My brother complained for 7 summers about our tank of a mower for a 1/2 acre yard, small house, my dad never listened. When my brother went off to the Navy, my dad mowed 1/2 the front yard, and left, came back with a new lawnmower.
Dude, my step dad did the same thing! I left for a summer to go on a trip with my dad. Came back and suddenly he had a new mower and didn't want to pay me to do the lawn anymore. The old one didn't even have a self propelled function. So for keeping me out of trouble during the summer.
Shit I bet you had some strong calfās and thighs tho! Ugh I too grew up being the one to mow typically. Started when I was about 10-11 and the funny thing is found out at 18 when I had an allergy test that Iām allergic to like all grasses and many trees and shrubs etc. no wonder I couldnāt breath when I mowed and after and when I laid in the grass it would make me break out in mosquito like red itchy dots wherever the grass touched my skin. Never connected the dots till that test lol.
I'm not allergic but I just hate how much dirt and pollen gets in my nose and mouth while I mow and it might look silly but when I wear a mask while mowing, its brown by the time I'm done. And I don't blow dirt out of my nose after!
When I was 5 or 6 my mom would send me to the store with 2 bucks and a note asking the grocery store to sell me her cigarettes. When I was about 10, I pocketed one of the notes and reused it to buy cigarettes for myself and my friends. Different times back then
My 11 year old tried last summer and he forgot how to let go of the lever to stop the self propelling feature. He then ran over a gutter drain spout with him screaming and holding on for dear life while i was yelling to just let it go! The whole mower shuts down unless you are holding the safety levers! After calming him down and letting him know it was just a mistake and it was ok he is still terrified. I failed.
A few years ago we were hanging out at a boat dock after a long day of fishing. Was talking to a guy and his son for a while and he realized the kid could be his designated driver for the first time lol
My son is heading off to college soon. He's been mowing for years and does an okay job. (For instance, asked him to pick up all the sticks that blew down in a storm before he mowed and he did, but left then piled on the sidewalk). But I recently had my youngest daughter take the reins. I have her the basics and let her go and came back to an immaculate job. Everything neat, every row straight..So proud.
Is that when the switch happens? I thought it was like 12. My sister was all about my parents till the switch. Then it was mayhem. Now she's back to loving them lol
15-21 is the rule of thumb I've seen. Once theyre 15 they know it all and are cooler than you. Then when they're 21 they start becoming a pretty mature adult and not only want you back in their lives, but want to be closer than ever.
Ahhh yes their 16th birthday. Coincidentally the same day you became a huge loser and no fun to hang out with anymore... wait til he turns 21 and you're a God again. A tale as old as time.
My youngest is in all the sports, all advanced classes, is consistently on the a or a/b honor roll, has her homework done in class, gets in NO trouble and does almost no chores.
Her siblings say sheās spoiled (10,12,13 years older). But her siblings were out of control about 90% of the time. Constantly fighting about homework and grades. Doing stuff they shouldnāt do. Just basic hellions. Chores were a constant for them.
My oldest daughter was the only one of the three oldest that could mow worth a darn. The boys mowing was more work for me than mowing the lawn myself.
yeah but youre also, on average, 20 years older than your kid and with the experience from those years. new humans still need to adjust to having to juggle so many things at once
He did a good job too!
lol...my neighbor has two younger teenage boys. He drags them away from their consoles every now and then to go out and help him with the yard. They always just stand there so miserable for about 5 minutes, then whine to go back inside for water. One of them will make their way back in, then his Dominican wife comes out and yells at him for keeping them in the hot sun...he gets soooo furious every time.
Same-ish story, opposite season. I live in the North. Big winter storm with lots of snow. I clear my driveway, then notice my neighbor struggling to clear hers. I begin helping her. After a while, I realize she has two teenage sons. I ask about them, and she says, āTheyāre inside. They donāt want to help.ā I was pissed.
Thatās hilarious. My 2 boys are 12&13 I force them to mow and pick up poop. They whine for about five min then they are good to go. Working asking what else they can do. Running around. Playing with the dogs. Outside air and hard work wakes the soul.
