BRING YOUR KIDS INTO THE GARDEN

BY REBEKAH VALDERRAMA

LAST SUMMER, I encountered a new kind of garden pest. It was ravaging my cherry tomato plants, picking and nibbling on the still-green fruit and leaving them strewn all over the ground before they had a chance to ripen and turn red. It was my toddler.

She was 18 months old, and she wanted to help, but every few minutes I would look up to see her yanking on another of my precious plants. I worried we’d never end up with a ripe tomato. I brought her outside with me anyway. I think it was worth it.

I’m no gardening expert. I was one of the 18.3 million newbies who started gardening during the pandemic. I soon found it to be an incredible way to spend my time, and I was surprised to discover how wonderful it is for my children too.

Here are some things I’ve learned from involving my young kids in the garden:

The moment my first garden bed was planted, I found myself drawn into the backyard at any opportunity. I soon realized that spending time outside around plants was giving me a chance to disconnect from stresses and recenter myself. I came away with internal peace.

It also became obvious just how important outdoor time is for children. I now make a point to get my kids outside whenever we can. They let their energy out in the sunshine and fresh air, and I get to enjoy calmer toddlers.

I focus on vegetable gardening because I love a practical hobby. Growing my own food has broadened my palate and taught me new techniques. I’ve discovered new vegetables I’d never heard of and now consider favorites. The kids also love the fruits of our labors. They wouldn’t touch a salad in the dining room, but they’ll eat lettuce straight off the plant like a delicious snack. Parents can prioritize vegetables that can be easily eaten directly from the plant. Kids love eating something they harvested for themselves!

I’ve learned so much in only three years of gardening, and it’s given me such an appreciation for what I haven’t learned yet, along with a curiosity about God’s creation around me. I’ve been able to pass some of that spark to my kids. They’re full of questions about how the world works, and now I have a foundation to start from when helping them find answers.

We’re more in tune with the wildlife we see around us too. We’re friends with the lizards who live in the nasturtium bushes and help us control the cabbage looper population. We get to learn about pill bugs while trying to get them to stop decimating our zucchini plants. We have a new appreciation for the order of the natural world.

Teaching my children how to grow food will never cease to be valuable, and I treasure the ability to pass this on to the next generation. Each year they “help” me in the garden, they’ll be more and more actual help. I look forward to giving them their own garden bed someday where they’ll raise their own plants, learn how to prepare them and be set up for a lifetime of healthful eating.

I’m not going to tell you that inviting your curious young children outside while you’re trying to get serious gardening or yardwork done is easy and painless. They have a lot of learning to do. But I do think that learning to garden is a valuable way to spend your time if you can, and that when you do, you should include your children. I promise it will pay off in the end. C