Your boat, and your family...

[Alan D. Hyde]

Years ago, in Maine, I noticed something.

Many small family dairy farms were closing down, since it had become impossible to make a living milking ten cows. Forty or so became a reasonable minimum.

The older kids in many families had grown up doing farm chores daily: regularly accepting and exercising personal responsibility in a concrete way. The younger children, once the farm shut down, didn't grow up with this opportunity.

The older kids tended to be more confident, resourceful and independent than were their younger never-had-farmed siblings.

I've noticed the same kind of difference in children who grow up around boats, and are permitted to assume responsibilities on board. I think it makes a big difference. Anyone else???

Alan

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Oh we think so
And we hope so...

in the words of an old chanty!

Yes, I do believe that this is so, not just from seeing my own son, but looking at the children of others.

[Figment]

95% of what I know about myself, I learned while dripping with sweat.

[John Shin]

I have noticed some of the same things, Alan. Years ago I taught folks to drive a heavy truck. Those from a farm would take about half the time to catch on. Even if they had never driven something similar, they had done many things and had what I call a better "feel" for makeing things work.

John

[Ron Williamson]

Last year we had two 19-year-old labourers.One was a town kid who had 2 years school shop and minor construction experience.The other was a farm kid,a high school dropout with no experience other than farm work.Guess who was more useful,helpful,aware of his personal safety,and had a better(relatively)attitude.He wasn't smarter but he learned better and was far more adaptable.
R

[Todd Schliemann]

Originally posted by Alan D. Hyde:

I've noticed the same kind of difference in children who grow up around boats, and are permitted to assume responsibilities on board. I think it makes a big difference. Anyone else???

Alan, I'm afraid I don't about farms. Kids? I know a little about boats and kids ... I think. For kids, personal responsibility is a game, a test of authority, a long shot, a chore, a way out. I'll try not to get precious and proud but my two have been sailing as a family since birth. While neither I, nor my wife, give them an inch, they have learned how to find the mile. Somewhere between the chaos of the city and the discipline of the boat they they have found a confidence and determination to find their way around every obstacle in their way. On top of the standard chores there are certain chores onboard, and off, which I've contrived to test them as they grow, and if so be, to fail on their own. They continue to out do them all, sometimes with remarkable effort, one way or another. It seems to be the way of kids.

I get a kick out of watching them suck up information from other kids. Give them only one hour and the dingy and they will come back with new friends found, another way to challenge me with facts and technique, and an angle to crib one more row back to their friends and accomplices after they have accelerated their chores. They all seem to be clever enough on this score to do it right in less time than their best, each time. Like I said, I don't know farms, but if kids are like my kids (and their accomplices), after the work gets done, then I guess they will find a way no matter what, past whatever they find in their way (even the quietest of the bunch).

The discipline onboard just seems to be another heavy weather day for them, after it's done, the freedom is all the more rewarding.

Fair winds,

[Rancocas]

Whether it is boats, or farms, or whatever; I think the common denominator, in general, that makes for a well-rounded, self-confident kid is "Family".
By that, of course, I mean nurturing, and very present, parents (both of them), siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins ---- Family --- a family where a kid soon learns where he/she fits into the scheme of things, where he/she belongs, where they learn something about their "roots", where they are given some responsibility at an early age, where they are trusted and loved. Family.

[John B]

I believe very much so Alan.
'Stop squabbling, get in your boats, go over there and check out those rocks/beach/other kids'

'GO'.