Boys Need Jobs

Our youngest is in the process of educating us about boys. We have our ups and downs as all parents do, what we find so amazing is just how different he is from his sisters. This kid has always been about things that are big, loud, powerful, sharp, heavy, fast, etc. He is constantly in motion, constantly looking for some physicality, constantly absorbed in one thing or another. 

He is often up for helping out. This is, of course, one of the things that we love about bringing our kids up on a farm. There is lots for them to do, we get to help them figure out how to help, why to help, and what there is in it for them. We have seen the sparkle of pride that comes form a job well done, the calling of attention to oneself in an effort to point out work that has been completed. 

Its a blast... the best is when he gets to do a job with some sort of tool or machine. So picking up sticks is ok, I mean you get to whack the ground and the trees and pretend to foil monsters and "bad guys". But that does not compare to pushing the Smart Cart through mud, all the while "making tracks", and then getting to "dump your load" at the compost pile just like a big truck (I know, I know... serious redneck in the making).

This post was inspired by the job he jumped into tonight after his bath. Grinding corn into cornmeal. THe job had all the right elements... first of all you got to crush stuff with a machine! You also had to use a lot of muscle power to turn that crank. And finally... you could do this job naked, by the woodstove.