(NAFB) – In these times of pandemic challenges, including school closures or virtual classes, many more children are spending their days on the farm.

Melissa Ploeckelman, with the National Farm Medicine Center, says it’s become a major challenge for farm parents over the past year.

Ploeckelman says their researchers have spent a lot of time on this new dynamic.

The parents, Ploeckelman says have had to change their daytime routines. With schools closed or utilizing virtual learning, farm parents now have added responsibilities.

Farm safety, Ploeckelman says now includes setting new boundaries for the kids.

It will take more time, Ploeckelman says to find out if the numbers have become worse during the pandemic. But her organization is hearing more stories of children getting injured because they are home.

To learn more about National Farm Medicine Center, go to their website, www.marshfieldresearch.org/nfmc.