A Family Affair

Both my children love gardening and helping out in the garden. I would like to attribute part of this to the fact that I have always found tasks for them to help me with in the garden even when they are not really "helping". Makenzie is still of that age because of her developmental delays. She loves to help dig, plant and pick the produce. Last night, she came out with her little pink garden shovel as Chuck and I were putting mulch down wanting to help "dig". We put her to work on the opposite side of the wheelbarrow digging out mulch to put on the flowerbeds. She had a ball. She felt useful and was helping out. Today, we will find a pot and plant her Cosmos seeds that her grandparents gave her for Easter. I will help her to remember to water them during the summer and we will let them grow. I did all these things with my older daughter, Mary, and she loves to garden and help in the flower beds.

Letting your children "help" even when they might not be so helpful will help them develop a work ethic as well as a love for gardening. As my children get older, I have always given them little chores to do according to their abilities. Children love to help and be a part of making a household work but to instill this you must take the time when they are young. You will be glad that you did.