Teenagers!! Lazy or Correct re shutting coop door nightly

[Mutt Farm]

Wow, thanks all. First, it's not my kid, but the youngest of 3 of my partner's, the only one still living at home, with 1 yr of high school left. The kids have done a relatively fair job in past, but this is first time it all falls on the youngest. Our approach towards leaving has strengthened the rapport I have with him, which wasn't very good prior. I do have a responsible neighbour friends nearby to back up where the boy falls short. Thanks again, and good luck to us all in enjoying our needed breaks. Bests, Nick

Howdy! Interesting predicament! What I hear is not that he's lazy or untrustworty, just that he has a differing opinion regarding whether or not the chickens "need" to be locked up and therefore might not follow through with your request. In the workforce and in relationships, he will find himself doing things that he may not think are necessary. Could I suggest that you offer him some reward (bribery or work ethic training) for closing in the chickens each night and pay him for sending you a picture each night for your peace of mind? Pay for each picture. not the chore?

 

[aart]

Quote: Excellent example and suggestion!

 

[enola]

I had a room mate that I trusted take care of my hens, horses and house cat. I came back to everything looking 'pretty good'. She got a free week of rent for payment. She also got all the eggs that the hens layed. But, the hens were really slacking up on eggs for the next week or so. Then the second season hens went into a molt and quit laying at all.

The next summer, she chicken sat for me again....... We came back two days early to find empty watering containers, the ones that did have water had dirty water. No feed in the feeders, tons of eggs all over the hen house. Dog's water bowl was nasty, algae in the horse tank, grass not mowed........ She didn't get her free week that year.......

 

[MeepBeep]

IMO if you specifically tell him to close the door nightly and he barks back or doesn't do it, it's disobedience and/or lazy...

I'm of the opinion that since he is living under your roof and they are your chickens his 'opinion' can certainly be taken into account, but it's you that makes the final decision and that should be followed by him even if he disagrees...

I'm old school, if it was my kid that refused to close the coop door after I instructed him to do so, he would come home to his bedroom door removed and missing and would have to earn it back by closing the coop door every night for a period of time...

 

[rides2far]

I'm sure not all 4h and/or FFA participants are involved in what I observed.

I think teaching accountability is an important part of a mentorship.
Hiding/concealing/excusing a young persons failures is condoning a lack of responsibility and doing them no favors at all.
I don't know how old this girl is, but she shouldn't have been paid for a job so poorly done and should have been expected to 'own up' to it.

Well, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. She knows & we know she was irresponsible. Since these people were friends & neighbors, we decided not to tell them. It was a judgement call on our part. Like I say, she knew. We never used her again for anything.

 

[aart]

Quote: Gotcha...... excuse my rant - bitter personal history slipped thru....and it wasn't your kid either.

 

[rides2far]

I have to add, Aart, we were so shocked by what we found, it took a few days to settle in to the extent of things. The worst was the sheep. When she was feeding hers, she was halving what was written down for ours. Grrrr. One positive thing came from it. My oldest son's lamb was a really beautiful lamb, just underweight for the fair. The judge told my son she was the best lamb in the class & he should keep her for breeding, so that's what we did. She was a beautiful Hampshire named Clover & since she was so nice, she didn't go to auction.

 

[aggiemae]

I have a house full of lazyazz teenagers. I accept that we have the animals and the garden because I want it but if they want to eat anything that grows they are expected to help when asked.

Maybe a bit off subject but maybe not: (sad and graphic) http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/0...-car-seat-for-8-days-face-murder-charges.html

How anyone of any age can neglect a living thing, even a plant, baffles me. A teenager is old enough to be held accountable for their behavior. Being "sorry" or contrite after the fact is BS.

 

[aggiemae]

Our horror story is paying our neighbor's daughter to take care of our place while we were back East visiting family. We paid her $100/week. We came home to starved FFA lambs, a dead lawn, 2 dogs in a backyard with no water (in 100 degree heat), hamsters in wrong cages, & dirty cat boxes. Within a few days we realized our ancient dog was being shocked by lamp wires when she would lay down. The hamsters had obvously been loose in the house & had chewed up the cords on lamps. Our house could have burned down. This was a supposed responsible high school senior who had pets of her own & was in FFA with a lamb project. Ha.

You didn't tell her parents. I get that. But you pay her? I'd have sent her a bill. Seriously.

 

[lazy gardener]

IMO if you specifically tell him to close the door nightly and he barks back or doesn't do it, it's disobedience and/or lazy...

I'm of the opinion that since he is living under your roof and they are your chickens his 'opinion' can certainly be taken into account, but it's you that makes the final decision and that should be followed by him even if he disagrees...

I'm old school, if it was my kid that refused to close the coop door after I instructed him to do so, he would come home to his bedroom door removed and missing and would have to earn it back by closing the coop door every night for a period of time...

Excellent example of creative discipline. Our children found that when they slammed their bedroom doors, their doors disappeared.