Beef Magazine

Chores for Kids

Amanda Nolz March 4th, 2009

Growing up on a cattle ranch meant there was plenty of chores to do for a little kid. I was always my dad’s “right hand man,” constantly ready to head outside to help get the chores done. Sometimes this meant opening gates, grinding feed, sorting calves or moving cows to a new pasture. On top of helping with the everyday responsibilities, I had my 4-H projects to take care of. I always showed a few heifers and a couple of steers each year, and my sisters and I were in charge of getting them fed, watered and prepped for upcoming cattle shows. We also kept accurate record books, and at the end of the summer, we sold quarters of beef to the neighbors. The money we made went towards purchasing new steers from Dad the following year.



When I was really young, Dad always kept the show steers in a separate pen. This pen didn’t have access to an electric tank or hydrant. While I’m sure a hose would have reached it just fine, Dad insisted that I carry water for my two show steers. (I suppose he was trying to teach me the importance of hard work, or something like that). So, everyday, before and after school, I would feed my steers by hand. While they were eating, I would fill up bucket after bucket of water. Being a little girl, I could only carry a little more than a half pail at a time. Even then, the water would slosh down my legs, soaking my pants and leaving only a little bit of water to dump in the tank for the steers. Nevertheless, this water carrying tradition continued until I grew strong and capable to carry a full pail of water. At one point, Dad must have decided that I had learned an important lesson, and one day I came out to chores to discover a hose filling up my steers’ water tank.

I suppose you are wondering why I tell you this story. I read an article the other day on the importance of giving chores to your children, and I started to remember the chores that I grew up with. While my friends were making their bed and washing dishes, I was spreading out bedding for the bulls and fixing fence. In the summer, while my friends were at the pool, I was out chopping thistles in the heat and picking rock. Looking back now, I don’t feel deprived; I feel lucky. I’m so thankful to have grown up on a farm and for parents who insisted I learn the value of hard work.

I thought I would share the memory with you today, and ask you what kind of chores you grew up with. What responsibilities do you give your children? What lessons have you learned being involved in the animal agriculture industry?

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7 Comments to “Chores for Kids”

1. Jim Vietheer Says:
   

   March 4th, 2009 at 9:50 am

   I agree having chores was an important part of my upbringing. There have been a few times in my life when due to situations that I haven’t had chores and on those occasion I felt lost. Now that I am full time on the ranch and not having to rush through chores to make it to work on time they are an important beginning and ending to my days. I think that that discipline is missed by people who don’t have the ranching or farming background thus their work ethic suffers. When I was growing up along with my 4-H cattle project we had a confinement laying hen house on our property that we managed with 3000 plus chickens. By the whole family participating, this inflow of money paid most of the payment for my parent’s property enabling me and my sister to have some cattle to raise and show. As I look back I remember hating those g*#damn chickens but now realize that without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today, without that learned work ethic I wouldn’t have accomplished any of my goals at my town job or at my passion of raising quality Angus cattle in a state where agriculture is king but where the majority of people have no clue as you can see by the passing of prop 2. If prop 2 had been in effect when I was growing up I certainly feel my life could have been far different.

1. Amy Wilkerson Says:
   

   March 4th, 2009 at 10:55 am

   Amanda,

   I was the oldest of 4 kids and carried lots of feed buckets, walked lots of beans - before the day of round up ready beans - cut lots of thistles and chopped lots of hay. Now with 3 kids of our own, we are searching for ways to make them learn the value of hard work. Although the trade off of labor for mechanical devices makes it much easier for us to perform our daily tasks, it makes it harder for us to give our kids the opportunity to learn the value of true manual labor. They complain about having to do their 4h chores and feed the cows, get new baby pigs in or help with pig chores on the weekends and in the evening. But what I have learned to be my favorite phrase - and as I recall it seemed to be one dad used quite often - “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” They don’t really complain anymore, they just walk out of the house mumbling “I know, I know, if I don’t work I don’t eat.”!!! All those things dad did and we swore we would never make our kids do!!

