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Can't get it through his stubborn brain that being out in such cold weather [wind chill is -1 degrees today] is dangerous for him.... not only because of the ice but because he has a heart condition and super cold air could cause him to have a heart episode. I've lost count how many times I told this to Dad.

And poor Mom having to watch from the window in case Dad falls and needs help. Mom can barely see due to macular degeneration so that is added stress for her. My parents are in their 90's. During the previous snow fall, the woman who lives next door to my parents came out and took the shovel from Dad's hands and she did the shoveling.

Dad's reason for shoveling is in case of an emergency he would need to get his car out of the garage. HELLO, if there was an emergency we would be calling 911 and let them do the driving.

Wish I could help Dad, but I have age related health issues myself, and I can't even shovel my own driveway.... if the snow gets too deep, my neighbor will do my driveway with his snow blower. Otherwise, I just leave the snow, my Jeep has no problem driving through it.

Besides taking away Dad's car keys, do I also need to take away Dad's shovels?

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the old guy (82) who lives upstairs is just as nuts. the cat hand mows every speck of the place then mows alongside the road. BS . i have a walk behind bushhog that says i only have to mow bout once a year. and im never shoveling snow. i didnt put the crap there and i aint shoveling it away. im a stone mason ( cant work ) with enough flour and yeast to last till april. let er snow. lol
old timers are living in the past. no 911, insufficient firefighting methods, 2 wheel drive cars, etc. take him for a 4 wd ride, show him its capabilities. ( wont change a thing tho )
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my yard is a fruit orchard. its best to let an orchard grow up then drop the weeds for moisture containment. however the old guys daughter is so annoying that he needs the mowing to get away from her blither - iness from time to time.
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Take away the vehicle for "repairs" and never bring it back. We found with Mom that out of sight is out of mind. Let him keep the shovel, if he wants to die with his boots on, God bless him. Your watchful neighbors will call 911 if he falls down. May you live so long and die so quick.
Your other option is to hire someone to plow the driveway and then all he has to shovel is the walkway. The EMT's always need to get their truck in the driveway and don't have Jeeps.
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Captain has a good point. Shoveling is less stressful than constant chattering from the wife.
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My husband, Coy, absolutely loved snow. He loved skiing, he loved shovelling, he loved stomping around in it. His geriatrician and I agreed that he really shouldn't be shovelling with his heart condition and his balance problems. She said, "Coy, I know that you are not going to live forever, and dying while you are doing something you love would be a good way to go. But I'm really worried about you getting an injury that wouldn't kill you but would make the rest of your life miserable. That would be terrible for you and hard for Jeanne." She asked if he could lie in the yard and make snow angels! Well, he never did make the angels and he continued to be grumpy when I hired the snow shovelling done, but he did accept that we had his interests at heart.

Maybe you can agree with Dad and congratulate him on thinking ahead about emergencies. Then hire someone to clear emergency paths, because he is in well-deserved retirement.
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I applaud him for shoveling, too - but enough is enough. I agree that it is too cold. I am trying to think if he could do something else, maybe. If you had a teenager to do the work and then, dad would think that he was the boss and he could just go out there a time or two. Lawdy. What next?
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in our area, not even really snow belt, our emergency services have some outrageous off road vehicles. if im gonna blow out my heart id prefer frantic sex, screw shoveling snow.
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That cranky old coot, my beloved father, used to say about snow, "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away." He sure didn't want to shovel.

His traditional farewell saying, winter and summer, was "Watch the ice!" My SIL has adopted it, which I think is sweet.

How to get him to be sensible? I haven't got a clue. I like the cardiologist's idea. Good luck.
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Thank you to everyone who answered my original post about my Dad and his snow shoveling in super cold weather.

As for a teenager to shovel, I haven't had one come to my door in 15 years asking if I need my driveway shoveled.... I always had said yes, always paid well above the going rate, because I like seeing young people earn some spending or savings money. Guess today's teen rather work at the mall because it's more social ;)

As for my Dad, I will just let him continue to shovel.... could be he wants to feel useful and needs the fresh air [they keep their house at 78-80 degrees in winter]. And what happens, happens, it was his choice.
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