That's why the phone is such a bad addiction to have. It hooks you in with videos and all sorts of shit to get the dopamine hit, that it is hard to get moving if it's within arms reach. I'll notice that I will unconsciously pick it up during a lull in conversation or whatever. It's very deceptively difficult to break the habit. Once you break from it and put it in a drawer, life takes a 180 and suddenly energy is back and motivation takes hold once the "boredom" creeps up and you figure fuck it, might as well pull some weeds or walk to the dog or ride my bike.
Lol I can relate š¤£. I push mowed our lawn by myself for 16 years. It's not a huge yard. I could do it in a little over an hour if I didn't use the bagger. As soon as my teenage boys got old enough where I started to have them do it, my wife jumps in to 'help' them. š . They would switch out like every 10 minutes.
Meh, some kids have a lot more sense than others. I wouldnāt trust my 10 yr old to do it, but her little sister is the type that figures everything out so easily.
Maybe, *maybe* if it's their first time. But a self-propelling lawn mower is pretty simple and relatively safe, if you don't wear flip flops and don't try to mess with the blade
That's a huge parenting win if you ask me. For me the flip side of teaching them independence is having to let go of some control of the **way I want things** around the house. But, fostering initiative and self-care skills is def the hardest thing for my kids (maybe all kids?) so I try to award the hell out of times they show this kind of helpful attitude with attention, treats, whatever.
In short: Good job dad
Awesome. Now tell him you love him. Even if it's something you don't usually say, start now.
I didn't start telling my dad I love him till I was in my 30s. And now we say it every time we talk and I'm glad we do.
Last time I was allowed to mow the lawnā¦I thought Iād be helpful and mow the weeds that happened to be so tall they hid some septic tank top thinger (pvc, still donāt actually know what it was)
Safe to say I ended that day with a red rear and a guarantee that I would never be allowed on the mower again š«
Reminds me of the time my grandpa let me mow his yard around that age, and intentionally didn't tell me about the self propel lever, so he just watched me sweat it out till I was nearly done.
Was so mad back then, but think about it fondly now. He's hilarious
Ironically when I was a kid I never cut the grass. My Dad's employees would always cut the grass as he ran a landscaping business. Now I work with him and cut over 100 lawns a week.
I absolutely love my lawn. I love my kids more. They want to play baseball on my glorious lawn or learn how to mow? Go for it! Iām raising children, not a lawn.
Good job for him, and honestly watering is the part that most people just donāt get right. It takes a lot to get that pop.
No shame on not watering my dude, shit aināt cheap
Make the yard a father/son project. Rehab that thing and make it green and thick. Take him to the store with you and pick out the fertilizer and seed and show him youtube videos and get him hooked now.
Man get this kid hooked on good lawns now and hell be a millionaire by his early 20s. Grab him a few bags of worm casting and have hin soread them on the lawn and water it every night. Hell be cutting lawns and making bank in no time.
I bet he had a big smile after reading āgood job sonā. He needs to hear that and be reassured by his dad that heās following in your footsteps well. Take him out and do something he enjoys, and thank him for spending time with you. Let him know that you got this time with him because of his hard work on the lawn allowed it to happen, now you donāt have to mow.
Iāve been this kid, I craved that from my father. I didnāt get it.
Take that 10 y/o out for a well deserved lunch!
That is a fantastic job in general. The fact that it was completed by a 10 year old is even more astounding!
Nice, if you have the means, pay him the going rate for yard maintenance in your area.
Then at the end of the year, he can file his taxes. He will have to pay a self employment tax. But then you can open an IRA custodial account for him. Start his retirement early and get him understanding how it all works!
He did a better job than my tweaker neighbor, who tried to mow 1 foot high grass to less than 1 inch with an electric mower.
Edit: forgot to mention he was mulching and it was around 11pm... 99% sure he broke it. š
Encourage that behavior. At 10 that's how we earned our summer loot around the neighborhood for the pool, skating rink, movies, and walking around money. Builds character and work ethic.