1. James Davis Says:
   

   March 4th, 2009 at 12:21 pm

   Amanda, I enjoy your stories about your experiences as a child growing up on a farm ! And whole heartedly agree that it was a privelege to be taught to work at an early age. I didn’t move on a farm til I was 13 but we grew a large garden in town and I peddled veggies to neighbors and mowed yards with a push mower [ reel type ] ! And since we lived next to a railroad yard I took 5 gallon buckets and scavenged coal that had fallen off the coal cars and carried it home to burn in our fire places. We weren’t that poor but I wanted something to do to help out .
   Again , thanks for your writings , you are a gifted writer ! Bill Davis

1. Kathy Boyd Says:
   

   March 4th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

   Ditto…….ditto……and, pretty much……ditto!!! Couldn’t agree more. I grew up on a farm–I didn’t have to water by hand, but I share a lot of your other experiences. I didn’t learn to swim until I was an adult, because we were NEVER at the pool! When my husband and I relocated to a place way out of town about 20 years ago, our children were starting 3rd and 7th grades, respectively. They had yard work, multiple 4-H projects, rodeo horses to exercise, trailers to clean and get ready for the upcoming weekend, and whatever else needed to be done to keep things running. In return, they played every school sport and participated in every activity available; played summer baseball or softball, took swimming lessons, and rodeoed every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They were never in trouble–the only way they could get to town to get into a bad situation was to walk–7 miles each way–to get there. I never established a curfew–they were too busy and too committed; and, therefore, too tired to stay out too late. They were Straight-A students and both graduated Valedictorian of their class. They both completed college, almost entirely on scholarships earned because of their academic and athletic skills. They have become good Christians, good citizens, great parents and spouses, and great employees. I have maintained, forever, that the biggest problem with many teenagers and young adults is they have no sense of responsibility–to anyone or anything. Our kids never owned a video game and we didn’t get satellite until they were gone (couldn’t afford it with all their activities)!! Responsibility is training for life and I think our job, as parents, is to raise our children so they are as ready as we can get them to function in the real world. What is gained if you raise your kids “under your thumb” and they never learn to think for themselves?

1. Amanda Nolz Says:
   

   March 4th, 2009 at 3:36 pm

   Great stories! I thought that others might have interesting tales to share about their childhood years. At the time, I thought my parents were so mean, but looking back now, I think I’m so lucky to have grown up on a cattle ranch! Thanks for taking the time to share today. I really appreciate it!

1. John R. Harbison Says:
   

   March 4th, 2009 at 11:27 pm

   Amanda,I grew up on a large farm, cattle ranch. We grew all the vegetables,cotten, grain sorghum,corn citrus,and cattle in south Texas. It seemed as a kid we always had jobs to heavy and to numberes. As I got a little older I though the city people were really lazy. We were working 24/7 At night we’d see the city lights going out shortly after sundown, while we would put in another 4 to 6 hours. Now that I am going on 60 with a full time day job an running cattle on 440ac. of irrgated land, a large garden, a herd of Boer goat and horses I am really glad that I grew up on a farm/ranch.
   Funny thing just today after a hectic day at work, getting home at 6pm completing my chores at 9pm supper, showering and reading your stories I really feel great.
   I’am still the first to work and the last to leave and am the lead salesman in a large 4 store John Deere dealership. I see people that I work with put in 40 hour weeks and drag through the day. There is nothing like some manuel labor and fresh air.
   later
   John

1. Sara Faivre-Davis Says:
   

   March 5th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

   I can’t say I was a big fan of chores as a child. Now that I’m a Mom, I have come to the conclusion that a good chunk of what’s wrong with our society, our economy and our food/health status could be fixed if all children grew up doing chores.

   Thanks for the post, Amanda. You inspired me to write my own blog post about it, over at downtoearthblog.com

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