5.5 Farm children
Child rearing patterns: these do not seem to be changing in any marked way. Young babies and toddlers still accompany either or both parents onto the farm. Some preschoolers go to play centre or kindergarten. A number of mothers continue to be heavily involved in Plunket [ Plunket in Mangaweka is wealthy, having received a legacy some years ago, which is used to assist all mothers with support immediately after birth, and for a host of other activities] and play centre activities, beyond the exit of their children from such activities. The mobile kindergarten in the area was in recess early in 1997 because of staffing problems but this was seen as a temporary interlude only. Children from several of the families attend music, drama and ballet lessons in Taihape or Hunterville though tuition for instruments such as the flute is available only in Wanganui - a two hour drive for one family whose daughter wanted to learn that instrument. The time and tuition costs for such lessons can weigh heavily on a shrinking farm budget.
Children attend local primary schools, until secondary age, or, for a select few, Huntley School in Marton, a school catering for boys from Std 3 to Form 2. Secondary education is a major concern for most farm families, and will be discussed at length in a later section. So too issues to do with training and future education.
Teenagers: one 14 year old was asked to write a letter about living on a farm. Her comment "I love our farm and would never want to move" echoes others heard from a number of children, and may put pressure on parents.
For teenagers farming was part of their life if they lived at home and attended Taihape College. Most of the boys and a few of the girls had regular tasks to do on the farm. For those at boarding school holidays were the only times spent at home. They seldom had friends to stay or visit, partly through distance, partly, as one suggested, "they were scared mum would get them working on the farm" .
A number of families were weighing the pros and cons of uprooting and going to live in a city, taking into account factors such as the rural lifestyle, especially from the point of view of the children, leaving a district where they are well established, the viability of the farm, and, on the other hand future employment prospects for all members of the family.
Education: one of the constant comments from parents was the emphasis placed on children getting ‘a good education’ [ see 6.2 for discussion of education] so they had choice as adults, and could go into work other than farming: "I want them to have skills as well as farm- there may not be enough offering in the future." "We would advise our kids not to go on the farm." "I wouldn’t encourage [my children] but I wouldn’t discourage- I think it’s a lifestyle- unless they’re really dedicated."
"I don’t want my boy to be a farmer - he’s got to have some other qualification before he can become a farmer."
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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