I've also noticed that it takes a good bit of material investment to make it easier for the girlies to work and help around our little spot on God's green Earth. Kids need equipment their size to help them work harder and work smarter. It's hard for them to handle rakes, shovels and such that are much too large for them. If you wait til they grow into a shovel (teenager), it's already almost too late to teach them how to work!
#1 - Leather Work Gloves - Kids Sizes:
The day I invested in quality leather work gloves for me, was a day worth celebrating. No more hesitating at splintery logs. No more gingerly grabbing hold of stuff. Nope. The leather is between me and tough stuff! Why not do the same for the girlies? I thought the price was affordable. The quality is good. The girls' names are on their glove and they have been taking good care of them. I call these gloves an investment entirely worth making! I now expect them to manhandle their Blossom jobs without any hesitation.
(Yes, they really do run the log-splitter by themselves.)
#2 - Rakes & Shovels
We bought this child size rake at Lowe's. They always have them at the beginning of the season. Additionally, the Rugged Mountain Man picked up a set of medium sized rakes at Tractor Supply Co. for the older Blossoms. From raking rocks to raking bark, these things are totally worth it. I found a similar child sized rake here.
#3 - Muck boots
As I type those words, I simultaneously exhale a huge sigh of relief and contentment. They are that worth it. I realize that not everyone sends their kids out three times a day to "chore," feed, water and check animals, but we do (and more people should). Sliding into a pair of waterproof, mud-proof boots is as easy as one-two-three! They have all sizes at Tractor Supply Co. for $20-$30 depending on size. The designer patterns you see in the pics were gifts. We don't buy pretty, 'cuz pretty doesn't last. We need stuff to WORK and LAST.
#4 - Plastic Sled
I realize that seems really strange, but I spent some time researching child-size wheelbarrows and was pretty discontent with what I found. The price was wrong. The size was wrong and they really didn't haul "thangs" - REAL "thangs!" Plastic sleds are cheap and you can haul wood, wood shavings, bark, rocks, logs, branches, manure, anything. They are a country girl's first wheelbarrow!
I challenge you to invest, little by little in tools for making teaching your children to work easier. It's worth it in the long run.
End result:
