical experience at a very young age."

They can operate non-power tools (shovels, buckets, hoes, etc.) and gain "first-hand" practical "work" experience around the farm without endangering their lives or other's. Can also carry stuff, etc. JMO.

Hell, by the time I was 12 years old I was loading the feedwagon with the front end loader (and knew how to drive the feed wagon and how to feed the cattle)! I learned to ride at about 5 or 6, and was working cows at 7. At about 14 I finally earned the privileg (sp?) of being allowed to use the 18' gooseneck trailer for my foray's into the hills for the purpose of checking water and moving cows as necessary. My first driving lesson took place when I was about 10, Dad put me in the winch truck (no seats, just buckets), said this is the clutch, this is the brake, this is the accelerator, shut the door and turned me loose! I had fun!! At least until I ran it into a ditch and didn't know how to get it out.

The farm across the street from my brother's place had two boys plowing with two big eight wheel center pivot JD tractors. I saw them as they were finishing up. They looked to be ten and twelve. They were jumping around and high fiveing (sp) each other. It looked like they had a blast.

I'm sure they did! There is nothing in this world that can compare to the knowledge that Dad not only believes in my ability, but he believes I'm ready for this, for a child. It's a rush beyond comparison!

 

[Medic24]

Well, is it me or just this tractor thats bad luck? Little sweetheart was NOT driving this time...........blew out a front tire on it, I have no idea from what.and of course... the worst place, the worst time...........where's all my tire lug wrenches at when ya need em? :x :cboy:

 

[Beefy]

trial and error learning at its best.