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Here and There | It depends if they're grown up enough to understand consequences. In other words, how careful are they and do they understand responsibility. I was mowing by myself at 6 and plowing, planting, and combining at 8. But I was also terrified of my father so I had a healthy fear of consequences. Call me weird but it was just how things were, I didn't know any different. I've been looking for years for a young person to mow my place using one of my 72" Kubota 331's. Everyone in the area said their teenage kids were too young, so I did it myself or my neighbor helped me out when it got tall enough to be bushhogged and the place looked abandoned (I spend my spring & summer in a sprayer. One hour of spraying will pay for my yard to be mowed the whole summer)
Finally found a 16 year old neighbor who wanted to help me around the farm and also start his own mowing business. He mows my place and gets paid $20 hourly ,then gets the use of my mower and fuel to mow his other 5 yards. He gets between $50 and $60 per yard depending on the size. We have a standing agreement that I get a bottle of Dr Pepper for any new account he picks up. I'm trying to be an encouragement to him. I've had a lot of help along the way myself. If your kids are go-getters, good on you for helping them. If they damage something that loses them their whole summers worth of earnings, then make them pay it so they learn the tough lesson. Then find a way to secretly funnel the money back to them so they don't lose the fire. Kids gotta grow up and learn and it's our joy to get to help them. | |
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Rural lawn mowing rates?
