Neighbour allowing boy to use lawn mower

Because they should be all tucked up in bed glued to their devices, well not a real suggestion but these days I am surprised they are allowed to leave the front door

I remember being one of 4 boys (7-12 yo) wrestling and fighting over the steering wheel of a moving (spare) tractor while our fathers were working at the other end of a field. And it was me, being the smallest who got pushed out of the door and ended up hanging out of the cab face to face with the rear tire.
Could have been nasty.

In my neighbourhood here in lreland two children have has accidents with lawnmowers. Both were with adults at the time. One had damage to his leg and the other little fella to his toes. I hate kids being too near machines. We see farm accidents regularly. I just don't know what you can do though seeing its not your child. But l would be concerned especially with an older person supervising as unfortunately they are not always as alert to danger as they may have been at a younger age. Many farm accidents happen with grandpa's, l'm afraid.

I used to mow the lawn at this age with my Dad supervising. Children should be doing a wide range of stuff. Being sedentary and overweight is far more dangerous for children than most of the ‘risky’ things mentioned on here.

I worked summers on my cousins farm and was driving jcb diggers, backhoes and a 14 tonne excavator aged 8.

which is why farms are such dangerous places for children - they are among the most dangerous workplaces anyway and one of the few workplaces where children live and roam. But I suspect you are exaggerating - probably sat on a tractor aged 8 and thought you were doing the driving. If it is true, your cousin must have been in a fairly shite place if he had to rely on an 8 year old to use a 14 tonne excavator to carry out essential farm work. Hope things are better for them now.

I wouldn't have a problem with the situation OP described.

Am I not allowed to read another person's post and for that post to stimulate an idea which I then express?

Anyway you obviously didn't understand my original post because what you have written is completely irrelevant and neither supports nor detracts from my point.

oh dear why jump to neurodiversity? chances are if Julian can't see the clear sarcasm, Julian is just a bit thick. no need to throw out a diagnosis

I wouldn't give a fuck hoot about a child so distantly connected. It's in the territory of none of your business unless actual child abuse is happening.

There's a bone in the body called the humerus. You are meaning 'humorous'.

There is something called neurodiversity, which means some people can take things literally.

There's also something called 'being patronising' and being an arse.

you're making something out of nothing. my daughter would be just as encouraged to use outdoor machinery as my son if she showed an interest. stop clutching at straw

Are so many young people ‘useless and incapable?’.

I suppose it depends on who you know. Young people I know are quite the opposite, they are incredibly capable on the whole.

Then I'd suggest you are stupid very lucky. There's a reason children aren't allowed to drive at eight - it can be great, until it isn't.

That’s an interesting idea, what if I take it a bit further and say maybe “grown up jobs for boys” like mowing the lawn are viewed as too risky so boys miss out on this area more than girls and that leads to incompetence and lack of initiative later in life?

its a lawn mower not an assault rifle Jesus Christ

I’m another parent who allowed /encouraged my kids to use tools like drills. DIY is one of those skills that often crop up on the threads about what schools don’t teach but should threads.

If one is to go by Mumsnet, a lot of parents want neither for their kids to have any life skills (makes Mummy feel needed) nor empowered (that might make Mummy feel expendable).

Absolutely. And it's no wonder so many young people are so fucking useless and incapable. Teaching kids life skills empowers them.

20 months with a bag of nails and a claw hammer. Now he’s 7 and does boxing, taekwondo and dirt bike racing, fuck the neighbour being a judgmental snitch. I’m bet he’s absolutely made up being given an exciting grown up job to do under supervision with his grandad or whoever

Kids live up to expectations, and down to infantilization.

Do you really think I’ve pissed myself Julian? I’m afraid there’s a massive secret in the world that some people aren’t privy to. There’s something called slang, phrases and acronyms where people use informal word summaries that hopefully touch upon the key meaning. There’s also something called regional dialect and social influence which can massively affect someone’s choice of language. Most people who have grasped spoken English know these phrases aren’t meant literally. So for your figure information ‘pmsl’ means someone has found something humerus, not that they’ve got continence issues

I had to read that twice and still don't get it. Young kid mowing lawn supervised by an adult. Seriously don't see a problem

I'd say let the neighbours enjoy it.
In a few years time they won't peel him out of his gaming chair/bed/sofa without a tantrum.

What do you think is going to happen, if he's being supervised?

I can't see a problem with this at all.

As long as the child is being properly supervised, it’s fine.

My one at 5yo 😁