What age is appropriate for children to mow grass?

[Anonymous]

NP here, I am all in favor of kids getting out and hustling for spending money. But, as the parent of two boys ages 7 and 9, I can say with confidence that neither my husband nor I would be comfortable with them going door-to-door unsupervised to strangers homes, operating a gas-powered lawn mower, without either my husband or I being there to oversee things.

I would (and have) encouraged my boys to earn money in other ways like pet sitting, dog walking, weeding, taking out trash, etc., but I think the line should be drawn at that.

If my boys were hellbent on mowing door to door, then I might let them do it, if I agreed to a certain time and accompanied them, going to neighbors we knew first (maybe with a heads up), as opposed to letting them roam around our Arlington neighborhood unsupervised to people/homes we didn't know.

I agree it's a parenting decision. I would be concerned that the boys might get hurt or accidents happen. And I would certainly make sure they had goggles and boots on at least. Sounds like these parents were more flippant...their call, but then don't judge neighbors who refuse to hire the youngsters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started at 7, often started early after delivering my papers, sold my business after I got out of high school and paid for my education including grad school with the money. still had some left over.

I started with one lawn and it grew to well over 500 by the time i graduated high school.

I say let the kids do it, kids these days are too lazy.

I call BS on this post.

NP here and this seems totally possible. I had a high school friend who ran a successful mowing business and basically mowed every lawn in the three to four mile radius of his nieghborhood in Silver Spring. He paid for a car with his earnings and no doubt had quite a bit of savings from his venture. He was and is quite an entrepreneur and went on to open several successful businesses in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started at 7, often started early after delivering my papers, sold my business after I got out of high school and paid for my education including grad school with the money. still had some left over.

I started with one lawn and it grew to well over 500 by the time i graduated high school.

I say let the kids do it, kids these days are too lazy.

I call BS on this post.

NP here and this seems totally possible. I had a high school friend who ran a successful mowing business and basically mowed every lawn in the three to four mile radius of his nieghborhood in Silver Spring. He paid for a car with his earnings and no doubt had quite a bit of savings from his venture. He was and is quite an entrepreneur and went on to open several successful businesses in the DC area.

I was calling BS on the age 7 part.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP who sold their landscaping buisness, for the one who doubted me let me explain.

After taking over Somerset, Kenwood and Wood Acres bit by bit, I had to hire friends to help me cut lanws after school and all day on weekends. sometimes 30-40 lawns a day. I bought two trucks and two horse trailers,and hired people to drive them, bought as much used equipment as I could from the lawn mower place on Butler Road, and rented space off River Road to sotre the equipment. During high school I went half days my junior and senior years part of a work program I got into. Much like the students who do other trades, I got approval to do this.

I got several accounts for large developments like kenwood forest, parkside, and many others. Hired more employees and it grew and grew.

Need more proof?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP who sold their landscaping buisness, for the one who doubted me let me explain.

After taking over Somerset, Kenwood and Wood Acres bit by bit, I had to hire friends to help me cut lanws after school and all day on weekends. sometimes 30-40 lawns a day. I bought two trucks and two horse trailers,and hired people to drive them, bought as much used equipment as I could from the lawn mower place on Butler Road, and rented space off River Road to sotre the equipment. During high school I went half days my junior and senior years part of a work program I got into. Much like the students who do other trades, I got approval to do this.

I got several accounts for large developments like kenwood forest, parkside, and many others. Hired more employees and it grew and grew.

Need more proof?

I don't doubt that entreprenurial kids have done this, but I question the part about starting at age 7. We have 12-14 year olds in our neighborhood with a fledgling lawn care business, but half that age seems a bit much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP who sold their landscaping buisness, for the one who doubted me let me explain.

After taking over Somerset, Kenwood and Wood Acres bit by bit, I had to hire friends to help me cut lanws after school and all day on weekends. sometimes 30-40 lawns a day. I bought two trucks and two horse trailers,and hired people to drive them, bought as much used equipment as I could from the lawn mower place on Butler Road, and rented space off River Road to sotre the equipment. During high school I went half days my junior and senior years part of a work program I got into. Much like the students who do other trades, I got approval to do this.

