Tips for New Dads: Yard Dangers for Children
Here are The Ten Commandments of yard management to keep everyone as safe as possible:
1) Take Responsibility
You have three actions to employ for a reduction in the potential dangers posed to your family’s smallest and most vulnerable members in the vast expanse that is your yard.
* Remove things that are a risk.
* If certain obstacles to safety are not removable, as in the case of a drainage pond, educate at the age level of the child.
* Be vigilant so that you are aware of all issues you suspect that could serve to harm your kids and any children that may trespass without your knowledge.
2) Survey the South Forty
Make an initial inspection of your yard where the mind is thinking of what may be intriguing, yet a threat, to any child of any age. If a child wanders on your property, you could be held liable for Darwinism that may ensue. Look closely in every nook and cranny, next to the home out to the property line. Remove things that tend to pool water as this is a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes. Time to properly dispose of that old tire you have been providing refuge; it collects the water of which mosquitoes find a perfect place to raise their offspring.
3) Home Improvements (ARRR ARR ARR): Sweat the Small Stuff
If you are anything like me, you will be surprised at things found not otherwise noticed unless scrutinized with a, “What could go wrong here?” mind-set. In my case, we had just moved into the house we now own and had the roof re-shingled. I assumed that this included the hired contractor policing the area for nails upon completion.
Of course, that would mean doing a complete job, so do not expect it. Any work done that involves the removal of old parts of a home that had nails and other debris that easily pierces feet and/or introducing improvements that involve their use, you need to be the one that ferrets out anything left behind, ultimately.
4) Take Action on Initial Findings
Cover protruding pipes with a soft insulation to lessen the blow should someone fall into them. Remove boards or other unnecessary objects that may serve as a haven for poisonous snakes, insects and spiders that are native to your region. A link at the end of this article, or by clicking here, will whisk you off to search the reptiles, bugs and arachnids you might expect to find nearby to your neck of the woods.
Fill in holes that may exist in your lawn that a little foot could slide down into while running. Check all existing playground apparatuses to ensure they have no wear that makes them an accident waiting to happen. If you question something could be a problem, why not go ahead and be on the safe side?
5) Observe Children at Play
Odds are, you will find only a fraction of potential danger. In my case, the biggest miss I had was a firewood holder put up by the previous owners. It consists of two, upright 4×4’s sunk well into the ground and then two 4×4’s connecting the posts. The horizontal boards serve as a place to hold wood above the ground.
Where the logs would sit, there is a gap between the 4×4’s just wide enough for a small, shod foot to snugly go between them. On a small child, when a foot or both are put in the gap, the boards serve to hold the child in tight well above the ankle. Therefore, the fun game of walking the groove would have ended sadly should our boy have fallen down to either side.
The boards would prevent the feet from freeing themselves on the way down and gravity would ensure that most of the legs length followed the torso toward the earth below. It would be Joe Theisman’s career ending injury in stereo. I placed a 2×8 across the gap and nailed it in place before it pulled a Lawrence Taylor on my son.
6) Make ‘Em Stay Inbounds
Show your child your property line. After all, you are taking the time to keep him or her safe, not necessarily your neighbors. I grew up on 2.75 acres and remember my father going over the boundaries, with my brother and I, and in some detail where there were not obvious barriers such as fences. Enforce this vigorously. Not only will this provide safety, but it will also please your neighbors.
When I did this, it was far more difficult than my dad’s experience, since I am not exactly sure where the divide is, with precision, between my property and one of my neighbors. Even with only one third of an acre, the lack of barriers proved to be difficult in making imaginary lines that I understood, let alone a then three year-old. I found landmarks that were clear and close enough to what the property appraiser has on record to make sure my son is on his property when he plays. After a few stern reminders, I noticed a remarkable change in my child’s understanding that he only can go so far, “That way.” When we play tag or hide and go seek, he never ventures into the neighbors domain. This is a small victory in the grand scheme of things, but very important nevertheless.
7) Put Away YOUR Toys
The garden rake, hoe and other tools can pose many risks, even to you. Say you leave the hoe propped up against the house and then your little one drags it into your yard in need of mowing. Step on the end of it and you will find out that the cartoons are based on what has been witnessed in real life. If you are not cut because you have on no shoes, then that handle may pay a visit to your face and be intent on getting there with tremendous speed and force.
Try playing that off if the neighbor sees it and at work with the nasty bruise it may leave. Heaven forbid it is your spouse. You will get the evil eye as a potential domestic violence offender at your significant others work holiday party. Do not think your tools will be respected when you do not provide proper care yourself nor that a child will heed the preachings of putting away his or her things. Your actions speak as loudly as your words since your child will certainly emulate behaviors by those nearest and dearest.
