Last week our grass was finally long enough to be mowed the first time this season. Capt. M (7 years old) took it upon himself to get the mower out of the shed. He came inside and said “dad can I mow the lawn?”
Hubby immediately responded “NO! It is too dangerous. Rocks might fly up and hurt you.”
Capt. M disappeared into his room. I assumed he went in there to sulk as I know his feelings were hurt. I should have known better though! Capt. M is a determined boy; he doesn’t give up! Capt. M came out of his room with soccer shin guards on and sunglasses. “Now can I mow?”
Before hubby could get his response in, I jumped in. I pleaded with hubby. This was a perfect opportunity to teach Capt. M how to safely run a lawn mower! Plus I think it was rather smart of our son to put on protective gear! Hubby reluctantly gave in and the result was an excellent teaching opportunity.
I know that hubby was trying to protect Capt. M. Lawn mowers can be extremely dangerous. However, I also know that this was a good learning situation for our son. With hubby’s guidance, he mowed a large section of our lawn. He took pride in his work. As he ages, I am sure this will become one of his regular chores.
Sometimes our natural instinct as a parent is to say no. We want to protect our children. However, before giving the automatic no response, think about it. Is there a lesson you could teach your child? Is there a way to do the task safely? What may be a simple task for us adults, is a life long lesson for our children.
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