It’s Springtime and when I think of Spring I think of grass growing, trees getting their leaves back, flowers blossoming, animals running around, kids playing outside. Basically, when I think of Spring I think of “Life”.

With that being said I’m going to write about something that combines two spring like topics….

Life & Gardening.

Okay, before you start think I have absolutely gone bazerk let me explain.

There is a lesson that every parent should teach their children. It is the lesson of Respecting other Living things.

This lesson can be a very tough one to teach, but when you start teaching this lesson early and continue throughout the child’s life you have a better chance of raising happy human beings that won’t take life for granted. And, using Gardening can help you teach your children this life lesson without them knowing that you are teaching them any lesson at all.

Why does gardening Work in helping teach children to Respect Living Creatures?

Plants start from seeds and with love, nurture and food they grow into healthy plants. However, just like with any other living thing, if they are neglected they will not thrive and they might even lose their life. Your children will learn first hand the reward they get from taking care of the plants (they will see them turn into beautiful thriving plants) and they will learn the sadness that comes when they lose something they didn’t take proper care of. It already sounds like life, doesn’t it? This is why gardening works in teaching your child to respect life.

Children can learn many basic life skills from helping you care for the garden.

Many of the same things human need to survive so do plants. This again is why gardening is such a great way to teach children about respecting living things… because of our survival similarities.

Things Plants Need to Survive

• Plants need water just like we do.
• Plants need Nutrients just like we do. But, we get our nutrients from the food we eat… plants get their nutrients from within the soil. They call this fertilizer.
• Sunlight – Plants get their energy from the sunlight
• Plants need air, but not for oxygen, but for Carbon Dioxide. When they use Carbon Dioxide they spit out oxygen. So, we need plants in our life because they produce the oxygen we use.

How to Use Gardening to teach Children to Respect Living Things

• Teach by Example – By your kids seeing you gardening and raising / caring for plant your children will do the same.
• Start with seeds instead of buying kits - This way your children will see the growth of a plant from a simple seed.
• Separate parts of the garden for each child – this will be easier for them to see the fruit of their labor. Part of the gardening process and the learning experience is the rewarding feelings your children will get when they see their plants growing well. Separating helps the children be able to easily detect which plants are their plants.
• Give the children their own Gardening Tools to take care of their portion of the Garden – Not only should the tools be for their size, but them having their own tools reminds them that this is “their” responsibility.
• Take lots of pictures of the Garden’s progress - Sometimes when you are watching over your garden daily it is difficult to see the progress. However, with frequent pictures you can see the progress from one week to the next. Progress reminds the children their hard work is paying off. The pictures also remind them that you are proud of them, and pictures also gives them bragging rights. Can you see how these pictures can be a motivator? This will help them stay involved with their project.
• Kids Love pulling Weeds – But at the very beginning it is very difficult for children to determine what is a weed and what is the plant. One idea to fix this problem is to place something around the seed that was planted that won’t damage the plant itself. Some parents use a paper cup with the bottom cut out of it to place around the seed. This way they know anything growing around the cup is, in fact, weeds and should be pulled.
• Gardens let them learn by using their Senses – Children learn and enjoy life using all of their senses. And, they will learn far more by touching, smelling — and in the case of vegetable gardening, tasting than in any book. However, you should always be supervising what it is their touching or putting in their mouths.

Discuss the Circle of Life

For children that are old enough to understand the concept of the “Cycle of Life” discussing it during gardening is perfect. Just like humans, plant life is precious. It can come and it can go. If a plant is shown neglect it will not be able to thrive. Without plants humans wouldn’t be able to survive. We need the oxygen the plants produce. Humans eat plants…. we thrive on the nutrients plants make. Hence, the cycle of life. We need each other on this earth. And, life is not something anyone should be taking for granted.

What Skills can Gardening Teach Children

• Patience
• Perseverance
• Nurturing
• Respect
• Empathy
• Compassion
• Sense of Empowerment
• Pride
• Moral Character
• Teaches the Cycle of Life
• Responsibility
• Self Confidence
• Caring

All of the above skills are skills needed to help your child grow into a loving, caring and hard working individual.

Keep in mind that when something is fully grown in the garden these items can be shared to put smiles on other people’s faces. Such as flowers given to friends and loved ones; Or, fruits and vegetables for the hungry. As you can see, yet another great way to teach your children to respect and care for living things.

By gardening you and your children will be playing an active role in making the World a more beautiful place. So, you want your child to learn to respect living things???? Teach them to Garden.

Above Image by foundphotoslj