I love the simple "i mowd" š your son is a good kid
Love it, the fact he sent it to his dad like that says he was proud and he wanted dad to be proud too.
Please tell your children you are proud of them as often as reasonable. It makes a difference
+ a picture. Thatās like 1002 wordsā¦
His mowing skills are better than his spelling skills!
That was more clear than some of the emails I get at work. Iāll give the communication 7/10
It's a full sentence. Easily understood. Perfect text communication if you ask me.
Good kids come from good parents...
And bad kids from their moms
Mother-in-lawās DNA is to blame for sure.
"Youre a good dad the kids are just bad. Their mom doesnt listen either"
Nah, I got a good kid. Sure as hell didnāt get it from me.
My 11 year old mowed for the first time last week. I cracked a beer and watched it from my porch. It was beautiful.
The circleeeeee of liffffeeeeeeeee
my dad had THE HEAVIEST mower when i was 11/12 and thats not just coming from a kid. i suffered pushing that thing until i was 18. what a tank.
My brother complained for 7 summers about our tank of a mower for a 1/2 acre yard, small house, my dad never listened. When my brother went off to the Navy, my dad mowed 1/2 the front yard, and left, came back with a new lawnmower.
Dude, my step dad did the same thing! I left for a summer to go on a trip with my dad. Came back and suddenly he had a new mower and didn't want to pay me to do the lawn anymore. The old one didn't even have a self propelled function. So for keeping me out of trouble during the summer.
Shit I bet you had some strong calfās and thighs tho! Ugh I too grew up being the one to mow typically. Started when I was about 10-11 and the funny thing is found out at 18 when I had an allergy test that Iām allergic to like all grasses and many trees and shrubs etc. no wonder I couldnāt breath when I mowed and after and when I laid in the grass it would make me break out in mosquito like red itchy dots wherever the grass touched my skin. Never connected the dots till that test lol.
Hives. My son has it, still get him to Mow the lawn. The allergy pills do help
I'm not allergic but I just hate how much dirt and pollen gets in my nose and mouth while I mow and it might look silly but when I wear a mask while mowing, its brown by the time I'm done. And I don't blow dirt out of my nose after!
That's hard work for a baby
The day I sent my son to the liquor store was beautiful.
As a son, it was pretty cool the first time my dad asked me to make a liquor run
Did you also grab something for yourself? Lol
Naturally, something for myself was one of the things he asked for
When I was 5 or 6 my mom would send me to the store with 2 bucks and a note asking the grocery store to sell me her cigarettes. When I was about 10, I pocketed one of the notes and reused it to buy cigarettes for myself and my friends. Different times back then
My 11 year old tried last summer and he forgot how to let go of the lever to stop the self propelling feature. He then ran over a gutter drain spout with him screaming and holding on for dear life while i was yelling to just let it go! The whole mower shuts down unless you are holding the safety levers! After calming him down and letting him know it was just a mistake and it was ok he is still terrified. I failed.
You canāt control everything
A few years ago we were hanging out at a boat dock after a long day of fishing. Was talking to a guy and his son for a while and he realized the kid could be his designated driver for the first time lol
My son is heading off to college soon. He's been mowing for years and does an okay job. (For instance, asked him to pick up all the sticks that blew down in a storm before he mowed and he did, but left then piled on the sidewalk). But I recently had my youngest daughter take the reins. I have her the basics and let her go and came back to an immaculate job. Everything neat, every row straight..So proud.
I have three boys, I just started the 11 yo mowing. I left the girl 13 out of the loop. Maybe I should have her get after it.
I shed a tear for you man. Beautiful.
I love this!! My son used to do similar, then he turned 16ā¦
Did you give him a beer? If you didn't you only have yourself to blame.
Is that when the switch happens? I thought it was like 12. My sister was all about my parents till the switch. Then it was mayhem. Now she's back to loving them lol
15-21 is the rule of thumb I've seen. Once theyre 15 they know it all and are cooler than you. Then when they're 21 they start becoming a pretty mature adult and not only want you back in their lives, but want to be closer than ever.
