You're ready for the kids to mow, but are they?

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Whether seen as a rite of passage or merely a seasonal chore, one thing's for sure: There's still time to cut the grass, kids.

But at what age can youngsters safely mow the lawn?

"There are kids mature enough to handle it by 9 or 10," said lawn disciple Jerry Moore, senior manager of the local Grass Pad Warehouse chain.

Moore's father taught him to mow at an even earlier age.

"The first season or two, Dad had to start the lawn mower and I had to push it," he said. "And the next year I had to start it."

What motivated him to keep mowing?

"It was Economics 101," Moore said. "If I wanted money in my pocket to buy candy or go see the county fair or take Lulu to the movie, I had to earn it by mowing the lawn."

Besides being physically able to perform the job, a clear sign of mowing readiness is how a child responsibly maneuvers a bicycle. That's how Moore decided his two daughters were prepared.

"When they rode their bike and they were poised and confident and cautious _ and not just totally fearless of all bodily injury _ then I put them on the riding lawn mower," Moore said.

Learning how to mow isn't only about the lawn. It can also be a life lesson.

"A parent has the opportunity to instill in the child a sense of pride in completing a task," he said. "That's what you have to teach them."

Do his girls still look forward to the task?

"Well, my girls are now 18 and 21 and in college, and I have relegated myself back to lawn mowing," Moore said. "So parents should take advantage. Once your children drive and discover the opposite sex, lawn mowing is a little harder to enforce."

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© 2008, The Kansas City Star.