Is there the easiest way to get your child to eat their vegetables? Probably, it is easy to imagine that they won't be able to resist anything they grow themselves, so you should definitely teach them how to build their own home garden. It's one of the most enjoyable ways to spend time outdoors with them.
They'll also learn lots of other things too. You can't help but learn about responsibility when you're looking after living things. Nothing grows straight away, so they'll become more patient. If you think they'd be interested in gardening let's look at some tips to get you started on the right foot, and these gardening tips from Bedford tree service professionals can also be a helpful tool.
Give Them Their Own Space
If you want your child to feel like it's their garden you'll have to give them their own space. It's easy for them to lose interest if they don't think they're the one ultimately responsible for what happens. The amount of space you give them will depend on how much you have free. Will they be allowed their own vegetable patch at the end of the garden? Will a couple of containers on the porch be enough? You'll have to know how much space they have available before you can proceed.
Let Them Choose The Vegetables
You'll obviously know which vegetables can be planted depending on the time of year, and if you don't it's easy to find out. It means they won't be able to plant certain things, so you'll have to give them a list of options they can choose from. Once they've made their final decision you shouldn't try to change their mind, simply because it's not your garden. If they do end up planting something and it doesn't work out well, it is an opportunity from them to learn from it.
Help Them Protect The Environment
Growing your own vegetables is great for the environment, but it's not the only thing your child will be able to learn. You want to teach them to grow up with the aim of doing everything possible to protect Mother Nature. One way you can do it is by showing them how to recycle or collect water. They'll need to use a lot of water when they're growing things, and it's best when as little comes from the tap as possible. This is even more vital in those problem areas suffering from droughts.
Make It Easier For Them
Everybody wants to make life easier for their child, but it's not always a good idea. Sometimes it is better to learn the hard way, but not when it comes to gardening. There are lots of tricks you must show them otherwise they'll have to work harder, which means they could give up on their creation. One of them is the use of mulch to limit the amount of weeds they'll need to pull out. The mulch will also help you save a lot of water.
Offer Them Valuable Suggestions
When you're planting anything it's much easier if you build raised beds. It tells you where you're allowed to walk and what you need to avoid. Raised beds are even more important when your child is growing vegetables, but they won't even know what they are until you explain it to them. Suggest it's a good idea and give them a reason why. Don't tell them they must build raised beds or you'll be taking control, but sensible suggestions will never go a miss. Adding more design aspects like edging will be a great way to create new opportunities in a child's growing mind.
They Need To Know When To Harvest
The first thing we talked about is your child enjoying the vegetables they've grown themselves. That is the exact opposite of what will happen when they pick a vegetable too soon. It could even leave them scarred for life, so you'll need to teach them how to harvest everything correctly. They'll be desperate to pick everything before it's ready, but remember gardening is a lesson in patience. Once they're clued up they'll be able to do it on their own.
We've talked about how they'll develop as a person through gardening, but you can't forget the health benefits too. They will get to eat juicy vegetables, but at the same time they'll be playing in the fresh air and moving around. It might not turn into a hobby they take up for the rest of their life, but it's a great one to become involved in when you're young because there are so many benefits. Also, how can you say no to free, healthy food?
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