One variety of youth breeder is the young breeder. He or she is learning and must depend heavily upon parents for guidance and help. How much can be expected from a youth breeder varies heavily depending on the age, abilities, and experience of the youth breeder.
Oftentimes, I hear comments that the parents are doing too much in these situations. Sometimes I hear that the kids don't seem all that interested. I would caution that looks can be deceiving.
Children vary greatly in their development. We cannot just make a standard, for example, on how much involvement a 7-year old should have. Some are precocious while others are not as mature for their age. Some children may have learning disabilities or physical conditions that we are not aware of. We have no choice but to trust the parents' judgment about how much is right for that child to do.
Young chilren have limited attention spans. It is unreasonable for us to expect a young child to be able to keep his or her attention focused on one thing for hours at a time. Young children need frequent breaks no matter what the activity is (with the apparent exception of video games . . .). It would be faulty logic, in my opinion, to assume that a child who can be distracted from rabbits for a chance to play with friends is not interested in their rabbits. Since we do not know how involved a child is at home with their rabbits, we are not getting the full picture.
Pre-teens are developing longer attention spans and the ability to focus on one activity. But preteens are beginning a fickle stage of their lives. It's a time to explore lots of options and see what fits them. There may be times when their interest lags a little. But rabbits are a long-term commitment and it would be a hasty decision to disband a rabbitry because preteens are so mecurial. Off days and down periods can be overlooked. Perhaps a break from showing is in order. But again, we have to allow parents to determine whether any disinterest or distraction is permanent or just "one of those days."
Teenagers, especially older teens, can easily have all of the knowledge about rabbits that open breeders do. Even more sometimes. They can handle their rabbits independently and do not need to rely on their parents.
Some may feel that this is the only way that a youth breeder should show - totally independently. Certainly there is no question about whether the parents are doing too much in these situations. Teenagers going solo can be very proud of their accomplishments. What they learn by raising and showing their rabbits will benefit them all of their lives, I believe.
But one of the greatest benefits of youth showing rabbits is the quality time spent with their families. I cannot emphasize enough that the people-part of showing rabbits is as important as, or perhaps more important than, the rabbits themselves. I am not sure that I believe that totally independent youth should always be the goal in youth rabbit showing. It certainly does fit some families very well, but it is not the only way to do things right.
Parents-showing-as-youth is, unfortunately, another possibility in youth rabbit showing. I honestly believe that most parents who are doing this are not conscious of it. Perhaps it evolved one day at a time, beginning with getting into rabbits for their children's sake. Subtle changes are the hardest ones to detect. Have you ever been surprised to find that you had gained 10 lbs. or aged 10 years without really noticing it?
I think that all of us parents of youth breeders should conduct a mental checkup periodically. Is my child still interested in rabbits (not considering temporary lapses)? Is my child doing what is appropriate for his or her age? Am I controlling things too much or is it time to back off a little? Am I more into this than my child is?
If your internal checkup flags some problem areas, here are some options to think about:
- Adjust the duties and responsibilties so that your youth breeder continues to develop as a breeder; you may have gotten into a rut and not realized it is time to move on to the next step
- Allow your youth breeder to make more decisions, even if you don't agree with them (you always have veto power to prevent your child from being taken advantage of, for example, in rabbit sales)
- Move to open with your youth breeder so that the two of you can operate more as partners (this is an especially good option for preteens and teens who may go through periods where other things take their attention)
- Get your own breed or divide your breeds and begin showing in open while your semi-independent or independent child shows in youth
- Admit that it is your hobby now and move to open alone.
A couple of different friends of mine have told similar stories about their youth. In the stories, the youth want to show a particular rabbit that the parents didn't think should be shown. However, the rabbits did well on the table and the parents were the ones to learn a lesson. It's a little intimidating to allow your child to lead when you have been their leader, teacher, and protector all their lives. But you may find that it is well worth it. Even if you get a little "I told you so!"
Before I wrap this up, I do want to mention that all rabbit breeders are involved with the youth breeding program, whether they realize it or not. Youth watch everything we do and say. Youth are an integral part of our hobby, not a separate group to be shuttled off to the corner. We all have opportunities to support youth whether we write for their breeds, advocate equal treatment in show planning, participate in educational activities, buy and sell rabbits, answer questions, or we interact with them in any number of other ways.
I know that I have chosen a touchy subject to write about. I want to apologize in advance to anyone whose feelings I may have hurt. But I do believe that giving thought to some important aspects of rabbit showing can help clear away misconceptions and help bring ideas (that we really already know) back to the forefront of our minds for a little mental percolation.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
