Keeping her safe.

This week is the Canadian Agricultural Safety Week. (More information can be found here). Farming is a wonderful lifestyle, but not without it's hazards. In fact, farming is considered one of the top three most hazardous industries. This blew my mind. I mean, it is an active and physical job involving livestock (in our case) but I have never felt unsafe.

However, this Safety Week has made me more aware of potential hazards around me, and more importantly, my daughter. I grew up in a big city with a fenced in backyard. The largest piece of machinery I dealt with was my mom's SUV. Raising a kid on the farm is whole new ball game. J and I have had a lot of discussion surrounding T in the barn. We are striving to find a balance between allowing her to explore, learn and cultivate her toddler curiosities without risk. Now that she is walking, there are even more hazards to consider.

T is never let out of her stroller unless there is someone that can stay right by her side while she toddles around the barn. Usually this happens as chore time is winding down. We have explained to her not to stand right it front of the cows (especially the older, crotchety cows) because they can bunt pretty hard!  (Obviously at 16 months old she doesn't quite understand the concept, but one day she will).  She loves tractors and the cows, but is closely supervised when in close proximity to either.

Always close by...

She is a lucky kid. Cows in her backyard, tractors in the shed and wide open places to explore.

Here's to safe farming.

p.s. To learn more about farm safety, check out this website.