I got several accounts for large developments like kenwood forest, parkside, and many others. Hired more employees and it grew and grew.

Need more proof?

I don't doubt that entreprenurial kids have done this, but I question the part about starting at age 7. We have 12-14 year olds in our neighborhood with a fledgling lawn care business, but half that age seems a bit much.

And dangerous.

[Anonymous]

I've got my toddler out there right now! Isn't that why we have kids?

[Anonymous]

Seriously, PP, I am sending my 3 year old with the weed whacker now. Better start em Young! She has to earn her keep!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP who sold their landscaping buisness, for the one who doubted me let me explain.

After taking over Somerset, Kenwood and Wood Acres bit by bit, I had to hire friends to help me cut lanws after school and all day on weekends. sometimes 30-40 lawns a day. I bought two trucks and two horse trailers,and hired people to drive them, bought as much used equipment as I could from the lawn mower place on Butler Road, and rented space off River Road to sotre the equipment. During high school I went half days my junior and senior years part of a work program I got into. Much like the students who do other trades, I got approval to do this.

I got several accounts for large developments like kenwood forest, parkside, and many others. Hired more employees and it grew and grew.

Need more proof?

How could someone under age 18 buy a car and horse trailer? Don't you have to be 19 to buy a car?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP who sold their landscaping buisness, for the one who doubted me let me explain.

After taking over Somerset, Kenwood and Wood Acres bit by bit, I had to hire friends to help me cut lanws after school and all day on weekends. sometimes 30-40 lawns a day. I bought two trucks and two horse trailers,and hired people to drive them, bought as much used equipment as I could from the lawn mower place on Butler Road, and rented space off River Road to sotre the equipment. During high school I went half days my junior and senior years part of a work program I got into. Much like the students who do other trades, I got approval to do this.

I got several accounts for large developments like kenwood forest, parkside, and many others. Hired more employees and it grew and grew.

Need more proof?

River Road? Are you still in/own the business? If so, your firm might be doing my yard--and a great job! (new pp here)

[Anonymous]

Some kids in our neighborhood came around and offered to cut our yard. They are between 10-12 years old. I know they are involved with an after school program to keep them busy and out of trouble so we paid them. They effed it up beyond belief! Not because they were young, just too lazy to get it right.
These posts though remind that my brother was running an insane mowing business growing up starting at age 12 till he left for college. Holy cow, he would mow for 12-15 hours straight all weekend dozens of yards. Which mean he wasn't around for our yard so my dad had me on the riding mower at age 10!! I loved it though cause it was the closest I could get to driving.

[Anonymous]

My brother started mowing lawns in the neighborhood when he was just 8. Now he is a multi-millionaire.

[Anonymous]

I started mowing ours at 9, way before they had the emergency handle that cuts off the power to the blades when you let go. When my brother was 9 (and I was 11), he and I started doing neighborhood lawns as paid jobs. We knew everybody. No big deal.

I'd let my son do it at 10 or 11, depending on maturity.

[Anonymous]

I took over my older brother's lawn "business" when I was 10. It was discovered he was "allergic" to cut grass. Yeah, right. Anyway, I was happy to do it. I moved own lawn, a few close by neighbors' lawns and one huge lawn about a 1/4 mile down the road. I just walked the push mower on the sidewalk down to the house. My son is tiny so I doubt he will be strong enough or tall enough by age 10 to do it.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid and parents' comfort level. I've noticed that parents' comfort level with things that could potentially be dangerous ranges widely. I know I was allowed to boil pasta or make an omelet at 7 supervised, but others won't let their 12 year old near the stove. Likewise, there are people who think it's perfectly safe to buy their 7 year old a rifle and do target practice, which I would be extremely uncomfortable with.