Bringing kids along to work at the farm all day, every day certainly has required training! I was recently asked how I taught my kids to ride in the combine. Here’s my thoughts on the subject:
How We Started
When kid 1 was a baby, he rode in the car seat in the ranger while we calved, then I baby wore him or kept him on my lap as we went. It was fairly simple before he was mobile. Once he started to move and wanted to explore, we worked on a few principles.
- No & stop require immediate obedience. I expect and teach to obey “right away with a happy heart,” but we have specifically had conversations about how no and stop can be the difference between life and death.
- Buttons/levers/steering wheels are for the driver. None of these are toys and should not be played with, even if a machine is not in use.
- Doors and windows must be respected and treated as if they would pop open at any moment. The front window on the combine is a tough one. We still remind kid 3 to move off the window frequently.
- Practice waiting — When I hop out for a moment, we started practicing in the ranger, I expect you to wait for me until I come back.
- Discuss how everything works. Vehicles move forward and back, not sideways, PTOs spin, calves kick, etc. We try to help them understand what’s happening and develop a situational awareness they can adapt to other scenarios.
How It’s Going
It’s a continual work in progress. We by no means have it down perfect, but I can trust some of them to wait for me when I say wait. Culture feels like another good word to describe it. In a way, it feels easier that we do this every day. This is our normal. When we are in situations we navigate less, I can tell I have not prepared them as much as we’ve prepared for the tasks we do daily.
The Short Story
In summary — How did I teach my children to ride in the combine respectfully, check cows in the ranger during calving most of the day, and in general, come along? We’ve spent years practicing. Years focused on obedience, situational awareness, and self-control which also translate really well to being able to take 4 kids 5 and under to Costco on Saturday by myself!
Experienced mamas, what would you add? What principle do you feel helped your kids learn to come along with you?