8) Beware of Water
Especially if your child can not swim, make sure you know that every body of water, no matter the depth, is somehow obstructed from access. Even if all children around can swim, taking an unexpected dip fully clothed is challenging to stay afloat as a child. Trust me on this one; I have first-hand experience here. Shoes are more like having lead feet rather than diving flippers and clothes more akin to a weight belt as opposed to a wetsuit. Extremely cold water also compounds an accident of this nature.
This may sound obvious, but while pools are required to have fences around them – at least in FL, the murky, drainage ponds often have nothing preventing access so that it poses perhaps more serious issues. It is impossible to assess the depth of these very often, and they may drop off rapidly. Also, there may be undesirable critters, such as our alligator snapping turtle or even alligators, so that it really makes sense to somehow designate them as off limits. If a fence can not be erected, this should be the biggest focus of any education plan.
9) Check Your Yard Regularly
Especially after storms, go around your yard and make sure it is in good condition as well as keep a lookout as you mow. You may have a neighbor, like mine, that will throw stuff over the fence until you catch him red-handed at it. Make sure there are not metallic objects to cut small feet. A tetanus shot and possibly stitches are things a youngster does not enjoy; again, this is from personal experience. Check in-ground sprinkler heads to ensure they retract below the lawns surface. That kid is not losing an eye on our watch. Look out for poisonous vegetation and remove it. Learn what may be growing in your yard.
10)Mow Your Lawn Regularly
I know you are saying, “Thanks Cap’n Obvious,” but many try to squeeze as many days, even weeks, between mowings as possible. Regular upkeep, so that your yard never looks like it needs the lawn equipment, will not only earn the respect of your neighbors, but it also does some things you may not have pondered. First, you can see what is on the ground much more easily. Instead of enlisting the neighborhood for an arm’s length sweep of your terrain for hidden dangers, a short walk with a keen eye is all you need.
Further, high grass may be provide poisonous snakes and other dangerous critters a place where they would just love to love hang out early and often. As a snake lover of all that are non-poisonous and respectful of those that are, please do not kill every serpent you see. Educate yourself on which are harmful and indigenous to your area before you see one (see link on the final page). I will not tell you to leave poisonous varieties alone. The reason being, since I am in a highly populated area, where there are no good places that it may end up, one will not get a second chance here.
I am no Jeff Corwin, so relocating one is too great a risk for me. I know they deserve to live, but my son is higher on the food chain and survival of the fattest (me). However, non-poisonous varieties will get the rats and other small critters that flourish in your yard. Things they devour may not be undesirable in all cases, but the population of any wildlife needs restraint. It is nature’s way!
You now have leverage if the neighbor is a bit tardy on lawn care and your haven is threatened by penetration of undesired visitors from a bordering empire’s inviting landscape. By all means, develop strong relationships with neighbors, but do not allow one to put your family at risk. Tell them face-to-face is my best advice.
If you live next to The Adam’s Family, do not be afraid to contact the owner’s association or city officials. Most cities have rules in regards to yard maintenance, though they do not have a tactical team that scours neighborhoods with rulers to check lawn length, in most cases. Some associations do; ask my poor neighbor. If you refuse to be a rat, you need to learn to live with them.
Let me add a bonus 11th Commandment:
11) Relax and Enjoy Your Family Outdoor Time
Now you have exercised due diligence, and, while you remain watchful, no sense in being too uptight. There are few places that can provide the serenity you feel in your own, safe backyard: away from televisions, desktops and other modern annoyances that serve little as true relaxation. Realize that a little one will endure his or her fair share of scrapes, bumps and bruises here.
These battle wounds are part of the rite of passage into adulthood, since I have met few adults that do not bear a scar or two that relates back to a childhood memory. You cannot cover your entire property with throw pillows and force your kid to wear a football uniform with soccer shin guards each time the yard is the place the family decides to spend an afternoon. Coat them with sunscreen and bug repellent, when necessary; then, let them do what they do best, play for your entertainment. They are short versions of court jesters, very often, and you are the benevolent King.
The first few accidents that typically look more serious than they are, will undoubtedly have you swallowing your heart back into its normal position. My son fell off the ladder of his little wooden fort, nearly a 5′ drop, and landed on his head and shoulder simultaneously. I practically lost my mind, though I did not let him see that. He was laughing and jumping right back on that ladder within ten minutes, much more quickly than it took my heart to go below 200 beats a minute!
I could not imagine how I would have felt reflecting back if the accident was more serious AND it was due to my neglect of not removing an obvious hazard upon which he fell. Sometimes INaction can never be *undone… *Or should it be “done” since it was an action not taken? Either way, it could be a lifelong burden to carry. Let us ensure none of us devoted dads ever face a situation like that by practicing safe yard care!
