82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 12, 1992 Togetherness Marks Pa. Alternate Princess’ Family LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff HAMBURG (Berks Co.) SMAK-B Farm is home for Penn sylvania Alternate Dairy Princess Sandra Gross and her siblings, Michael, IS; Alicia, 12; Kristen, 9; and Brian 6. It’s also the place where teen-agers want to drive 4-wheelers, play football in the fields and work. “All my friends who come to visit want to work here because my dad makes everything sound like fun,” Sandra said. Encouragement and competi tion are the main ways that Sand ra’s father, David, inspires Sandra, 17, and other teen agers to work on the farm. When they are unloading hay bales, Gross challenges the kids by saying, “I can throw the bale this high. How high can you throw it?” Soon the kids are chucking hay bales fast and furious while Gross speedily stacks the bales. To inspire the kids to work even hard er during hay stacking, Gross tells them, “If you can bury me in the hay mow. I’ll stay up here and stack them.” The kids become mesmerized by trying to bury him in the hay mow. And, Gross is secretly chuckling because the hay is get ting unloaded in prime time. Unlike some fathers, Gross said that he does the work that no one else wants to do and has no prob lem doing it. “I guess it’s because I was the youngest son in the family This dairy promotion presentation by Sandy received honorable mention at state pageant competition. and I grew up doing the jobs no one else wanted to do.” Another method Gross utilizes in inspiring his children to work is to work side by side with them instead of assigning them chores on their own. Gross said, “I always do the same work as the kids. From little on up, the children go everywhere with my wife and me. That way, the children see how it’s done rather than have me tell them how to do it” Gross contends that if a child accompanies him for five years by watching him mow hay, that child will know how to do it a lot better than waiting until they are 14 years old and then having him tell them how to do it To help children enjoy work. Gross believes they need to see that the jobs they do are of value. “I like to make kids feel impor tant,” he said. “When more calves are bom, I tell the child who feeds them, ‘You are more important today because you are responsible for more calves.’” With compliments such as these the child is not as inclined to com plain about the extra workload. A sense of humor also lightens the work load on the farm. Sandra said, “My father always has a reason for everything. It doesn’t always make sense it’s off-the-wall logic but we like to hear what he has to say.” Some of her dad’s off-the-wall logic includes his surmise that The kids enjoy tractor work on the fat 'ly farm. Ma^H^n^^Mtehae^S 6 fr ° m ,ef * : A,,CIa ’ 12; Kr,Sten ’ 9: Sandra ’ 17; Brten -®: David, everyone has 24 hours in which to want more sleep, you have two Th e children do not complain, sleep, work, and spend money, choices: go to bed earlier or get up because they know that their dad’s “If you work for me 8 hours, later. Getting up later isn’t one of m ethod of payment is not because sleep 8 hours, you have 8 hours to your choices.” he is stingy but because he consid spend money. But, if you work for While many farmers pay their ers them partners in-business with me 14 hours and sleep 8 hours, you children an hourly rate for doing him. have only 2 hours to spend money; chores. Gross does not His theory is that children therefore you don’t need as much He said, “We pay the kids week- should be given two calves on the money because you don’t have ly very ‘weakly.’ The amount child’s eighth birthday. He figures time to spend it.” varies from week to week and is that tf the child continues to have Gross admits, "I haven’t con- based on what the child needs that *he calves bred, by the time the vinced any of the children of the week not on an hourly wage.” (Turn to Pag* B 3) logic of that one, but I’m still trying.” Sandra groans goodnaturally and said, “He thinks up things like that when he gets up at S a.m. to milk.” Another tidbit of wisdom that Gross tells his children: “If you Sandra practices her dairy promotion for senior citizens on her grandparents, who have helped make props for her skit and given Input on her presentation. Wotnestfiod t/l/Sics
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