Teaching kids how to mow the lawn can have several benefits. It provides an easy job that the child can perform as part of his or her weekly chores. Mowing is also a self-contained task that can help to develop spatial thinking abilities and problem solving. It provides a lesson in responsibility, since the entire job must be started and completed in a single day. It is very important to teach kids the correct and safe methods that are used to operate machinery, like a mower. It is also a good idea for parents or older siblings to supervise the child during the first attempt at cutting the grass.

Safety

The first step to take when teaching kids how to mow the lawn is proper safety precautions. Regardless of whether the mower is a manual reel variety or a gas-powered rotary cutter, the procedures to remain safe are the same. Children should be wearing long pants, shoes with hard toe protectors and gloves. The mower should be kept forward and away from the body. Kids should take short steps and should never allow their feet to come near lawn mower blades. It is also important to show children how to push the machine so that the lawn mower tires spin freely without becoming caught or lifting off of the ground and exposing the lawn mower blades.

Mowing The Lawn

Teaching children how to mow the lawn involves developing a sense of patience and persistence. Kids are sometimes impulsive and might wander randomly throughout a space if a good technique is not taught. The best method to teach is to move in long, straight lines from one end of the field to the other. This ensures that no areas will be missed. Following a strict pattern that gets every area will help a kid to develop a sense of discipline that can be useful in other ways. Some basic information about grass should also be taught such as never cutting more than one-third the height of the grass unless it has started to grow too quickly due to rain and sun.

Finishing Touches

The last step in teaching kids to mow the lawn is explaining how to perform the more precise cuts. This can include using an edging tool or other specialized cutting attachments that can be placed on the mower. Trimming sharp edges, clearing circles around the base of a tree and cutting down weeds in difficult areas like a stone path can give the work a final professional feeling. It can also give the child a sense of pride, since the work that has been done can be appreciated by the family and the neighbors.
 
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