Keeping kids safe

I only dust when we are expecting company and then only 30 mins before they are expected because otherwise that dust shows back up so quickly I wonder why I even bothered.

Go to your user cp. Put in the state or province that you live in. This will help people help you when you have questions that might be related to weather and growing conditions.

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Nothing is as strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength - St. Francis de Sales

Ours are 3,1 and expecting. Ours tag along and "help". Have to keep an eye on them and they certainly slow things down. They are trained to know what they can and can't do or where not to go and really do a pretty remarkable job of it.

It's our job as parents to keep the little ones alive until they sprout some sense between their ears. And I feel like mine have learned sense faster being allowed outside and to wander under my watch. I learn what they like to do and where they tend to congregate and they feel independent without feeling the consequences too keenly early on.

My boys love their computers and tablets but its still a treat to go outside and get muddy and play with the goats and dogs. And I know which ones are attracted to garden work and animal work and just wandering on our wooded areas. It's nice even if it does slow the work.

A safe and handy way to keep an eye on toddlers while you work is the use of an old pillowcase. You cut the bottom corners off it, slip their legs through the holes and hang them up someplace close by. They cant get out and you are in sight for their comfort. When they get bigger (too heavy to lift up on the hook) 55 gallon barrels with clamp down lids are quite effective.

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

I know of a man who had a roofing job at home to deal with and a wife that went to run a few errands. He sorta did as yh stated but included leather harnesses and nails. He never had to watch the children alone till they were older. Her heart could not stand it. All the the children lived and are older than I.

The dog is a requirement when the boys are outside. Be careful in the heat with the little ones. They overheat a lot faster than adults. Try to store everything you need as close to the place you will be using it as possible - garden shed in the garden, chicken feed next to the coop, etc... And for us having the nesting boxes open to the outside of both the pen and the coop allows the kids to collect eggs without fear from a rooster (any roo that even looks at the kids in a way I don't like gets marked for the freezer)

Kids grow up so fast.
when I was a tyke my folks had a big garden, chickens and a couple of goats. my first memory of all is being knocked on my bum by a brown goat.
I had three kids too and I guess I just played it by ear. There was one rule, they were not allowed to set foot in the road. I blistered their behind, they knew I meant business. Otherwise they had a great time. the youngest was howling in the playpen when I worked in the garden, so I just let her play in my good garden soil, no poisons. She did minimal damage. Tried to eat some dirt, I tried to not be over protective and not teach them to be afraid. And they had little chores early. Have fun with them.

Make sure you plant something for them especially. like small alpine strawberies. and snap peas and of course carrots. I have a picture somewhere of my youngest sitting there eating a fresh carrot with the greens still on it. I once gave a visiting little boy from the city a pea pod. he had no idea what it was, so I told him to take a bite. He did, then he got exited, look mommy, he said, there is a little ball inside.

We didn't have a single shelling pea that made it inside the house this summer. Once I taught him to unzip them that was it! He wouldn't even share sometimes

Every time I dig taters I have to keep a bucket with water nearby because my oldest daughter loves raw potatoes so much she won't take time to wash them unless the water is right there!
I don't think I've had a single blueberry that's made it in the house off my two bushes so far, thanks to her and her brother lol!

I had a sandbox. My kids would sit in it all day. When babies they would spend it in the stroller sitting out wherever I was. THe main thing you need to do is set boundaries. My kids knew exactly where they were & were not allowed to go by the age of 2.

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I can't believe I deleted it!

Fence in them an area for times when you can't take all of them with you. Play pen for the youngest inide the play yard. Make it next to the garden so you can keep an eye on them. 2-3 yr olds don't know where their feet are and a lot of plants can get stomped in a garden if you aren't watching them. Let them help and when they wander- off to the play area they go. A sprinkler is fun to run through. A teepee made of sunflowers or climbing beans is something different. A wagon would be great to put them in while you are doing other chores that need them there but out of the way.

I spend the most time by far in the garden. All the other chores I have ever had to do could be done while DH was home- even if they were done in the dark- like milking. It's been a long time since I've had little ones around but I remember those times well. Take it slow and easy. It's very easy to get over stressed about chores and forget that you're also raising children.

I think we will make the enclosure big enough to allow several areas, a sand box (I've got some diggers!), a space for water and a separate area for baby! Thanks everyone for all the great advice.

I'd be careful about the water space. My DD tripped and her head went right into the tiny little pool. Certainly not deep enough to drown in unless you're as clumsy as a baby giraffe. Thankfully I was right there and yanked her out but if I hadn't been..... no water unless mommy is right next to it is my rule.

my nightmares/day mares were/are always worse than the reality. (bad news... I am not sure they ever go away. I still worry and they are 12 and 14)

It is good that you are thinking "what ifs". I started very slow with chickens then goats. After a bit added rabbits. cattle didn't come until we had the fencing and the chute so that we could keep steel between them and us. A monster bull is not something for kids to be around. keeping the animals gentle is very helpful. Nothing even chickens were allowed to be aggressive. If a rooster even thought about squaring off with us it was gone. there is no excuse for kids to be frightened of chickens because they were terrorized by the evil rooster. I was amazed at how many stories I have heard about someones relative had a mean animal and the kids had to repeatedly fend it off.

that said I liked the chickens and dogs around as I felt if they were close to the kids snakes were more apt to be noticed/eated. nothing can replace close supervision but that doesn't mean you have to be always in arms reach. I would place little ones in the highchair with toys or snacks and putter in the gardens or whatever.

Think about electric fences...bwuhahaha!