Here in south central Wisconsin a front page report of a 4 year old killed after falling off a 4 wheeler pulling a water tank, with the tank running over him. A common thing I guess, but tragic. What does it take to educate folks about kids and dangers?
Giving kids a ride
- Thread starter cerlawson
- Start date
We had a local incident where a 4 year old riding with Grandpa while bush hogging no less. He lost a leg but not his life.
I recall another incident where a Father was backing up his tractor and didnt see his 8-10 month old child crawling around behind him. We can all assume what happened.
My kids always want to go for rides and I dont allow it. Rule number one is never be behind the tractor when its running. If Im mowing your not allowed anywhere near the machine. I kill the bush hog when the dirt bike kids cut through. Im not risking anything with this kind of weight and stored energy.
I have seen what damage a PTO shaft can do to flesh.
I recall another incident where a Father was backing up his tractor and didnt see his 8-10 month old child crawling around behind him. We can all assume what happened.
My kids always want to go for rides and I dont allow it. Rule number one is never be behind the tractor when its running. If Im mowing your not allowed anywhere near the machine. I kill the bush hog when the dirt bike kids cut through. Im not risking anything with this kind of weight and stored energy.
I have seen what damage a PTO shaft can do to flesh.
You can't legislate common sense. When people start looking after themselves and their own again instead of making the entire world liable for them it will get better. I'm sure some lawyer will come up with some kind of safety device which should have been on the four wheeler. The safety devise should have been the adult supervision.
I wonder how many kids died in car accidents today?
These kinds threads pop up quite often and I always try and understand why people don't react the same way depending on how someone gets killed or maimed?
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These kinds threads pop up quite often and I always try and understand why people don't react the same way depending on how someone gets killed or maimed?
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I get that stuff happens but come on.... I've taken my nephew who is 2.5 for rides on the kubota (I'd never dream of it while PTO was engaged) and on my Polaris wheeler. Soon my niece will be "brought up right" riding along too. Common sense and the utmost care needs to be employed... ESPECIALLY when kids are at the age that they can bolt off, they can move fast. There's a difference between taking a kid on a dedicated tractor ride where you can pay attention moving slow versus running an implement and they're an after thought. It's also up to the parent or guardian to teach them safety, just as you should with firearms. As my dad taught me from the time I was a kid and he had me running everything from a skidsteer and rolled to a full size excavator.... "it's a machine, you have to respect it because it has NO feelings about your safety. It's on you". Then again I'm almost 30 now and it was nothing to have an 8 year old kid who was taught properly to run a backhoe as long as nobody was in the line of fire back then. He used to put me to work. I loved it and I learned a lot.
Here's Hunter sitting on the little Kubota (with his dad right there, tractor off, parking brake on) and me taking the pic.
Here's Hunter sitting on the little Kubota (with his dad right there, tractor off, parking brake on) and me taking the pic.
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CaveCreekRay
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Kids trust their parents implicitly. Its not until the kids get either life experience or training that they can think ahead for themselves and see potential danger. Getting your kids to young adulthood alive and undamaged is the prime obligation and objective of parenting. Many parents fail.
My dad never had large power tools as a depression era kid. He never got the chance to work around them. Some of the stuff he did with smaller power tools was out of simple ignorance of the threat. I taught him what I had learned and he avoided any major accidents.
When I was in high school, I was fortunate enough to take metal and wood shop. The first thing they taught us were the dangers. I still remember those horrible films we had to watch. But, I still have both eyes and all my fingers despite a shop full of equipment that would easily remove flesh along with wood or metal. Machines are mindless.
Same with flying or firearms. In flying, the first things they teach is how to kill yourself, because there are some simple paths to death. Avoid those and the threat diminishes greatly. Sadly, toys, tractors, and cars come with little training today. Honestly, I am surprised it doesn't happen more often.
Another issue is the 24/7 world of the media today. These accidents probably happened with more frequency in the past but, we never heard about it if it didn't happen in our town. You didn't hear about things three counties away unless it made the local news or you knew somebody from there. I heard this one because of the 'Net...
My dad never had large power tools as a depression era kid. He never got the chance to work around them. Some of the stuff he did with smaller power tools was out of simple ignorance of the threat. I taught him what I had learned and he avoided any major accidents.
When I was in high school, I was fortunate enough to take metal and wood shop. The first thing they taught us were the dangers. I still remember those horrible films we had to watch. But, I still have both eyes and all my fingers despite a shop full of equipment that would easily remove flesh along with wood or metal. Machines are mindless.
Same with flying or firearms. In flying, the first things they teach is how to kill yourself, because there are some simple paths to death. Avoid those and the threat diminishes greatly. Sadly, toys, tractors, and cars come with little training today. Honestly, I am surprised it doesn't happen more often.
Another issue is the 24/7 world of the media today. These accidents probably happened with more frequency in the past but, we never heard about it if it didn't happen in our town. You didn't hear about things three counties away unless it made the local news or you knew somebody from there. I heard this one because of the 'Net...
One more. In our area there are plenty of Amish. We hired them for adding onto a cabin home. One day they came with a few kids, maybe 8 or 10 years old. they had them up on the steep roof. One lost his hat and grabbed for it, almost falling off. When we complained about it the reply was, "Just don't tell anybody". Our order, no more kids not sized about like adults. From what I can tell they start the kids off helping as soon as they can walk.
