Spring has sprung…and so too will our grass…unless of course winter comes back to visit again as it did yesterday! Spring would be perfect if it were not for the fact that lawns eventually need mowing and weeds need wacking. Neither are high on the “to do” list of the O’Keeffe family. Althought, even yard work in the spring has a pleasant quality that none of us can deny!
Parents and Kids recently ran an article called “Let’s go outside baby“. A reader, I’ll call her “Mrs. S”, sent in the following question that raised some important safety questions about lawn mowers and children:
“The article by Gina Roberts-Grey, “Let’s Go Outside Baby” suggests mowing the lawn while using a backpack carrier. Virtually all gasoline mowers and many electric mowers are so loud that ear protectors are suggested for the person using the mower. What will this noise level do to a baby’s or toddler’s hearing?”
Mrs. S is indeed correct that mowing the lawn with a child in a backpack could seriously injure that child’s hearing. But, more than that, just pushing a mower with a child in such close proximity to the mower could cause serious harm to the child from objects on the lawn becoming airborne. And, if the child’s parent bends down to adjust the mower at all, the child could reach for the mower causing harm to either the child or the parent.
The best safety practice is to not have a child anywhere near a lawnmower. For small children, parents could mow the lawn during naptime or put the child within eyesight in a playpen, such as on a deck. As the American Academy of Pediatrics points out, indoors is the safest location for childen if you are mowing the lawn.
A big thanks to Mrs. S for brining this to our attention. I’d like to invite any of our readers to email me if you learn of any news that doesn’t sound right. I’ll look into it and help get the facts and bust the myths.
(Image Source: The Big Box of Art 410,000)
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