Gardening is a habit that is typically associated with the elderly. We all know a grandmother or a grandfather who spends their time digging up weeds in their plot of land in the backyard, and making it bloom with wonderful colors.
We know that it is relaxing for them, and we know that it makes them happy. But did you know that gardening can also be practiced by children? In fact, it is recommended that you let your kids learn how to garden. Why? Here is how gardening benefits kids, and here are five reasons why your child should garden.
Appreciation for Greens and Vegetables
It is no secret that children will prefer never to eat fruits and vegetables if they can help it, and this is a pressing problem for many households all over the world.
While changing this tendency may not happen overnight, it can happen when you allow your children to learn about what it takes to plant and grow their own greens. Many parents of children who garden have found that kids will eat more fruits and vegetables when they have personally grown it themselves.
Adoption of a Lasting Life Skill
Gardening is not just about putting something in soil and waiting for it to bloom. It is a veritable lesson in hard work, patience, and caring – and these are things that any child should learn, at an early age.
Kids who garden can grow up to be mature, level-headed adults who understand the value of hard work, and who will always make sure that they do what they can to make good things happen. When you teach your child to garden, you set him or her up for a life of beautiful things.
Better Appreciation of Food and Less Wastefulness
Many children are wasteful, when it comes to food. They think of nothing about not finishing their meals and throwing away the scraps. If your child has this habit, you can help weed it out of him or her by letting him or learn explore how the food that they eat grows.
Parents of children who garden have noticed that when their child learned to garden, they were less likely to waste food, and they grew to appreciate it better, even those that they did not plant and grow.
A Life Free From the Influence of Gadgets
It is normal for children in this day and age to want to spend a portion of their day in front of a television, mobile, or computer screen, but it becomes a problem when children spend too much time in front of the screen. Gardening helps remind your child that there is a whole other world beyond the contents of their television sets and computers, and this is a lesson that you will want them to know, from the get-go.
This can help prevent future problems and even make sure that your child learns to navigate the world around him or her better than most of his or her peers would.
Bonding Time with the Family
Finally, letting your children learn to garden can be the new family bonding that you need. There is something very special about the collective work that you do, and you can learn to appreciate each other better through this shared pastime. Your children will also look forward to staying at home when they know that they can take part in an activity that they will enjoy, with the people that they love.
Getting Started with Gardening for Children
If you’re ready to take your kids out to see the joys of gardening, there are a couple of things to remember. Here are some of the most important of them.
Provide proper guidance and support. If you yourself garden, you can personally give hands-on training to your kids so that they learn about gardening, straight from you. If you don’t, you can opt to hire somebody to teach them, or you can make use of many resources so that you can guide them through the first few days.
However you choose to do it, just make sure that you are there to offer support. Be mindful of their questions and concerns, and get them the guidance that they need. Pretty soon, they will be able to stand on their own, and then you will have planted something that will grow into something magnificent in the future.
Provide proper incentives. It is also recommended that you make gardening as appealing as possible to your children. For instance, you can promise to prepare a delicious snack after their time in the garden. Similarly, you can build them a veritable paradise that is dedicated to fairy gardening in Australia or in other areas or in other areas, through decorative gardening accessories.
Encourage the habit. Finally, let your children know that they can turn to you for help and support, when and if they need it. Grow with them as they grow, enjoy with them as they enjoy, and be there to applaud every milestone that they achieve.
8 Responses
Oh what a fabulous article! Some of my dearest memories are of gardening tomatoes with my Papa! Thanks for sharing.
What a wonderful list of reasons to get kids out and gardening. We have a small group of plants and herbs that we take care of together them cook with. So much fun!
I grew up with a backyard garden, but somehow that tradition didn’t manage to live on. Reading this makes me excited to give it a try with my daughter now. Thanks for the inspo!
I love this! I like gardening very much, but I haven’t shared that hobby with my kids yet… I think I will give it a try.
I agree, gardening would be a fantastic way to bond and spend time with your child, not to mention keep them busy without screentime! I’m sure there are many lessons to be learned in the garden!
This is such a great post that I share with pleasure on twitter too x
Love this! I somehow did not inherit my mom’s green thumb but hope my future kids will!
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