A new mom plans to raise her son the same, and differently

November 18 is National Rural Health Day. Here, new mom Christina shares her thoughts on the subject.

Like many who grew up on a farm, I am passionate about agriculture and have a strong desire to share it with the next generation. I spent my childhood frolicking around the farm with my sisters, cuddling kittens and calves and biking the aisles of the barn while my parents milked. As I got older, I took on more responsibilities and explored my own farm projects. I am grateful for my childhood and would be happy if I could impart similar life skills and a love for agriculture to my own child.

My childhood was not without its bumps and bruises though. My father always made sure to give a safety talk before we started a task, but we still managed to need a few visits to the doctor for stitches. Sometimes we had a reality check from near misses we were lucky enough to call misses. Now, as I am navigating parenthood as a new mother, I am finding it will likely be difficult to strike a balance between the desire to provide ag-related experiences and the need to keep my child safe.

As an agricultural safety professional, I often read about tragic incidents related to children who live or work on farms and around equipment. A child dies once every three days in agriculture, and at least 33 are injured every day. Farms sometimes serve double duty as workplace and home, and we can forget that there may be hazardous agents in the workplace.

This autumn, as a safety educator for the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH), I had the opportunity to attend the virtual Child Agricultural Safety and Health Workshop hosted by the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. It reminded me of actions farm families can take to protect children on farms, as well as resources that are available to give us guidance. Three big takeaways we can remember are:

• We do not need to use a tractor to get a child excited about agriculture. Tractors and equipment are the leading cause of youth fatalities on farms, yet four out of five farm children regularly ride along with family members. Instead of sending our little ones off on a joy ride on the tractor with Grandpa, consider safer ways we can spark their interest in agriculture. One great way to do this, especially from a young age, is by planting a garden together. We can also buy our children agricultural toys like tractor or barn sets.
• Assess your child. Do they physically and cognitively meet the requirements of a task that we are assigning them? Characteristics such as their height or their impulsiveness might make them well-suited for certain tasks and note others. Physically being unable to reach or move the controls on a certain piece of equipment should tell us they should not operate it, just as a child’s reckless behavior should make us reconsider assigning them tasks that require patience or caution. To help you evaluate whether your child is ready for a specific task, visit cultivatesafety.org for helpful guides. These guides provide clear language about what characteristics youth should have before doing certain jobs.
• Walk the walk. We as parents should always model safe behaviors. If we want our children to wear a helmet when they ride an ATV, it is imperative that we also do that ourselves.

To learn more about safety related to children in agriculture, visit cultivatesafety.org. Questions, requests for trainings or interest in consultations can be directed to NYCAMH. A program of Bassett Healthcare Network, NYCAMH is enhancing ag and rural health by preventing and treating occupational injury and illness. Visit nycamh.org or contact NYCAMH at 800.343.7527 or info@nycamh.com.

by Christina Day, NYCAMH