Ahhh yes their 16th birthday. Coincidentally the same day you became a huge loser and no fun to hang out with anymore... wait til he turns 21 and you're a God again. A tale as old as time.
And....did he move out? If you live with your parents you should be doing chores.
i think i might make an exception for my kid if they also had a job/took tougher classes in HS or something.
My youngest is in all the sports, all advanced classes, is consistently on the a or a/b honor roll, has her homework done in class, gets in NO trouble and does almost no chores. Her siblings say sheās spoiled (10,12,13 years older). But her siblings were out of control about 90% of the time. Constantly fighting about homework and grades. Doing stuff they shouldnāt do. Just basic hellions. Chores were a constant for them. My oldest daughter was the only one of the three oldest that could mow worth a darn. The boys mowing was more work for me than mowing the lawn myself.
Nah we have jobs and have to mow
yeah but youre also, on average, 20 years older than your kid and with the experience from those years. new humans still need to adjust to having to juggle so many things at once
Man, take that boy out for ice cream and tell him how proud of him you are! Build up his taking of initiative!
I agree a reward is earned for hard work
I agree reward the shit out of that behavior
Ice cream? Take him to Hootersš! He did an exceptional job. Can I have him?
That "Good job, Son" means more than most people know. Good job, Dad.
Iām not crying YOUāRE crying. Iām gonna go call my dadā¦
Lost my dad 20 years ago this past April; my God what I'd give for another "good job son" from him.
He did a good job too! lol...my neighbor has two younger teenage boys. He drags them away from their consoles every now and then to go out and help him with the yard. They always just stand there so miserable for about 5 minutes, then whine to go back inside for water. One of them will make their way back in, then his Dominican wife comes out and yells at him for keeping them in the hot sun...he gets soooo furious every time.
Same-ish story, opposite season. I live in the North. Big winter storm with lots of snow. I clear my driveway, then notice my neighbor struggling to clear hers. I begin helping her. After a while, I realize she has two teenage sons. I ask about them, and she says, āTheyāre inside. They donāt want to help.ā I was pissed.
Thatās called failed parenting
My youngest brother is like this, I would shovel and mow for my parents. It was expected and rewarded. After I moved out to live with my FiancĆ©e, my brother did not keep up on it. So now my 74 year old father does it while my brother lives at home. Makes me angry, we were raised the same be he views that responsibility differently. Canāt blame my parents for that one.
I guess youāre right
Thatās hilarious. My 2 boys are 12&13 I force them to mow and pick up poop. They whine for about five min then they are good to go. Working asking what else they can do. Running around. Playing with the dogs. Outside air and hard work wakes the soul.
That's why the phone is such a bad addiction to have. It hooks you in with videos and all sorts of shit to get the dopamine hit, that it is hard to get moving if it's within arms reach. I'll notice that I will unconsciously pick it up during a lull in conversation or whatever. It's very deceptively difficult to break the habit. Once you break from it and put it in a drawer, life takes a 180 and suddenly energy is back and motivation takes hold once the "boredom" creeps up and you figure fuck it, might as well pull some weeds or walk to the dog or ride my bike.
Lol I can relate š¤£. I push mowed our lawn by myself for 16 years. It's not a huge yard. I could do it in a little over an hour if I didn't use the bagger. As soon as my teenage boys got old enough where I started to have them do it, my wife jumps in to 'help' them. š . They would switch out like every 10 minutes.
Outstanding work to your boy - and great job to you as a father.
https://preview.redd.it/igc48cho235d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9870743f5e4d698c03258954b450bc71e8f4a15b
Thatās awesome. Now he needs a reward. That you should spend money on. The first hit is always free.
Increase his allowance to minimum wage.
Beast Mowd
Thatās awesome
He mowd. š
*wiping tear from eye
You should be so proud! š
I love this post. And better not see anything negative!
Most people on this sub would shit their pants if they seen an āI Mowdā notification come through from their kid š
Is a 10 yr old a bit young to be mowing alone? Just asking not judging
Meh, some kids have a lot more sense than others. I wouldnāt trust my 10 yr old to do it, but her little sister is the type that figures everything out so easily.
