A young boy and his little sister can be seen conducting garden activities, as it's been revealed over time that gardening's a very robust method of teaching the next generations of people about patience and responsibility.
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How Gardening helps Kids develop Patience and Responsibility

It all starts with one seed, and growing it into a plant requires consistent care and a routine based on responsibility and patience.

How The Digital World Changed Everything

The digital world we live in makes it harder to teach kids certain life skills away from a screen. In our fast-paced daily lives, gardening can give children an experience that is not linked to instant gratification. It can be very exciting for them to eat the vegetables they have grown or gift the flowers they planted to someone they care about. Here is how gardening helps kids develop patience and responsibility:

1. Mindfulness And Growth

Gardening is a slow process with many different steps involved, and apart from the plants, the environment plays a big role. Kids can practice mindfulness by composting and recycling fruit scraps and by gathering rainwater to save natural resources. This will bring insights into how to care for their surroundings and be responsible.
Growth comes with patience – it will take time to grow a garden, and the first attempts to do so might fail due to different factors – kids who keep trying will learn that patience and perseverance are important, as not everything in life will be successful during the first attempt. They can learn from mistakes and meet other living beings’ needs in the process – every little success will boost their confidence.

2. Kids Get To Do Little Tasks That Have A Big Impact

Gardening teaches responsibilities, as your kids will take on little tasks that require consistency:

  • watering the plants
  • pulling up weeds
  • ensuring enough shade and sunlight
  • checking for any bugs or parasites.

3. Day-To-Day Routine And Responsibility Are Key Factors Here

Developing a routine for these tasks is important and requires a sense of responsibility. If kids don’t take their gardening tasks seriously, they will face the consequences, such as plants withering due to neglect. On the other hand, if they manage well, their commitment will be rewarded with growing plants.

4. When Mistakes Happen, We Learn To Own Them

Whilst gardening can bring different challenges, such as selecting the right plants for the climate or managing pests, mistakes can happen. Taking responsibility for not completing the above-mentioned gardening tasks or doing them incorrectly is a learning opportunity. