Being someone who LOVES fresh garden food, but having a black thumb I figured I'd leave this topic to someone who has more success with it than I do! Insert today's Guest writer JoEllen Krass.
JoEllen Krauss writes freelance for Providian
Medical who specializes in OB/GYN ultrasounds. In her spare time she likes
getting dirty on her little backyard garden with her kids. In this guest post she shares gardening tips
you can teach your kids to help them master this hobby early in life.
5 Gardening Tips You Should Teach Your Kids
When you want to instill a love of nature and gardening in your
children, there is no problem with starting young. Even very young children can
learn to love the beauty of watching things come out of the soil, and you will
find that gardening helps encourage patience and endurance in older children.
Remember that your children may be coming at gardening with no understanding
about what is necessary. If you are an experienced gardener yourself, you may
be confused as to where to start. Check out these tips to pass on to your kids
when it’s time to get outside and get dirty!
Understanding What Plants Need
Teach your kids that plants need basic things to survive, just like people do. If your children are very young, say between the ages of three and six, you can leave it simply at the fact that plants need water, soil and sunlight. Children under ten can be instructed on things like why the plants need these things and what might happen if they don’t get them, and older children can be taught about things like fertilizer and soil amendments. It is important to tailor your teaching to the level of the children involved; some children are avid gardeners from the beginning and want to know all about bonemeal and photosynthesis.
What Do Tools Do?
Children love to go into the garden with their trowel and their pail, but you will find that you can teach them a great deal about the process in general once they know what all the tools do. For children who are younger than five, simply show them the tools and explain their function; these children are likely too small to use adult-sized tools. For children who are older, there are some tools that they can use very easily, like a dandelion digger. Remind your children that tools can be dangerous if they are used carelessly, and give them lessons on how to use the tools that you allow them safely.
Be Patient
Children of all ages are impatient, and it can be frustrating for them to wait for things to grow. They may feel that they should be seeing progress in a week or even in a few days! The younger a child is, the more likely it is that he or she will be impatient regarding the garden’s progress. Show them the trees in your yard, and tell them that it took the tree years and years before it grew so tall. Let them know that in terms of other plants, your garden will be growing in the blink of an eye!
Maintenance is Key
One of the best reasons to introduce a child to gardening is that it it will instill good habits regarding maintenance. Maintenance is the key to a successful garden, and that means that both you and the child should be getting at least a little bit of work done every day! No matter how old your child is, set a good example and get out there to weed or water. If your child is feeling a little reluctant, let the garden go for a few days and then show them how weedy it got! An older child, one who is between nine and 12, is capable of taking on independent duties in the garden, so assign those duties and make sure that they
Get Dirty!
Young children love to play in the dirt, and this is the perfect time to encourage them. Even a very young child who is only three years old will adore playing in the dirt as you dig, and when the child becomes five or six, he or she can learn all about weeding and digging, which have practical benefits in the garden. This is also a great time to teach your children not to be nervous or afraid around bugs. There are very few insects that can even harm a child, so teach your child about the difference between beneficial insects like ladybugs and bees, and harmful insects like tomato hornworms.
Take a moment to think about how you can pass your love of gardening on to your child. It is easier than you think!
Understanding What Plants Need
Teach your kids that plants need basic things to survive, just like people do. If your children are very young, say between the ages of three and six, you can leave it simply at the fact that plants need water, soil and sunlight. Children under ten can be instructed on things like why the plants need these things and what might happen if they don’t get them, and older children can be taught about things like fertilizer and soil amendments. It is important to tailor your teaching to the level of the children involved; some children are avid gardeners from the beginning and want to know all about bonemeal and photosynthesis.
What Do Tools Do?
Children love to go into the garden with their trowel and their pail, but you will find that you can teach them a great deal about the process in general once they know what all the tools do. For children who are younger than five, simply show them the tools and explain their function; these children are likely too small to use adult-sized tools. For children who are older, there are some tools that they can use very easily, like a dandelion digger. Remind your children that tools can be dangerous if they are used carelessly, and give them lessons on how to use the tools that you allow them safely.
Be Patient
Children of all ages are impatient, and it can be frustrating for them to wait for things to grow. They may feel that they should be seeing progress in a week or even in a few days! The younger a child is, the more likely it is that he or she will be impatient regarding the garden’s progress. Show them the trees in your yard, and tell them that it took the tree years and years before it grew so tall. Let them know that in terms of other plants, your garden will be growing in the blink of an eye!
Maintenance is Key
One of the best reasons to introduce a child to gardening is that it it will instill good habits regarding maintenance. Maintenance is the key to a successful garden, and that means that both you and the child should be getting at least a little bit of work done every day! No matter how old your child is, set a good example and get out there to weed or water. If your child is feeling a little reluctant, let the garden go for a few days and then show them how weedy it got! An older child, one who is between nine and 12, is capable of taking on independent duties in the garden, so assign those duties and make sure that they
Get Dirty!
Young children love to play in the dirt, and this is the perfect time to encourage them. Even a very young child who is only three years old will adore playing in the dirt as you dig, and when the child becomes five or six, he or she can learn all about weeding and digging, which have practical benefits in the garden. This is also a great time to teach your children not to be nervous or afraid around bugs. There are very few insects that can even harm a child, so teach your child about the difference between beneficial insects like ladybugs and bees, and harmful insects like tomato hornworms.
Take a moment to think about how you can pass your love of gardening on to your child. It is easier than you think!
Thanks JoEllen!
Hello There,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to see if you were currently interested in additional guest bloggers for your blog site.
I see that you've accepted some guest posters in the past - are there any specific guidelines you need me to follow while making submissions?
If you're open to submissions, whom would I need to send them to?
I'm eager to send some contributions to your blog and think that I can cover some interesting topics.
Thanks for your time,
Tess
Tess- with my new format of what goes on the blog each week there's not really a spot for guest posts anymore unless it happens to coincide with one of the daily themes.
ReplyDeleteFeel free to email me for more info: atozformomslikeme@gmail.com
Excellent resource! Thanks for all of the great info.
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