You’re a homesteader, which means you’re probably used to working hard and doing things by yourself. But just because you choose to live in the most sustainable way you can, doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. In fact, involving your children in the homesteading process can be a great way to teach them valuable life skills while also bonding as a family. Here are a few tips on how to get your child involved on your homestead.
Talk to them about why you decided to homestead in the first place.
If you had told us ten years ago that we would be living on a homestead, we would have laughed and told you that was 100% not going to happen. Our goal was always to live in a bigger city where we could enjoy the many conveniences and amenities.
It was until after we had our daughter that we really started thinking about what kind of life we sought to create. We wanted our daughter to grow up feeling safe and secure in her home. We wanted to feed our family healthy food. While we were looking for ways to achieve that, homesteading came up as one of the easiest ways to reach those goals. And so, we started homesteading.
Explain what homesteading is and why it’s important to you.
What first drew us to homesteading was the idea of being self-sufficient. Our freedom has always been something that was important, and we always hated the idea of relying on outside sources that could become scarce and undependable. In addition, our family thoroughly enjoys expanding our horizons by learning. Homesteading really checked off these boxes and fit in with the lifestyle we were wanting to create.
We won’t be upset if our daughter decides not to follow in our footsteps, but we do hope she walks away with the spirit of homesteading. We want to raise a fierce, independent, loving child who is accountable for herself and can stand on her own two feet.
Share your goals for the homestead and involve them in setting goals for themselves.
My daughter, just like me, is a planner. (Sometimes, we team up and drive her dad crazy!) If I don’t have goals, I feel like I don’t have any forward momentum.
It’s critical to us that our daughter watches us achieve our goals. More importantly, we think it’s imperative for her to know that, sometimes, meeting our goals is a struggle. Success usually comes with many failures and the earlier that is learned, the better.
We also make sure she develops her own goals so that she can have accountability and responsibility over her own future.
Give them age-appropriate chores to do around the homestead.
While homesteading was a joint decision between her Dad and I, our daughter has evolved to develop ownership over our gardens and livestock. She is invested just as much as we are. So, while doing chores in 95+ degree weather and slogging through mud and snow isn’t fun, she is right there with us.
We try to drive home that we are all stewards. It is our responsibility to make sure the animals on our land and the vegetables we grow are healthy.
Compensating her for her time is also important. We don’t give her a lot of money, but by paying her for chores, we are letting her know that her time has value.
Teach them how to cook, garden, and preserve food.
I grew up in a loving household and was taught how to do many things. Cooking, gardening, and preserving were not among them. I took on the task of learning those skills as an adult and put my family through many subpar meals and gardening mistakes while I got the hang of it.
We want our daughter to learn things, even if she decides as an adult that she wants to go in a different direction. Luckily, right now, she enjoys helping us cook, and we know we are teaching her skills that will help her into adulthood.
Get them involved in animal husbandry if you have animals on your homestead.
We have always been an animal family. Even before we had our daughter, we had so many pets that we couldn’t pack another animal in our 1000-square-foot house.
That love of animals has extended to our daughter. She is four, so husbandry isn’t something we have really pushed. However, she has witnessed us nursing chickens with heat stroke, sick dogs, and caring for baby rabbits. One day, she will take a more active responsibility when it comes to animal care on our homestead.
Show them how to use hand tools and power tools safely.
One of the most important skills you can teach your child is to listen. If they aren’t going to listen to you when you tell them to do something simple, like to put up their toys, they aren’t going to listen to you when you are telling them something important, like not to play with that saw because it’s still plugged in.
Part of homesteading is making do with what you have. Usually, this means you are building something instead of buying. Showing your child how to use tools safely can prevent many accidents and hospital visits. It also teaches them how to follow instructions and follow basic safety rules that can literally be life-saving later.
Let them know that they can always come to you with ideas or questions about life on the homestead.
One day, your toddler will come to you, and it will seem like every word that comes out of their mouth is, “Why?” While this gets old fairly quickly, a child willing to ask questions is a child willing to learn. It’s important to nurture that curiosity in your child.
We will tell you, our daughter has IDEAS, and we try to listen to those. They may not be the most economical or practical ideas, but this is her home as much as it is ours. It’s only fair that she gets input when it comes to building and running our homestead.
Encourage them to keep a journal or blog about their experiences homesteading.
Growing up, I kept a journal. Looking back, they are all really pretty boring and filled with teenage angst over things that, to this day, don’t matter. However, I like having a record of what I experienced. Not only did it foster my love of writing, but it gave me a creative outlet that may have been stunted if I hadn’t discovered my love of putting a pen to paper.
When my daughter is old enough, we will encourage her to start her first journal. We want her to have a safe place to get her feelings out and process her experiences. Much like a journal, this blog has also been a great way to record my garden progress and recipes.
Most importantly, involve them in the day-to-day decisions and workings of the homestead, so they feel like they are truly a part of it all.
While we already touched on this, being part of a family means that everyone gets a say when it comes to any decision we may make on our homestead. This can be as small as allowing her to help decide what we will have for dinner or as large as setting up a space for her in the garden to plant what she wants. Our daughter is an important member of our family, and by involving her, we are respecting her role.
Homesteading with your child
Homesteading is a great way to teach kids about where food comes from, how to care for animals, and other important life skills. Plus, it’s a great way to bond and work together towards a common goal. Involving your child in your homestead may take some patience and understanding, but pays off with dividends when you realize that it can help you build a close-knit family.
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