It’s a rite of passage for some children to learn how to do the lawn mowing. Some entrepreneurial kids want to mow your lawn as well as everyone else’s in your neighbourhood to make money mowing lawns.

And yet, before your son or daughter turns on that mower for the first time, there are some safety precautions you need to teach them.

In this article, you’ll learn seven safety tips that you need to show your children before they start mowing your lawn.

1: Make Sure Your Child Is the Right Age

You may have a son or daughter who wants to help out with chores at home. Some parents even set up a chore chart and give an allowance.

But you need to consider your child’s age before you allow them to start the mower.

Just like you won’t let your child drive your car until they’re 16 and has their learner licence, you shouldn’t allow your child to operate a push lawn mower until they’re 12.

The American Pediatric Society recommends that the minimum age to start using a push lawn mower is 12, and the riding mower is 16 years of age.

2: Teach Your Child to Wear Eye and Hearing Protection

As a homeowner, you know how loud lawn mowers can be, so it’s reasonable to expect your child to wear hearing protection.

Since stones and twigs found in the garden can become projectile missiles, it’s imperative that your child wears eye protection too.

Additionally, it’s vital that your son or daughter wear closed-toe shoes. The mower blades are going about 257 kmph and will easily injure them if they’re barefoot or only wearing jandals while cutting the grass.

Children's vans next to lawn mower and grass

3: Teach Your Child to Pick Up All Garden Debris before Mowing

A garden tidy is important to think about before the lawns are mowed. Rocks, twigs, children’s toys and lawn furniture should be picked up or moved before your young mower starts working in the garden. Little children or pets should either be moved indoors or to another area of your lawn before your pre-teen starts mowing.

4: Only Use Mowers That Automatically Turn Off

Whether it’s your 12-year old using the push mower or your 16-year old driving the riding mower, your mower should stop as soon as your son or daughter lifts their hand off the handle or gets off of the riding mower.

5: Make Sure You’re Home When Your Son or Daughter Is Using the Lawn Mower

Don’t tempt fate by leaving your home while your child is using the mower. Even if your child is trustworthy, anything can happen. And you want to be there in case of an accident or injury.

6: Read the Mower’s Instructions and Teach Your Child to Follow Them

To prevent a disaster, always read your lawn mower’s instruction book. Then teach your child how to use the mower based on the instructions. Your child will need to learn how to fill the gas tank too. So, you’ll need to teach them to turn off the mower and let it cool down before adding more gas.

7: Safety Trumps Perfection Every Time

Finally, you may need to make an exception to the rule for the perfect mowed lawn. Your child is learning a new skill and it takes time to make sure all rows are even.

Your grass will continue to grow, and you’ll still need to get the lawn mowing done every week. So give your kids a break if they missed a row or two on your lawn.

Whether your daughter or son wants to cut only your lawn or they want to earn some extra money by starting a grass cutting business for all the neighbours, make sure they’re at the right age and maturity before they turn on the ignition.

On the other hand, if you’re a busy family and your kids don’t have time to cut the grass, you may want to consider a professional lawn mowing service, such as Crewcut. We only use the best mowers, and you don’t have to worry about our operators getting hurt either.

At Crewcut, we provide hedge and tree trimming services as well as gardening services. We’re located throughout New Zealand. Check out our “Your Backyard” tab on our homepage to find your local Crewcut service provider.

Do you need professional lawn mowing services? If you live in New Zealand, call us free at 0800-800-286, or you can fill out our contact form.

At Crewcut, we serve the following New Zealand regions: Auckland, Bay of Islands, Christchurch, Dargaville, Franklin, Hawkes Bay, Hokianga, Hutt Valley, Kapiti, Manawatu, Nelson, New Plymouth, Otago, Rodney, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga, Timaru, Waikato, Wanganui and Wellington.