For those who involve their kids

[Bowsnbucks]

Just a thought for those that get their kids involved and interested in planting trees & shrubs - remind them of what they accomplished. Smiles and looks of pride in achievement will creep onto their faces when you point out how the trees they helped plant have grown. Kids tend to forget such things, but when reminded, they light up.

My oldest son forgot that he helped me ( greatly ) plant a batch of Norway spruce that now shield our property from a mountain road. He was 6 years old at the time. He tucked the seedlings in and watered them as I made holes & set the seedlings beside them. These spruce were planted after the area was logged. Those trees are now 20 to 25 ft. tall, and are now a bedding / thermal cover area. While in there with me a few years ago, he wondered aloud how those spruce got there - no other spruce in the area. I told him he helped plant them when he was 6, and the smile came immediately. I described the whole process we went through, and then he started to recall working our way along a skid road - planting & watering. The smile got bigger.

So remind your kids now and again when you notice the growth on some of your plantings they helped with. Watch them " puff up ". Positive reinforcement is a good seed to plant.

 

[ksgobbler]

My kids help with planting, splitting and stacking firewood, planting food plots, pond habitat, etc

 

[Mortenson]

Nice post Bnb. My oldest is age 6 and he's really caught the outdoors bug. My second oldest is 4.5 and he's not moving at quite the scorching pace, but that's ok. Here they are a couple years ago helping put in clearance RK pears. And then last year he's checking the depth of the hole, after I started reading the fruit tree pg of the forum and learning about improved trees. I think they'll get a small harvest this year on those RK trees. My gang really goes thru the fruit.

 

[TreeDaddy]

i really enjoy the pics of members and their kids in the field

They always bring a smile

bill

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Posts by some of the guys here with pix of their kids helping plant trees were the inspiration for this thread. Recalling both my sons' involvement when they were little made me want to start the thread. I never had to push my guys - they were in the truck before I was to head for camp !!!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

My son did everything with me, and he pretty much begged to go to the cabin and do stuff. Now he is 20yo, and I have to beg him to go to get stuff done. Darn kids growing up, and making their own lives! He still goes when I make him go, but he complains about it, then says I owe him. Enjoy their childhoods as much as possible, because they fly by! I have a 4 year old grandson now begging to go to the cabin every time I go, while he loves to help me, we barely get anything done when he helps. I make sure to take plenty of pictures with him, and make sure he has a lot of fun, because memories are priceless!

 

[dsinwi]

For those of you with kids of any age who want to go to the cabin, please take them every chance you can. Interests change and they grow up.

 

[j-bird]

My kids have all "helped" at one time or another..... One time in particular they helped broadcast some seed.....which turned into a seed fight with their other siblings, but I didn't care. My youngest helps me plant trees and with some other projects and stuff as well. She makes comments all the time while we hunt about the things she has planted and how they are doing and the like. My kids tend to be older when they help so they seem to remember better. I agree .....if they want to go...take them. Sometime the most memorable trips are those that don't go according to plan!!!! My late adoption of cell phone use means I don't have many picks of when my oldest and I used to go out, but these are of my youngest..... I like to take them all fishing at my folks places as well.... some are not hunters and that is fine.

 

[Charles Clear]

My son used to bring home apple seeds from school. From an early age, he wanted to grow apple trees to hunt over. We stratified the seeds in the fridge and grew some trees from seeds. He's 14 now and we only had 2 of those trees survive. They are 12 foot tall. They haven't fruited yet, but I have a feeling this year is the year. Sounds dumb, but it's very gratifying that every time he sees those trees he remembers that we grew them together.

 

[j-bird]

The kids grow up fast and we have a limited window to plant our seeds of our own within them to try to make sure they grow into responsible adults. Mother nature has many lessons to teach an individual if they will simply take the time to slow down and be taught. Lots of lessons about the value of hard work, dealing with frustration and disappointment, dealing with having to adapt and how things take time. All things that can be very valuable lessons down the path of life that I feel many kids just don't learn for some reason much these days. I don't force my kids into the outdoors. I simply open various doors and let them take it from there. I will support them either way. Some are hunters, some prefer to fish and some just like to take pictures.....and that s all good by me. They have some appreciation for wild things and wild places.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^^

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Got myself some tree planting NINJAS! We all love getting a lil dirt under our finger nails!

 

[buckdeer1]

Great job,I always had a deal with several kids,mine included that if you want to hunt you plant trees on good friday.This was a perfect day since school was out and if the kids helping didn't hunt they got paid alittle and a free meal.Wish I had pics from when they planted the thousands that we planted in a couple days

 

[H20fwler]

Anytime you can spend time with the kids at the farm is grade A quality time. I sure like thinking back to the times when I was young helping my Dad plant apple trees and prune. He always planted dwarf or semi dwarf apples, his theory was cut anything growing up or in...said he wanted to be able to sit on the ground to pick his apples.

 

[TreeDaddy]

This thread is rapidly morphing into a classic......

bill

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^^^^ What's better than kids and the outdoors ??? And planting stuff with them ?? !!!! Odds are most of us wouldn't be on here if it weren't for our Dads, Grand Dads, or uncles. And because WE had so much fun growing up in outdoors-y homes - we pass the traditions and fun on to our kids.

 

[pointer]

I make mine work for their dinner! ;)
Untitled by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr
Untitled by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr

DSCN2202 by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr

 

[j-bird]

I was right there with my boy when he got his first deer. I used to make him help me cut wood when he got older as punishment....he hated that stihl chainsaw!


Told ya - they grow up fast.... Out refreshing a mineral site....I have no idea if the date is right.....but I doubt it.


Was right there for my youngest daughter's first deer as well... she tends to be a pretty good helper ......as long as the weather cooperates!


Not all of them are hunters.....some like to fish....or just be outside....

Middle daughter catching fish....she won't bait the hook or take the fish off, but she will catch them!


One I really like..... (no comments about why the floating dock is leaning!)


My oldest daughter.....just likes to be outside once in a while ....and I'm fine with that too.... Once again proving nothing is sacred....she also likes stealing my sweatshirts!


All my kids took their hunters education course and I took it with them....yes I have been through the same course 4 times...and I am not even required to take it!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

J-Bird - - That dock pic is classic. Kids have the goods on you with that pic - maybe they'll let you live it down someday !!

I took the hunter's safety course with my sons too. Fun both times. I was with my sons for their first couple deer too. Is there anything quite like it ?? They're only young once, so why not grab all you can get.

Thanks for the pix J-Bird !! Nice post.

 

[j-bird]

J-Bird - - That dock pic is classic. Kids have the goods on you with that pic - maybe they'll let you live it down someday !!

I took the hunter's safety course with my sons too. Fun both times. I was with my sons for their first couple deer too. Is there anything quite like it ?? They're only young once, so why not grab all you can get.

Thanks for the pix J-Bird !! Nice post.

Hey....I specifically said "no comments about the leaning dock".....it's sensitive about that sort of thing! hahahahaha