Thoughts and meanderings
Last week I offered to pay my kids six dollars for each 55 gallon industrial strength trash bag full of leaves they set on the curb.
I had originally offered my 11 year old son 100 bucks to completely rake and bag the back yard.
(Yes our leaves just finished falling). It was a big job but I wanted to give him the opportunity to earn some real money with a tough job.
He agreed at first but then stalled and offered excuses every time I asked him when he was going to get started. Turns out he needed a lesson in motivation. I told him the deal was off and now I would rake and he and his sisters would bag it all up at a piece meal rate.
Man, when I was a kid, I had to do all that damn yard raking for free. If someone offered me money back then, I would have been on that job like stink on shit.
The job finally got done and the kids learned a partial lesson. (Work hard or dad yells a lot)
I went outside the next morning and noticed it was quite windy. To my utter dismay, both yards were once again full up with dead leaves!
So I went out and bought a 210MPH blow/suck machine with a bag attachment.
It was either that or pave over my fucking yard.
I vacuumed up all the leaves but I didn't let the kids help this time. They just wanted to use my new toy.... no dice!...Well maybe if they paid me.
posted by Bill Rowland @ April 15, 2008
34 Comments
34 Comments:
LOL - I think your son did learn a lesson by this. I hear ya about doing stuff for free when we were kids. I used to pay my son to wash my car but then realized it was cheaper to go to the car wash and I didn't have to yell at the guys to do a good job.
Have fun with your toy...man, I'd love to try that baby out!
A hundred bucks for raking leaves? What's your address?
I used to think that I had magic powers; whenever I wanted it to get really windy, all I had to do was try to rake leaves!
Magic powers my ass! Hammer was just on the other side of the fence with that damned 200 mph blower/sucker!
Heh. Way to turn the tables on 'em.
You may have taught them a different lesson about innovation, however. After seeing how tedious raking a bagging leaves is, and how much fun someone made it by engineering a cool toy, they might remember that one day when they're in college and need a really cool tool for a really great prank.
I've got bad news for you Hammer. Your kids will be borrowing money from you for the rest of your life without ever paying it back.
$100!!! Wow and the kid gave that up??......then again my kids wouldn't do it for that either:)
Well, now that you've got the leaf sucker everyone will want to do it!
I just climb on my tractor, set the blade on five and drive in circles..wind rows the leaves and makes them easier to pick up..and sometimes I set the blade on three and mulch the damn tings..good for the soil..
It really scares me at the Apathy that our kids are showing us today. The drive is gone. Seems that because they want for nothing they don't do their work.
My daughter who is older, is slowly learning the value of hard work. My son still has a ways to go.
Flyinfox_SATX
I think the difference between our work ethic and our children's is fear. I did what I was told because the consequences of not doing it were dire. My kids didn't fear me, so getting them to do chores was a constant struggle. The up side is that as adults, they are very hard workers. Sometimes just setting a good example is enough I guess.
Must have oaks...they are the last to giv'em up!
When I first saw that photo I thought it was a duck, or something made to look like one...still kind'a does!
Wow, inflation has sent the leaf raking price wayyyy up. I used to get a quarter a bag and I think my Dad complained I didn't fill them all the way. LOL
My son, if not for allergies and asthma, would probably have jumped on that $100 job offer. He's saving for guitar equipment.
Enjoy your new toy and when the novelty wears off, have one huge patio put in. Just don't hire anyone 'Jeff' knows. Or atleast if you do, don't piss them off. LOL
There will be no sharing of Man-Toys. My dad used to pay us 10 cents a bag. Big money back in the 70's. Cheers!!
I remember having to do stuff and not get paid for it-it was covered under my allowance.
I'd rake your leaves for $100!
I had to rake leaves as a kid. I would rake them on to an old bed sheet, then sling it over my shoulder and haul it across the street to the wooded area on our property.
For FREE.
Oh man cool toy!!!!
I giggled out loud at the "if they pay me"! Perfect!
I used to get six dollars to clean the whole house, do the windows and wash and wax the car. You shoulda been my dad!
We are going to be using our "blos-suck" machine this weekend at the cottage. Unfortunately, nobody will be paying me!
Sounds like what we did with the girls this last fall. I mean we have it so cold by mid October that most of the leaves have fallen. So we rake and the girls filled my trash can hauled it up to the curb and the guy with a hose comes by and sucks up the leaves.
dang those kiddie hides! they ALWAYS want to play with the new toys.
mine only goes 150 mph, and is quite versatile - it's also great for keeping chickens and cats off the deck...*;]
i love getting rid of the leaves and pay myself big bucks for doing it - when my f-i-l comes out, he likes the shredder/mulcher/destroyer of all things shreddable!
Great story. I remember those times too. Yard work always went faster when I knew I was gonna get paid and get to go to the store and buy a new model. It used to amaze my folks that I'd work so much faster when there was a real goal to attain. You're doin' a great job there. Eventually they'll get the clue.
hammer - o.t. - HAVE YOU SEEN THE LOLCATS BIBLE PROJECT?!?
bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!
*8]
Hell, I'd fly out to where ever you are and do your front and back yard for $100 smacks. Kids don't have things to pay for so they're less inclined to take on these paying jobs you offer them. Charge them for their meals, then see how quick they pick up that rake! :)
man my son would have done that in a heart beat. I'm so much meaner than that. I give him a quarter each time he cleans up the dog poop, and when the leaves fall it takes him two days but he gets about a total of 5 bucks. LOL I'm a cheapskate.
Personally, I would have paved my yard. But props to you for buying the big guns. Nice looking toy... 210 MPH??? V-cool.
Good Wednesday to you, Hammer.
It is good to get the kids motivated to work using money as an incentive. I hope your son realized that he blew $100 bucks - and that in the future he is hungrier.
On a personal note, I hate those leaf blowers about as bad as I hate rap music. The sound drives me insane. I want to rip someone's throat out when I see them using one. Water your lawn for fu**'s sake, I want to scream - hose the leaves off instead you **** ***** ****. How would you like it if I put a drill bit near YOUR ear for a half-hour ??? aUGGGGH.
See, I can't even read about leaf blowers without losing it :).
great toy, and it beats setting the lawn on fire.
God's Nightgown, Hammer, but for $100 when I was 11 I would have raked and bagged the leaves for all time!!!...or at least until you bought one of those blower/sucker things.
was it tom sawyer or huck finn who got his friends to white wash the fence?
Great turnaround!
our yard is full of trees and that's how it goes... rake them up and more fall as soon as u get done
I tried similar motivation with my kids - a nickel per weed they pulled up. They turned their noses up at it, so now when they get in trouble their punishment is an hour of weeding. They'll probably grow up to hate yard work as much as their dad, now...
LMAO My father-in-lawn says he's going to chop all of his trees down and pave the yard with green concrete. Maybe you 2 could get a bulk price together for the concrete!
So I went out and bought a 210MPH blow/suck machine with a bag attachment.
Sweet! I love modern technology.
I never once got paid for mowing our grass or raking leaves in our own yard when growing up. I turned out sorta-OK.
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