If you take a walk down memory lane, the first thing that will pop into your mind is a carefree time you’ve spent outdoors when you were young. However, the times have changed and parents aren’t that relaxed when it comes to letting their child run around in the backyard. Not only do they have to worry about some of the most obvious dangers, but there are also many unexpected things that can cause serious problems. We are all happy to see our children playing in the backyard, but we seem to forget about all the potential hazards lurking around our house. Although an outdoor space is a great playfield, there are lots of disadvantages as well and letting children run free isn’t always good.
Provide safe toys and playground equipment
A great thing about the outdoors is that you don’t have to worry about what your children are going to do. Running around carelessly, exploring the nature and playing hide-and-seek are just some of the ways to entertain themselves and give you a chance to enjoy their honest laughter. Adding a few simple toys and possibly even a playground into your backyard is always an interesting way for them to discover shapes and sizes in nature – foam football, colored chalk, a fun game of horseshoe and every other favorite childhood game will do. On the other hand, if you want to create a swing set, slides or any other structure that might be dangerous, you’ll need to secure it and always keep an eye on the children.
Be careful with lawn mowers
Although you think your child knows that lawn mowers are not to be played with, don’t think that their curiosity won’t make them push those buttons just to see how it works. You also need to be careful when you mow the lawn because there were lots of cases of children being involved in mowing accidents. Therefore, it’s best to keep your lawn mower in the garage or a shed, locked and out of reach, and the same goes for the gasoline and engine oil. If you’re worried about oil spills that might endanger your kids, you can use reliable Karcher pressure washers to remove potentially dangerous chemicals. Be sure to keep your landscape well maintained with the minimal use of pesticide, so your child can play in the backyard safely.
Scan the garden for potential poisonous plants
Apart from pesticides, poisonous plants are also one of the main causes of poisoning and this can be prevented in a few steps. Firstly, you need to mow your lawn regularly because overgrown grass prevents you from spotting harmful or poisonous plants. The most common plant is poison ivy, but what can be even more dangerous are some sorts of toxic berries which could be tempting for your child. Those plants can leave marks on the skin, cause infections and, if your child is overly curious and eat a leaf or two, it can even cause certain diseases.
Other potential dangers
Some outdoor furniture with sharp edges can be very dangerous when your child starts running around without looking. You need to childproof all the edges, so you won’t have to move your furniture every time your child wants to go out. You’ll also have to check your fence and see if there are any cracks and whether it’s too low and your child can climb over. This is an important issue because your child could be running to the streets in a split second without you even noticing what’s happening. We seem to forget that children are adventurous and like exploring anything they see. On that note, you need to cover or protect your fire pits to ensure they won’t start a fire just to see what will happen. Even though you enjoy hosting garden parties and lighting a romantic fire, your child will see this as a potential science project and that plan can go wrong in many different ways.
Young kids should never be left unsupervised, but sometimes even older children get into trouble if they don’t know how to behave. You need to establish some ground rules and make sure they won’t wander into the street. However, make sure you don’t scare your children too much either and let them play and enjoy their childhood.
Emma B. Joyce is a blogger based in Australia. She is a true home decor and DIY fanatic. Emma is also a mum who likes to spend her free time with her daughter. Finding new designs and patterns is her daily task. Emma is a regular contributor on Smooth Decorator,
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