Childhood Garden Chores

[Nyboy]

Did you have a chore as a child you hated doing ? Do you still hate doing that chore as a adult? From about age 7 every Sat I had to cut the grass and trim the hedge. My allowance for this was $2. Lucky we had a small city lawn, the hedge was another matter. It ran across the whole front of the yard,needed trimming on 2 sides and top. I used hand clippers. My uncle had a pair of electric clippers that I was so envious of. To this day I hate clipped shrubs and hedges. I think nothing looks sillier, then a shrub clipped into a ball. I can appreciate the work that goes into a topiary, but have no desire to own one. What chore did you hate as a child ?

 

[digitS']

Hoeing.

It was always 10:30 ..

. always 79.9885° with the sun high in the sky.

I could never see the end of the row.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Doing the dishes. And we never got an allowance.
But we did get as much to eat as we wanted, clean clothes and a nice roof over our heads, so I guess it was all good, lol.

We all did housework, even my brothers, and they did some yard work, but dad pretty much took care of all that. Then the boys moved out and the dishes were all mine and big sis'. When I was 12 there were rumors of mom buying a dishwasher. I could see paradise gleaming at me in the future! I wrote and signed a promise that I would never, ever complain about doing dishes ever again in my LIFE, if mom would get a dishwasher.
She did and I found out that loading and unloading the dw was still work.

She gave me that note before she passed away, she had kept it all those years.

 

[Nyboy]

It is amazing the things mothers save

 

[Beekissed]

Getting in firewood in the hottest part of the summer....that never made sense to me. It's hot, buggy, briar ridden and heavy work to be done out in the woods where you have to wear sturdy clothing, so it makes it even hotter. I don't mind it as much now because I get to dictate when and where the firewood is harvested and choose to do it when it makes the most sense...early spring before the bugs and briars arrive on the scene and it's cool out or later on in the fall with the same conditions...but getting in firewood is still heavy, hard and dirty work.

As for all the other work required of us on the homestead...I still don't like to hoe and didn't much like carrying water from the spring~had to do lots of that for the home use and for livestock...that's a hard job for 10 yr old and the spring was far away. I don't mind any housework, mowing, weedeating, etc. and rather enjoy all of those.

We never got an allowance either....probably would have gotten a whipping for even suggesting such a thing!

 

[Carol Dee]

Allowance! Never. We alternated doing dishes. I do not mind that chore as long as I do not wait until I have all the dishes and pans piled high! It was the having to help with house cleaning every Sat. morning and not being able to go out and join our friends until it was done. Dusting, vacuuming, beds, etc... I still dislike cleaning bathroom fixture and dusting.

 

[thistlebloom]

Bathroom chores are still the worst! I just noticed NYboys title said "garden" chores...
I didn't have a lot of those really, but I took care of the animals almost exclusively, except for my older sisters help with corral cleaning occasionally.

I don't mind dishes now, and I never minded any of the outside work. Just still dislike that bathroom cleaning. For the smallest room, it seems to need the most labor.

 

[ninnymary]

Mine is not a garden chore but a household one. I had to iron cloth diapers for my baby brother! Who the heck does that? I don't know if my mom just liked the look of a freshly laundered ironed diaper or if it was something she gave me to keep me busy.

Did any of you ever ironed cloth diapers?

Mary

 

[canesisters]

It was my job to burn trash in the barrel out back. I HATED it. My sister seemed to delight in hiding a deodorant can in the bottom of the bathroom trash bag so that it would explode.
I'd be standing there and hear hisssssssssssssss and I'd take off running before the BOOM! Sometimes bits of trash would be blown out and I'd have to rush back and stomp them out before the yard caught fire.

ahhhh.... good times.....

 

[digitS']

Well, if you guys are drifting outta the garden.

I was okay with housework. Brother and I each assigned either living room or dining room for the week. Washing dishes after dinner alternated, daily.

We waited until fall to go get firewood. Had to finish with the hay. That was kinda brutal. Always the concern that it was dry, so much of the work was in mid-day heat!

Milking was okay. I was often the person feeding the cows. I liked that! There was always so much drama when I opened that corral gate.

I liked irrigation. I still feel like a kid when I put a shovel on my shoulder and head off somewhere. The ditchman and I were like this ~ holding up two fingers. I never quite knew what he was up to but enjoyed having company.

Steve
no allowance, ever. i'm still not very fond of money and have no idea what is in my wallet ...