4 year old tractor passenger killed

[Grayson Klassen]

A lot of varied opinions on this topic, from against to for and a few seem to be on the fence.

How many people that are against let their kids ride motor cycles before they are 16 even though there is a sticker on every one of them saying not to. I am not for doing anything to put a childs life in danger. My kids can ride with me but I have a cab which adds protection.

Can we all agree that we would do anything to prevent our children harm? While this accident is tragic beyond measure, unless we know all circumstances (meaning we were there) who are we to judge?

While children cannot grow up in a bubble, we do what we can to protect them while still giving them experiences that help them mature into well rounded people.

Some people in this thread have become extrememly offended and insults have passed back and forth, I do not believe that was the original intent of the post and maybe some apologies are in order.

Around the corner from me a grand father ran over his grand son and the grand son died. Some tried to say he should have been aware of where the child was. Apparently he looked saw where the child was started to back up and the child tried to race behind the vehicle. is that his fault too? I realize it is different but my point is it was preventable too. ALL ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE!!!!!, but they don't all get prevented. We try to keep them safe but we also try to give them life experiences.

I believe there can be a balance.

 

[RoyJackson]

Though riding in someones lap did not directly cause this accident. It can easily cause a child to associate such dangers as time to have fun, rather than a time to be cautious, and stay clear.

And that means everyone operating any equipment has to be aware of their surroundings...as in, turn off those radios, leave the beer alone until after the work and pay attention!!
And those with young children have to be doubly aware.

 

[TripleR]

Interesting thread, but people really make themselves look bad and lose credibility with name calling and the comment on committing suicide was way the **** over the top. There was an incident in which a father and son were deer hunting and the father shot and killed his grown son; overcome with grief, he put the muzzle in his own mouth and killed himself.

I have posted on similar threads and see no reason to do so again, just wish this could be discussed with some semblance of civility.

 

[Qapla]

These arguments crack me up, when some can foresee and attempt to minimize dangers then there's always a small but vocal group who chime in with they might as well live life in bubble wrap suit or I guess kids then shouldn't operated bbq's, powertools or stoves either...

I was not trying to advocate either too liberal or too restrictive behavior. I have kids ... 4 of them ... all girls ... (of course, my youngest is now 21) ...they all use the stove and they all know how to drive (in fact 3 of them drive fork-lifts)

I guess I should have wrapped part of my comments in [SARCASM][/SARCASM] tags.

However, I am serious about the smoking-in the-car thing.

I have no problem with children being taught how to cook on the stove, use a BBQ or even drive a tractor. (I learned when I was 8 and still live on the same 30 acres where my children and my brothers children have all been raised)

I do not agree with needlessly endangering children's lives by engaging in senseless activities that are highly dangerous or just plain dumb. I would put carrying a child on a tractor with a bush-hog running or smoking in the car with children in this category.

Sorry if my sarcasm about the other extremes got anyone confused.

 

[west7323]

A lot of varied opinions on this topic, from against to for and a few seem to be on the fence.

How many people that are against let their kids ride motor cycles before they are 16 even though there is a sticker on every one of them saying not to. I am not for doing anything to put a childs life in danger. My kids can ride with me but I have a cab which adds protection.

Can we all agree that we would do anything to prevent our children harm? While this accident is tragic beyond measure, unless we know all circumstances (meaning we were there) who are we to judge?

While children cannot grow up in a bubble, we do what we can to protect them while still giving them experiences that help them mature into well rounded people.

Some people in this thread have become extrememly offended and insults have passed back and forth, I do not believe that was the original intent of the post and maybe some apologies are in order.

Around the corner from me a grand father ran over his grand son and the grand son died. Some tried to say he should have been aware of where the child was. Apparently he looked saw where the child was started to back up and the child tried to race behind the vehicle. is that his fault too? I realize it is different but my point is it was preventable too. ALL ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE!!!!!, but they don't all get prevented. We try to keep them safe but we also try to give them life experiences.

I believe there can be a balance.

Amen. No one wants to see a child hurt but we need to live our lives. It is an individual choice as to what you deem as dangerous or not for YOUR own child. As the saying goes "live and learn". You can't learn if you don't live. Stay safe out there.

 

[SixHoeBob]

One danger with all mowers is that the spinning blades cannot be seen.

A second problem is that the spinning blades cannot be stopped immediately.

I agree with Gladehound's approach to teaching children how to act around equipment. Including the part of the child making eye contact with the operator, and being recognized before approaching the tractor. The child will still use this same system out of habit when she is a senior citizen. It is better for the children to learn in a controlled environment, than to be taught by the idiots who make up a large part of society. Use all the time required to teach the children safe habits, even if it means the project falls behind schedule. In the long run, the kids will become productive and work in a safe manner.

My Jack Russel rides on all of my equipment with me. Quite often if she approaches a machine I am operating, I will interrupt what I am doing to chase her with the machine. I maintain a safe distance, but my goal is to keep her wary of the rapid changes of directions the machines can make. She has learned to make eye contact when approaching a machine, while keeping some distance away.

I cannot teach her the concept of the rotating blades, so she is always inside when I mow. Mulching the dog, would make for a real bad day.

 

[whodat526]

how many people on here let their kids on 4 wheelers because the last time i checked a 4 wheeler will go twice if not 3 times as fast as a tractor i got my three nephews a ford 1110 tractor when they was 2,3 and 4 years old and the oldest to drove it by their self i would rather them be riding with somebody on a tractor than on a 4 wheeler i believe more people have been killed on 4 wheelers than on tractors in the last 10 years or so

 

[troutsqueezer]

I don't even like children. Seriously, I don't like them. I had one and I don't like them.

There are all kinds of people in this world. Crazy....huh?

Anytime anyone says "we should all.....do this or do that...." I'll be sure not to do it.

I do like dogs though.....

 

[Grayson Klassen]

I don't even like children. Seriously, I don't like them. I had one and I don't like them.

There are all kinds of people in this world. Crazy....huh?

Anytime anyone says "we should all.....do this or do that...." I'll be sure not to do it.

I do like dogs though.....

These are the comments that get everyone stirred up and P*****d Off

 

[trotzen]

If you never do anything dangerous with your child, how much time are you spending with him? Most people on this forum don't have their main hobby as playing monopoly, and anything farming/fishing/hunting/outdoors is potentially dangerous. I remember riding on the tractor with my dad when I was 5, and take my son on the tractor too. Not a good idea to bush hog with a passenger, but it seems that modern society is sucking all the joy out of life with regulations not letting you kids move around in the car, not letting you swim, hike, climb, bike, or do anything in miny places that most of us on this post could have done as kids. Who doesn't remember how great it was riding in the back of a pickup with friends on a summer night? Do that now and you go to jail. The price of liberty and freedom is that sometime people get maimed, die, but I'd rather that than spend my safe life indoors. Way more kids are being killed by Doritos and pizza these days than by tractors.