Doing lawn work with kids this summer

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How to be a better Dad is parenting advice for the Single Dad. This weeks article teaches you how you can have fun and keep safe doing lawn work with your kids this summer.

How To Be a Better
Dad: Parenting Advice

Having fun and keeping
safe doing lawn work with kids this summer

Mowing, trimming, sweating in the hot sun–all part of a
great summer. It takes time to keep
your lawn looking its best
, but as a single
dad
it can be hard to get a few free hours to work in the yard. The best
solution, of course, is to get the kids involved!

With your kids along for the afternoon, pulling weeds can
become a fun bonding experience. It’s an opportunity to teach them important
life skills, like how to maintain and safely use lawn equipment. Chores like
lawn work are also a great way to teach kids responsibility.

You might wonder if your children are old enough to help
with lawn work. Is it safe? Lawn equipment like your edger, trimmer, lawn
mower, and pruning shears can be extremely dangerous for kids who are too young
to handle them and also for older kids who are unsupervised. When young kids
weed or rake the lawn they might not accomplish any actual work. So, is it
really a good idea to get them involved?

yard work

Summer Lawn Care

It’s really important to have realistic expectations about
the lawn care jobs your kids can handle. Your 4-year-old is probably going to
pull up the flowers along with the weeds. Your 12-year-old’s lawn stripes won’t
be perfect. If those things are going to bother you, it’s probably not a good
idea to have the kids help out. Hire a babysitter to supervise the kids while
you work outside, or hire a lawn service.

If your kids are going to help with lawn work this summer,
this guide will help you keep it fun and safe!

0-2 years-Children
at this age are obviously too young to help with lawn chores. They also cannot
be left unsupervised for a few hours while you are outside doing the chores. If
you have kids this age, do yourself a favor and hire a local landscape and maintenance company
– like I did when my kids were this age – to take care of your yard for a
couple years. Enjoy the break, and spend your time with your little one.

3-5 years-This is
the preschool age where kids love to help with just about any chore, but mostly
get in the way or even make a bigger mess. If you have realistic expectations
and some patience, this is a great age to get your kids started helping out in
the yard. Make it fun. Your kids will love making a leaf pile to jump in while
you trim your shrubs or work in the garden nearby.

6-11 years-At
this age, kids start to be able to really help with yard work. They still need
close supervision, but can weed the flower garden, rake leaves, and clean up
lawn debris. Be sure to give them clear instructions and lots of encouragement.
This is also the age when kids want to mow the lawn, but according to the American
Academy of Pediatrics
, it’s just not safe at this age. Keep them safely
away from the lawn equipment until they are at least 12.

12-14 years-Now
the kids are finally ready to try out the cool lawn equipment! Before letting
your child take on these chores consider their ability to pay attention and
follow directions, and maturity. Every child is different and some kids aren’t
ready at 12. Make sure your child is wearing appropriate safety gear and
provide constant supervision. Walk along side them up and down the yard as the
push the mower and let them learn to trim by holding the trimmer with you.
Remember, safety first!

15-18 years-Teenagers
can be a great help to you because they are usually able to do lawn work
independently, even using some lawn equipment. Still, don’t let them use
equipment when you are not home just in case there is an accident. If your
teenager does a good job on your lawn, make sure they know that there’s money
to be had around the neighborhood too!

This summer, get your kids out in the fresh air working
side-by-side with you around the lawn. Have fun and be safe!

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

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Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”