Junior Farmers
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
When I think about the things I want to have on my children’s minds about their childhood – one thing sticks out. I want them to be able to say we prepared them to take care of themselves.
We involve them as junior farmers in our self-sustaining goals. Explaining the benefits of the skills they are learning and helping them make the connection to how they could use them when they get older.
For example, learning how to take care of a garden from seed to harvest shows them how to create what they want to eat giving them another alternative to the way they will consume food when they are older. Here are some things we have them do so far:
Son (age 7)
- Collect chicken eggs
- Fill water bowls for all the animals
- Pick weeds out of the garden
- Water the garden (indoor and outside)
Daughter (age 12)
- Feed the chickens
- Put the chickens in their coop at night
- Help start seedlings indoors (organize seeds, prepare trays, etc.)
- Trim the edges of the garden area and transplant plants outside
Time flies and children grow up so quick! What do you want your kids to remember about their childhood?