We start them young around here.
At first they guide the wheel while sitting on our laps.
But soon it gets pretty squashy!
As soon as they can reach the pedals and see over the wheel,
they are perched on their own in the driver's seat.
Farm kids HAVE to learn to drive early.
Not just because they looooove it and there are no police in the paddocks.
But because we need extra drivers when we are moving machinery around.
and God forbid there might one day be an accident happen to the adult
and they need to get to the front gate.
(yes we have tested this one, but the accident happened only 100m from the front gate!)
To meet an ambulance that would never find them in the thousands of acres.
and I've been told that kids who learn early on farms are at a less risk of a serious accident on the public roads as young adults.
And that's why I like them learning now!
and some of the smaller ones have to slide down to change gears and then pop up again so they see - I agree most farm kids learn to drive well and safely.
ReplyDeleteJust read your comment on my blog - so sorry you have been flooded but glad your house is safe. Really hard to get to this time of year and have things go so horribly wrong...
ReplyDeleteTake care and hope things look up soon (or at least look dry)
AFW
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Being stuck in a hotel room with 3 kids is not fun. Grundy picture theatre and shops are doing well out of us! We are lucky in that we don't crop and all this water is good for us fattening our cattle! So long as they don't drown!
ReplyDeleteIt must be so much safer learning to drive in the country than in the city. Driving farm equipment like tractors is very common here in our Prairie provinces.
ReplyDeleteWe have a young Australian student from Perth in our grade 3 class. He's a remarkable ambassador for his young age. I must say I am totally smitten with his accent!
Hostess, how funny is it that we don't think we have an accent, but we think everyone else does?
ReplyDeleteI looove that my kids know what it feels like when a vehicle is slipping or they've given too many revs or are punching the brakes, all in the safety of a flat, bare paddock! Even out on the roads they are keen to learn why we do certain things.
I remember learning to drive around my cousin's farm... I still have the nickname 'Brocky' because of my lead foot! Fun days. gxo
ReplyDeleteWillow and I grew up in the bush too and I also remember driving when very young - Mum and Dad gave us an old beat up Datsun or something to drive to our friends houses (kms) away. I still can't believe we were allowed to do it!! Although I have to say I didn't get my licence until much later in life because moving to the city traffic was just too scary!!
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Hi Lotus, we all seem to have done some crazy things, I remember pulling farm utes out of bogs at my uncle's when I was only about 11, we had to learn, cos we had to help out. Times were different then, the age of communication has made us all so much more cautious. We hear of every little farm accident and this scares us and pulls the reins on the kid's freedom a fair bit.
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