When people think of gardening, they don’t necessarily associate it with something that children would be involved in willingly. They might not be the usual participants in this quiet, relaxing hobby, but there are many skills they can gain from spending time hunched over soil and seeds on a warm summer day.
Healthy Mind, Healthy Life
Gardening has been shown to increase confidence and self-esteem within children. They feel a sense of accountability and pride knowing that a small part of the backyard is designed as their own space to pursue their own interests. Growing their own fruits and vegetables can show kids that they’re capable of putting together their own meals and thus encourage them to take more responsibility in other areas of their life. Gardening is easy once they get accustomed to the routine and can also allow children to get their hands dirty and release stress in a healthy manner, especially if the rest of their lives might be consumed with school, activities, or friends. There are multiple mental health benefits to nurturing and caring for your own garden and children can reap the most benefits because of their impressionable minds.
How to Get Started Gardening with Your Children
These next few weeks can serve as the opportune time to introduce your children to a simple gardening experiment. Accompany them to the local florist shop or home goods store and start with finding the basics: seed packets and fertilizer. Allow them to choose what they want to grow and emphasize the importance of taking care of their plants on a daily basis, much like they would a family pet. Reassure them that you, as the parent, will help them in the beginning with gathering the necessary supplies, but remind them that it’s their responsibility to make sure their plants are watered and taken care of when needed. Help them research which plants are best to grow during the summer season and create a schedule for when to water their plants, when to add fertilizer, and how to track growth of their fruits and veggies using a journal or notebook. Over the next few weeks, as your children display an increasing sense of responsibility with their garden, they can add more interesting plant varieties into the mix.
Show Your Kids it’s Fun to Eat Healthy!
Gardening can serve as a fantastic way to not only bond with your little ones, but also as a means to teach them about conservation and eating healthy. Children will have more respect for what they create because they produced it with their own hard work, so it becomes much easier to incorporate healthy fruits and veggies into their diet. Vegetables like lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and carrots are great introductions to gardening because they’re simple to grow and are easy to throw into recipes. Being close to nature can result in children gaining more respect for their environment as well. This hobby can be a great segue to discussing environmental issues and asking important questions about preserving nature with the whole family.
Contact the Nanny Authority Today!
Gardening requires a lot of time and effort on a daily basis, but as working adults, you might not necessarily have much free time to track every new development in your children’s garden. Thankfully, we can provide nannies that can assist your children throughout the day and help them, as well as their garden, blossom into something beautiful. We work hard to ensure the best fit possible for your family. To learn more about how we can assist you in the search for a professional nanny, contact us here or at 973-466-2669 today.