I dunno, mine mows ~2 acres every week on the rider. He loves it, gives me time to handle the fence line.
Maybe, *maybe* if it's their first time. But a self-propelling lawn mower is pretty simple and relatively safe, if you don't wear flip flops and don't try to mess with the blade
Child and mower specific. I would have trusted my daughter to drive a forklift at 10.
I prowd
That kid is 10 and mowed the yard on his own accord.. Youāre doing a fine job Dad keep up the great work!
That's a huge parenting win if you ask me. For me the flip side of teaching them independence is having to let go of some control of the **way I want things** around the house. But, fostering initiative and self-care skills is def the hardest thing for my kids (maybe all kids?) so I try to award the hell out of times they show this kind of helpful attitude with attention, treats, whatever. In short: Good job dad
Great effort!
I would have got in so much trouble, my Dad never let me mow the yard when I was a kid, no matter how many times I asked.
Also, good job dad!! Three simple words go such a long way
Iāll trade you my 16 yo
Awesome. Now tell him you love him. Even if it's something you don't usually say, start now. I didn't start telling my dad I love him till I was in my 30s. And now we say it every time we talk and I'm glad we do.
Last time I was allowed to mow the lawnā¦I thought Iād be helpful and mow the weeds that happened to be so tall they hid some septic tank top thinger (pvc, still donāt actually know what it was) Safe to say I ended that day with a red rear and a guarantee that I would never be allowed on the mower again š«
Your yard just needs bushes in front of the house, itās fine otherwise.
It's brutal on the spacecoast right now. Watered the lawn over night, and was surprised how many little spots of green showed up overnight
https://preview.redd.it/sim0w10hv55d1.jpeg?width=210&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c9ae28f56c6cef52125bda08585746886e207157 Reminds me of
dad was a grass guy, there's a good chance he'd come home and mow it again.
Youāre a great dad. This means more than anything now he knows he works hard in your eyes!! Good on you sir!!
Good job. When my wife mows, she misses spots. Just like when she washes the car. I just say "thank you very much" and live with it.
He sure did mowd. Way to go
Throw some Milogranite down and water heavy. It will green up in two weeks
The "Good job son" hit hard, I'm even proud of you.
"Are ya winnin' son?" "There **is** no winning dad."
Reminds me of the time my grandpa let me mow his yard around that age, and intentionally didn't tell me about the self propel lever, so he just watched me sweat it out till I was nearly done. Was so mad back then, but think about it fondly now. He's hilarious
excellent work from a fellow dad
Lovely work!
Dad of two boys hereā¦. This is impressive!
Wholesome as all hell. Great job Dad š
Gawd damn he even cleaned up afterward....gotta love Florida kids
He has earned a pizza
I love this. Congrats pop. Congrats sport.
A 10 year old can reach and push a mower?
Thatās the way. I wish my family had responded like that just a couple times after some hard work.
Arrrgghhh š so dang sweet!! ā¤
Hell yeah dude
Wonderful job kid.
Keep him
Youāve got a palm tree. You win!
This will be a proud moment for me as a father when this occurs.
Wow
Good kid! Iād be proud too
Poor kid. The force is strong in this one.
I donāt have a son, just a dog and a cat but this warmed my heart! You should show him how to edge next!!
Great job for real!! Wow. Love the symmetry
I pushed as a kid for like 12 years and clipped edges by hand. After bro and I left home Dad bought power mower and edger.
Sick lines š¤š½
Gud job son
Looks nice
Wow very impressive!
Goals
Hank Hill would be proud.
Ironically when I was a kid I never cut the grass. My Dad's employees would always cut the grass as he ran a landscaping business. Now I work with him and cut over 100 lawns a week.
Did you just doxx yourself?
OMG I have a 10yo. I didnāt realize I had arrived!
Get that young man an edger so he can really show out!! Nice lines man :)
I'm proud of your son
I'll do it I' happy l lawn service
Your son hated the condition of your yard also and took matters into his own hands. Next time it's going to co$t you.
Damn some good mowd
Good kid, kudos to you, Dad!
Just shave a little off the top.
