Tips for Keeping the Yard a Safe Place for Children
More and more, the yard is viewed as an outdoor room. And just as you would childproof an indoor room, it’s important to take safety precautions in the yard to keep young children safe. Here are some tips on outdoor safety with children:
* The first rule for children in the garden is never to eat anything unless an adult is supervising. While eating fruits and vegetables you’ve grown yourself is part of the joy of gardening, many common ornamental plants can make you quite sick if you eat them; some are poisonous.
* Never leave a toddler or young child outdoors unattended.
* Point out any potential hazards to the child, such as thorn bushes or poison ivy. If necessary, fence off areas or plants that should be avoided.
* Be careful with sharp tools and discuss with your children which tools are safe for them to use and which are not. Place forks, rakes and other pointed tools tines down.
* No chemicals. Despite their sometimes colorful labels, garden chemicals are highly dangerous if mishandled and have no place in gardens with young children.
A child’s garden, above all others, should be an organic garden. If you do have garden chemicals, be sure to store them in clearly marked containers, perhaps with a big skull and crossbones. Never use soft drink bottles or other empty food containers for storing chemicals, cleaning supplies or fertilizers.
* Be especially watchful of young children around lily ponds, wading pools, large puddles, buckets and large containers of any sort. Small children can drown in even small amounts of water.
* Use tall stakes for plants that need support. Short stakes can cause eye injuries.
* Though no substitute for a watchful eye, fences are a good way to help keep a wandering young one in bounds.
* Always wash hands after gardening.
* Check your children for ticks, insect bites and allergic reactions if Lyme disease is a problem in your area, enforce special precautions such as wearing long pants in wooded areas and tucking pants’ legs into sock tops.
With the right attitude, the yard, just like a properly childproofed home, can be a safe and happy place ready for hours of play and family fun in all seasons.