Terrible things happen. Common sense should be used more. But you can't lock yourself up in a safe and live life. Kids need to be taught young, AND PROPERLY. Knives, guns, lawn mowers, tractors, etc. are tools that have to be respected. I was taught all of these at a very young age, and I still remember the lessons taught to me. I was driving a vehicle at an age most would cringe at today, but my grandfather was right there coaching me.
Accidents happen. Planes crash, people still fly. Car wrecks, and we still drive. School shootings, and kids still go to school. We should learn from mistakes, be more aware when we hear of accidents, and pay attention to our surroundings more. But we should not live in fear. I have rode my toddler grandson on my Kubota, and later will teach him to drive. But I wasn't bush hogging or plowing when I rode him, it was just a ride. Risky? Is anything we do without risk? I'm a 70's kid, no bicycle helmets, we drank out of water hoses, swam in ditches, shot BB guns, did alot of other things that will "kill" you today. Kids need to learn more than video games and smart phones. Teach them young and teach them right.
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Accidents happen. Planes crash, people still fly. Car wrecks, and we still drive. School shootings, and kids still go to school. We should learn from mistakes, be more aware when we hear of accidents, and pay attention to our surroundings more. But we should not live in fear. I have rode my toddler grandson on my Kubota, and later will teach him to drive. But I wasn't bush hogging or plowing when I rode him, it was just a ride. Risky? Is anything we do without risk? I'm a 70's kid, no bicycle helmets, we drank out of water hoses, swam in ditches, shot BB guns, did alot of other things that will "kill" you today. Kids need to learn more than video games and smart phones. Teach them young and teach them right.
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CaveCreekRay
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When my daughter was 13, I tried her out behind the wheel and she was horrible. No speed control or lane "concept." I was screaming "STOP THE CAR!!!" She just laughed as we came to a stop... 
At 14, I taught her to ride a motorcycle ('76 Honda 250 Trials). At 15 she took my Yamaha 350 dual sport kick-start-only as her own. I told her that while mom and dad were always there to try and keep her safe, once she rode out of the driveway, she was on her own. Wander out of the lane and into that oncoming cement truck or giant boulder and she was gonna get hurt. Or worse. When she turned 15, she was totally changed behind the wheel. Never had a car accident (nor ticket, AFAIK). A buddy who is into cycles did the same with his daughter and now Sam is driving on her own with confidence.
Teaching kids safe habits comes back to you in increased responsibility in how they act. And quite often, that transfers over into other things in life.
At 14, I taught her to ride a motorcycle ('76 Honda 250 Trials). At 15 she took my Yamaha 350 dual sport kick-start-only as her own. I told her that while mom and dad were always there to try and keep her safe, once she rode out of the driveway, she was on her own. Wander out of the lane and into that oncoming cement truck or giant boulder and she was gonna get hurt. Or worse. When she turned 15, she was totally changed behind the wheel. Never had a car accident (nor ticket, AFAIK). A buddy who is into cycles did the same with his daughter and now Sam is driving on her own with confidence.
Teaching kids safe habits comes back to you in increased responsibility in how they act. And quite often, that transfers over into other things in life.
My prayers to the family,,, But back in the day, nobody thought a second time about 3 kids on top of 60 bales of hay in the back of a pick up truck headed from the field to the barn. HEY it was fun kinds like a ride at the fair,,,,, but then those have not been to safe either have they.
CaveCreekRay
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L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Out here in AZ, if you drive around with your dog in the pickup bed untethered, you can get a ticket. Forget driving with anyone in the bed.
RCW
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I struggle with this topic.
At 3 or 4, I used to ride on the hydraulic valves of our MF Super 90 while my grandfather ran a steel roller crimper over hay cut by sickle bar mower. Couple of burlap feed bags made a good seat.
Slept a lot in that spot, too!
At 4 or 5, I was expected to place or pull the hitch pins in our wagons, balers, rakes, etc. when my dad or grandfather backed up to them. Some wagon tongues I was too small to pull around if loaded.
At 6 or 7, I started backing a 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU and manure spreader into and down a 100' barn floor. Narrow front end, no power steering. No barn cleaner, so then it was in the gutter with pitch fork and shovel to scoop the piss. Wore a lot that!
By 8, was operating the MF and crimper on our flatter pieces, including cutting/clearing the crimper rollers with a jack knife when it got bound up. Geared tractor, stop and start, PTO on/off/on. Lots of things can go wrong......
Is that right? Not by today's standard.
Is that wrong? Not in my book.
Part of the issue is that the "adults" involved in these incidents are novices as well.
At 3 or 4, I used to ride on the hydraulic valves of our MF Super 90 while my grandfather ran a steel roller crimper over hay cut by sickle bar mower. Couple of burlap feed bags made a good seat.
Slept a lot in that spot, too!
At 4 or 5, I was expected to place or pull the hitch pins in our wagons, balers, rakes, etc. when my dad or grandfather backed up to them. Some wagon tongues I was too small to pull around if loaded.
At 6 or 7, I started backing a 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU and manure spreader into and down a 100' barn floor. Narrow front end, no power steering. No barn cleaner, so then it was in the gutter with pitch fork and shovel to scoop the piss. Wore a lot that!
By 8, was operating the MF and crimper on our flatter pieces, including cutting/clearing the crimper rollers with a jack knife when it got bound up. Geared tractor, stop and start, PTO on/off/on. Lots of things can go wrong......
Is that right? Not by today's standard.
Is that wrong? Not in my book.
Part of the issue is that the "adults" involved in these incidents are novices as well.
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Kids rode on everything, sleds quads tractors, you name it. But in front of me. Its my duty to keep my children safe. And to educate them about whats safe what isnt and what is just outright stupid.