Gardening offers huge benefits to people and families who like to till the dirt for crops and blooms. Indeed, gardening as a family activity can draw people to spend more time at home with their kids. But even if it is fun to while away time in the garden as you bond with your family, you must remember that fun ends where risks and harms start. Heatstroke, UV rays, hidden sharp objects are just some of these dangers.
And just how can you protect yourself from all the possible harm while you enjoy gardening and family time? Here are some ways to stay smart and safe in your backyard.
Watch Out for the Sun
The life-giving radiance from this giant ball of fire to plants is a big danger to you and your kids. Overexposure without protection can result to immediate dangers of sunburn. And worse, excessive exposure to UV rays can cause premature aging of the skin, pigmentation, temporary blindness, increased risk for cataracts, and heatstroke. It’s also the leading cause of skin cancer. Take these suggestions to help avoid such problems:
- The ultimate skin protection means applying sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30+. Check your drugstore for sunscreen made especially for kids if you’ll have the little ones joining you under the sun. It’s ideal to apply it on your skin at least 20 minutes before gardening. Check if you need another application later on if you’ll be staying outdoors for more than a few hours.
- Wearing the proper attire is a must. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, a broad-brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses. Your kids will probably love this since it will remind them of days on the beach.
- But the most practical solution is to schedule your garden activities wisely. Garden early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun isn’t at its hottest.
Guard Those Hands and Feet
More than other household chores, gardening can harm your hands, feet, and other parts of your body. This is caused by various factors – from sharp objects left lying on the ground, old malfunctioning tools, and insects, among other things.
Organize your tools and equipment
Place them in proper storage or even in a tool shed, if necessary – and teach the kids how each item should be kept away after enjoying their time in the backyard. Gardening and other similar backyard activities require the use of shears, hoe, rake, and other hard and sharp tools that can give you serious wounds, bumps, and other injuries. A spade might just drop on your head you’ve unthinkingly placed together with all your other instruments in a cabinet overhead.
Wear gloves and boots
Use gardening gloves to keep your hands from being too dry and rough and from having calluses. But wear a pair that fits your hands perfectly. If they’re too small or too big, you won’t be able to move your hands and fingers well; merely grasping a pair of shears will be difficult.
Use the proper type of gloves, too, for every type of activity in your garden. 3 of the common types used are cloth, rubber, and cowhide, and they each have their benefits.
- Cloth gloves are best for preparing the soil, for raking, and for the other light tasks. Its easy maintenance makes it popular to gardeners, since it can be machine-washed. You can also easily find cloth gloves for kids.
- If you have rubber gloves, use them when you’re touching mud and plants with thorns. Buy a PVC-coated kind if you’ve got sensitive skin. It isn’t easy to find one, though, for kids.
- A cowhide pair can make you easily handle rocks, use heavy tools and equipment, and plant trees. It’s much more durable than sheepskin or pigskin. Since kids won’t be doing heavy work in the garden, you don’t need to bother looking for leather gloves for them.
Many gardeners wear flip-flops, moccasins, or rubber shoes while immersed in their favorite hobby. You naturally prefer wearing comfy flip-flops or rubber sandals since you’re working on a part of your home. But this type of footwear won’t protect you from the possible dangers of working in your garden.
- Boots offer the traction that you need when walking on a slippery patio or when pulling some tough weeds or roots.
- The leg covering that boots provide will protect you and the kids from plants with sharp leaves or thorns, insects, and other similar problems. Other boots also have fleece-lined legs that make tending the garden in chilly days easier.
Observe Safety in Equipment and Tools
Leaving lawnmowers, cutters, and other tools and equipment strewn around your garden is already very risky. Not knowing how to use them properly can be doubly dangerous. It’s a must for every gardener to learn the proper use of any tool or equipment that he or she will be handling – more so if you’ll be bringing your kids along for the activity.
- The parents or a hired gardener can teach the kids how to use the tools properly. Letting the kids know about these things will inform them of the possible danger that can happen if they use it when they shouldn’t.
- Kids are notorious for touching things that they’re told not to touch. So make sure you properly put away the dangerous items – if possible in a locked place or somewhere that they definitely can’t reach.
- Never leave the kids, even for just a few seconds with all the trowel, rake, lawnmower, and other potentially dangerous objects within their reach. Always keep an eye on them when all those items are lying around.
Gardening can be a productive way to spend time with the family. It’s also an activity that can teach kids a lot of good lessons in gardening and in life. If you stick to the smart and safe ways of gardening, you and your family can enjoy the benefits of your garden in good time.