Family and Yard Work

Enjoying the outdoors with family while doing yard work can be a rewarding experience and a great time for bonding. It can be easy to encourage your children to participate in yard work if it's a fun family time. There is an old saying that a family that plays together stays together.

There are a few safety guidelines that will keep the danger of yard work at a minimum. Give concise instructions when including children. Teach everyone they should clean up and store tools and supplies in the proper places. It is poor practice to leave rakes, shovels and other similar items on the ground. This could cause someone to trip. Supervise children under 10 years old to ensure they follow instructions. Children younger than 13 should not be allowed to use sharp tools. Gloves should be worn while pulling weeds, raking or planting. Ladders should not be left unattended by an adult or children could tip it over, fall off of it or it could fall on them. Power equipment should be used by adults or children older than 13 yrs. When you entrust a teenager be sure that they understand instructions and observe an adult using it first. Anyone that chooses to mow should wear sturdy shoes and remove objects such as sticks, toys, electrical cords, and stones before starting, items left on the lawn could be shredded and go flying and injure someone.

Here are some great ideas for fun family activities as a reward for hard work done well. Smaller children enjoy treats such as ice cream and popsicles, or they can dress in bathing suits and play in the sprinklers. For older children treat work as game, the first one that finishes chooses dinner or a movie. Teenagers respond well to lots of praise and some cash; and everyone deserves a cold drink or hot cocoa and marshmallows toasted over a fire depending on the weather.