Do your kids mow your lawn?

[kirstenb1]

We have a large yard that requires a riding lawn mower, then a push mower for the ditch. DD has been using both since she was 12. She takes a lot of pride in her yard, and does a great job!!

 

[Bob NC]

But remember, kids exaggerate too. "None of my friends" usually means at least a 1/4 of them do. "All of my friends" usually means only one or two of them do.

LOL. Have you been a fly on the wall at my house?

 

[Ceila]

DS14 has been mowing since he was 12, and DD will learn next year when she is 12. Our lawn is just about 1/3 acre; we pay him $10.

For us, there are some chores that are just expected to be done, and others that we are willing to let the kids earn money while doing. Mowing happens to be one of the latter. Every family is different, and different things work for different people.

 

[avgeek81]

My brother always mowed the lawn when we were growing up. I helped with the trimming and the leaves in the fall. I was always afraid of the mower. I was scared the pull string would fly out of my hand and injure me. We had a really small yard and it didnt take much time. We both shoveled snow in the winter.

Now I have my own house and mow my lawn. Takes about 45 min. Last week the pull start did come out of my hand and hit me, left a big bruise on my chest. Didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would.

I did know a boy when I was younger that had an accident with a lawn mower and lost his toes. I don't if he was mowing or someone else was and he got in the way. I heard about it from a third party.

 

[SpecialK]

We have two boys, 15 and 17, and one of their responsibilities is mowing the lawn.

 

[LisaR]

DS14 has been mowing since he was 12, and DD will learn next year when she is 12. Our lawn is just about 1/3 acre; we pay him $10.

For us, there are some chores that are just expected to be done, and others that we are willing to let the kids earn money while doing. Mowing happens to be one of the latter. Every family is different, and different things work for different people.

If DS didn't cut the grass, we would pay a lawn service instead so we feel we should pay him. On the other hand, we would never pay an outside company to empty the dishwasher, wash the towels, or change the bedsheets therefore our kids are expected to do those chores when asked without pay.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

OMG Mystery Machine, I would be the same way if I didn't have some issues with my health, stamina, energy, etc... LOVE the colorful photo!!!

Thanks! Cool isn't it?

Now if I could figure out how to do that on my camera.

I need to figure out how to do a panoramic pic on my phone.

 

[POPCITY]

My brother and my cousin both lost toes as kids when they were mowing, so I'm pretty paranoid about letting DS11 do it yet. I don't know if clumsiness runs in our family or what, but I'm not taking any chances, so he has a reprieve for a couple more years, at least.

 

[Aliceacc]

Someone mentioned shoveling snow.

It's funny, but that's the only form of exercise I really love... bizarre, I know. My 14 year old son loves it too. My daughters, not so much. And my husband does a mean snowblower.

But in any snow storm, the rule is that our property, as well as that of my neighbor (a widow in her 50's, whose kids are grown and gone) need to be done before anyone goes out to play. The girls will generallly take care of the 3 cars (our 2 plus Joyce's) and my son and I normally do a lot of the shoveling. No payment, no pleading, just the knowledge that it comes first.

 

[fun4me]

DS18 mowed the lawn until he got a job and was never home. DS15 mows the lawn, edges and weed eats our lawn now. DS9 will mow it when he gets older/bigger.

I don't pay him to mow it either. I do pay him to poop scoop the yard though.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

I did not mow the lawn growing up (we had a gardener) and maybe because of that, I really enjoy mowing the lawn now. In fact, I am the only one in our development who mows their own lawn (the community has landscapers who handle it) and I had to receive special permission to keep my own lawn. As a result, I doubt that I'll have my kids do it when they're old enough, either because I enjoy it or, if I stop enjoying it, because it will be done by the service.

My son and daughter do hang out with me while I mow, as they enjoy it, as well, and each has a small part of the gardens to plant and maintain for their own, with supervision from me.

 

[WDWJDS]

I'll probably get flames for this, but so be it. Remember, this is just my personal opinion for my particular family.

I don't have the mindset of "we all live here so everyone helps out". I feel like I decides to get married, buy this house and have kids, so it's my responsibility to take care of things (along with hubby).

BUT, if I ask my child to do something, she had better do it without any lip. She mows the lawn because she likes it (no pay). She will wash dishes if no one else did (without prompting - no pay). She will gather trash (but I have Do remind her. I make her do it because she makes the most trash!).

She has her own bathroom and cleans it when it gets out of control, but I have paid her to clean mine when I just didn't feel like it (one again, since it's a bathroom only used by hubby and me, I feel it's my responsibility to take care of it).

And that's all I have to say about that.

 

[worm761]

We have a rule that everyone contributes in our house.

DS is 17 and high functioning autism/Asperger's. He mows the lawn among other things. He also gets an allowance but that is not tied to chores and will end when he gets a job.

My nephew is 14 and mows the lawn for his mother. My 16 year old nephew mows. As does an 18 year old niece still at home.

I will say this is the one chore I will always get a pass on. I have mowed exactly one lawn in my life (at 15) and it ended up with me in the ER. I am apparently allergic to grass.

 

[Njord]

No. She's only 7 though. I never mowed the yard growing up because by the time I was old enough to consider that, we no longer had a yard. My husband and his brother mowed the yard from 12-13 till the day they moved out.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Our kids do not mow our yard. I don't either. My husband has a professional grade zero turn mower and he won't let anyone else use it because it was so expensive. I guess he thinks we might break it. It's fine if he breaks it but god forbid one of us broke it.

Anyway. I never made my DS28 mow when he was growing up either.

The only thing I make my kids do is clean their room. I grew up with a mom who took care of me and didn't expect me to do anything but clean my room. So that is kind of what I have done too.

I sure wouldn't expect a kid to mow with a push mower. THAT to me is old fashioned. You can get a self propelled lawn mower for $400 nowadays. There is no reason that anybody should have to push a yard.

 

[Disney Doll]

Who cares what his friends do?
Your his mother, you want him to mow.

 

[luvsJack]

Our kids do not mow our yard. I don't either. My husband has a professional grade zero turn mower and he won't let anyone else use it because it was so expensive. I guess he thinks we might break it. It's fine if he breaks it but god forbid one of us broke it.

Anyway. I never made my DS28 mow when he was growing up either.

The only thing I make my kids do is clean their room. I grew up with a mom who took care of me and didn't expect me to do anything but clean my room. So that is kind of what I have done too.

I sure wouldn't expect a kid to mow with a push mower. THAT to me is old fashioned. You can get a self propelled lawn mower for $400 nowadays. There is no reason that anybody should have to push a yard.

When the boys were teens we had an old fashioned push mower. didn't hurt them. In fact it helped with their summer work out routine for sports.

 

[KDIPIAZZ]

As a teen, i was expected to mow 1.5 acres with a push mower ... in a checkerboard pattern no less, edge and rake the clippings. If i complained, I got to do it on Friday night. I learned quickly.

As a teen, my son was expected to mow 2.5 acres with a mulching tractor (no raking), trim and edge and sweep the walks and porches. If he complained, he got to weed the flower beds as well. He didn't learn as quickly as I did

 

[kirstenb1]

When the boys were teens we had an old fashioned push mower. didn't hurt them. In fact it helped with their summer work out routine for sports.

This is how I feel. Although we have a gas mower, I'll probably never buy a self propelled. If I'm mowing the lawn, I figure that counts in place of my jogging for the day. If dd is, well then, she's getting some exercise she wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

 

[The Wise One]

I've never mowed a day in my life. However I am a girl in my mid twenties and I was the youngest and had 5 older brothers living at home so I would have never been allowed to anyway. I had also never taken the trash out until I was married, lol.