Do you spend quality time with your Grands in the garden? We’ve talked about spending time with Grands as work. The garden presents another opportunity to connect, teach and have low-pressure talks about life lessons.
Kids need to hear from trusted adults in their lives about how to view the future and grow into it. In the garden, we find great examples of growth to liken to the experiences they will have. I have a few items that we talk about:
Seeds and how they are planted, crack open to grow and then mature into fruit or vegetable-producing plants. We all start as babies, then have experiences and lessons that broaden our understanding, and ultimately mature into capable adults that can produce something in our communities.
How tender young plants are and the extra care they need. This can help us explain why parents and grandparents work so hard to protect young children and why rules are important.
Patience and what it takes to nurture and await the harvest. This can be likened to all the preparations that must be made before adulthood and how important it is to follow through and learn during times of preparation.
Harvesting and rewards of our labors. Preparation in life leads to times of reward. It’s true in the garden and it’s true of our life paths. In our modern day of instant access to information and products, we can easily forget that human development and maturation are not also instant. Encouraging our young Grands to enjoy where they are in their development, and understand that change is a normal process and that their future is built on the current preparations, can ease some of their angst about who they are and what the future holds. Just as the garden unfolds over the course of the summer, their lives will unfold and develop over time.
What other lessons have you shared when working with your Grands during gardening projects?
We would love to learn from your experiences!