An invitation to garden
“Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden?” – Robert Brault
As a society we don’t give kids enough credit. We chronically underestimate them all the time.
We think they aren’t capable, that they aren’t listening and that they don’t understand. While in other parts of the world children are given responsibilities at a very young age and are asked to do tasks like keeping an eye on younger siblings, taking care of the family’s animals and helping out in the fields. But we choose to shield our children from the “real world” with good intentions, but perhaps for much too long.
Children, like adults, want to feel useful and needed. It gives them a sense of belonging and purpose. Of course, including our kids in our chores and day to day life can significantly slow things down and make everything a lot more challenging for us in the short term. It’s much easier to plop them in front of the TV or the iPad and do our work on our own. I get it. No judgement here. Sometimes you just want to get dinner finished and the laundry into the machine and have a moment to decompress after a long day.
Depression and anxiety in children is on the rise and some experts argue that part of the reason is a growing use of screens and social media as well as an overprotection at home that is causing children to have a very fragile sense of self and is preventing them from becoming independent, resilient and empowered individuals. Among the solutions that are suggested are more time outside, more free play and interactions in the real world (as opposed to the virtual one) and more responsibility and embodied activities. Gardening is something that fits all of the above mentioned criteria.
Not only is gardening an excellent real life activity that allows for unstructured play and teaches kids about responsibility and patience, it also fosters curiosity, nurtures a growth mindset, promotes confidence, strengthens an appreciation for nature and is an escape from a world filled with overstimulation and sensory overload. On top of that, playing in the dirt is good for a child’s developing immune system and best of all, it’s fun!
You might think that July is too late to start a garden but there’s still plenty of time to enjoy being outside, growing things and laying the groundwork for next year’s garden. In fact, it’s the perfect summer vacation project.
The best way to get kids involved in the garden is to give them their own space. Whether you have the room to give them their own few metres of your yard or simply a few ceramic pots or fabric planting containers, the important thing to remember is that it’s completely theirs. This is where they can experiment and play. They can choose what they want to plant and how they want to do it. While you can give advice, make suggestions and demonstrate how to do things, there should be no rules. This is their safe place and things don’t have to be perfect.
It’s not about production; it’s about getting them involved and having fun. Less correction and interference from us and more autonomy and experience-based learning for them. Of course you’re free to give some guidance and support along the way. For example, for very young gardeners, plants that don’t mind a bit of extra water (or a week with no water) are a good place to start since toddlers get a lot of joy from pouring water onto things but also tend to be easily distracted. In fact, giving your son or daughter a watering can is a great way to get them excited about gardening.
Seeds are better suited for older kids while already established plants from the local garden centre or greenhouse are better for younger ones. Teenagers might like to put together their own raised garden boxes with the help of some power tools or perhaps they’ll want to get a few chickens or a beehive. Bigger seeds like peas and sunflowers are easier to handle with little fingers and fragrant herbs are fun to smell and cook with. Include some edible flowers like Johnny Jump Ups (aka viola tricolor or heartsease) and add a bit of whimsy in the form of some painted rocks, a favourite toy figurine or a garden gnome. Let them plant in spirals instead of rows and maybe invest in their own personal set of garden tools.
Most importantly, let them eat what they grow. Let them pick the first strawberry and savor the sweetness of a deep red cherry tomato. And if they choose to share their bounty with you and the rest of the family, acknowledge their contribution with gratitude and respect for the hard work and play that went into it.If you’re looking for some more motivation and inspiration, check out Outdoor Kids in an Inside World: Getting Your Family Out of the House and Radically Engaged with Nature by Steven Rinella and The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.
