Daughter on tractor = trust test

[4570Man]

I have been mowing since I was 6. I probably graduated to a tractor by 10.

 

[GreenYellow]

Usually I just tell her not to drive by Mom's office window

LOL! Perfect.

Her mom mentions a lot of "what ifs" to me too.

 

[GreenYellow]

My oldest one at 12. My youngest one, still not comfortable at 17. Funny how two kids from the same parents can be so different. I don't mean opposites, I just mean different.

I hear ya Moss. Same here, except 3 different flavors off different.

 

[GPintheMitten]

My son operated my Ford 2N when he was maybe 10 or so while I supervised him. Gradually I gave him more free reign. Later his big sister ran it. Eventually she graduated to brush hogging but I think she was 17 or 18 by then.

 

[GreenYellow]

I keep a REAL close eye on her. The tractor has effortless power steering and a ball on the steering wheel. It's super easy to handle.
The 2 things she has to work on is remembering how wide the mower swings when she turns sharp and not popping the clutch. She jerks it every time.

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[dieselcrawler]

Our oldest girl just turned 13 last weekend, and shows no interest or aptitude for driving anything. Youngest boy, at 7, wants to drive everything, and I'd let him if he was big enough to do it. I could see him running the kubota next summer, being hst, he should be able to handle it. (Hes 'got it', always has, even as a toddler on a battery powered toy in the house.) I'll let the girls do so also, if the interest is there. I started running my dad's mf135 at 8, and will follow in his footsteps with my kids, training them to operate things safely, and respect what equipment can do to you and for you.

 

[bigdeano]

The guy that logged my Dad's property used a large track hoe. He let his daughter run it for a while. She was about 12. She was pretty good with it. She's been in the military for quite a while now doing something with heavy equipment.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Speaking of young kids driving, when my youngest daughter was 16, we got her a used car. I went in to the house and told jer. I thought she would be excited.

She said she needed to finish her homework. Finally she came out and I asked her if she wanted to drive it. She said not tonight Dad. I have to finish some homework.

 

[MossRoad]

Speaking of young kids driving, when my youngest daughter was 16, we got her a used car. I went in to the house and told jer. I thought she would be excited.

She said she needed to finish her homework. Finally she came out and I asked her if she wanted to drive it. She said not tonight Dad. I have to finish some homework.

That's pretty much how our youngest is, too. If she has the chance to have someone else drive her somewhere, she'll take it. She does not like to drive. My wife doesn't like to drive, either. She's an excellent driver, too. She just doesn't enjoy it. My wife and both kids love to go on rides in the car, though, as long as I do the driving.

 

[ultrarunner]

Some kids just have a natural aptitude combined with desire and respect.

One thing I have found is kids can be kids when other kids are nearby...

I've started off my nephew and nieces with my old Craftsman mower and then they graduated to the L3800 with some seat time around the ranch with the F150 4wd with 5spd manual... seems no one they know has a stick anymore... at least they have some of the fundamentals starting out... got to love the 4wd low range around the ranch... makes it so easy to teach clutch and shifting.

Thanks for posting!