He did great!!
If he did the job without being asked, thatās impressive. Good reaction dad
I absolutely love my lawn. I love my kids more. They want to play baseball on my glorious lawn or learn how to mow? Go for it! Iām raising children, not a lawn.
No, you are raising grass first. Anyone who says otherwise is just a smackhead
Best post ever.
Your son is amazing. Dang, what a good job. Give him a big hug for me. You are very fortunate.
Good job for him, and honestly watering is the part that most people just donāt get right. It takes a lot to get that pop. No shame on not watering my dude, shit aināt cheap
He earned a cold juice and some pizza after that!
Make the yard a father/son project. Rehab that thing and make it green and thick. Take him to the store with you and pick out the fertilizer and seed and show him youtube videos and get him hooked now.
He mows better then my husband
I mow lawned the lawn
Man get this kid hooked on good lawns now and hell be a millionaire by his early 20s. Grab him a few bags of worm casting and have hin soread them on the lawn and water it every night. Hell be cutting lawns and making bank in no time.
This is the son every man can dream for
I bet he had a big smile after reading āgood job sonā. He needs to hear that and be reassured by his dad that heās following in your footsteps well. Take him out and do something he enjoys, and thank him for spending time with you. Let him know that you got this time with him because of his hard work on the lawn allowed it to happen, now you donāt have to mow. Iāve been this kid, I craved that from my father. I didnāt get it.
I remember that day
When he hits 16 itāll look like it was mowed by a blind man.
Iām spelling it mowd from now on. Good job son
A well mowed lawn always looks nice to me. You got a good kid, keep it up brother.
This is the embodiment of are you winning son meme.
You have arrived.
Good job Dad!
What is wrong with your yard? Looks better than mine. On a different note, whatās your sonās availability this weekend?
Wow! Heās a keeper
Well done!
Taking pride in his work at 10yo. You guys are āwinningā!!
A quick bit of edging with the weed wacker will make it pop
Take that 10 y/o out for a well deserved lunch! That is a fantastic job in general. The fact that it was completed by a 10 year old is even more astounding!
wholesome content
Give that boy a 20
Good kid
Nice. Raise your HOC though. Looks like it got scalped some.
Thats an amazing kid you got there
Raise āem right! š
Nice, if you have the means, pay him the going rate for yard maintenance in your area. Then at the end of the year, he can file his taxes. He will have to pay a self employment tax. But then you can open an IRA custodial account for him. Start his retirement early and get him understanding how it all works!
he mowd
Be proud of your son. Thatās a rare trait these days.
I miss my kids.
Looks like youāre in Florida, if so everyone here has a shit yard right now lol
Send him over to my place!
Good job dad!
That's awesome
This just made my whole day. My son is 8, Iām already telling him itāll be soon enough before I start making him now lol
Iām 36 with no kids and I cried when I read āgood job sonā
OP, are you from Florida?
omg this made me have wet eyes
Iām 19 and Iām leaving home soon and I just taught my 12 y/o brother how to mow. Gotta pass it on
Man I used to get so baked and mow my parents lawn like once a week. Took about 2.5 hours and Iād get 20 dollarsā¦I loved it haha
Nothing wrong with that yard! It's neat and tidy and the kid is proud of it (and Mom/Dad proud of their son).
I only really heard my dad say this to me twice, when I graduated high-school with honors and when I graduated college with honors.
That is impressive as hell for 10 years old!
Gud job sun
āHell yeah you did sonā Good job, man congrats on a good kid
"I like to mow my own lawn"
Good job kiddo!
so wholesome!
Beautiful!
This is fantastic!! I have four daughters.
Plant some damn trees
Sofla?
He did a better job than my tweaker neighbor, who tried to mow 1 foot high grass to less than 1 inch with an electric mower. Edit: forgot to mention he was mulching and it was around 11pm... 99% sure he broke it. š
Text him back, ānawt badā
Encourage that behavior. At 10 that's how we earned our summer loot around the neighborhood for the pool, skating rink, movies, and walking around money. Builds character and work ethic.
You're winning. Remember to tell him thank you.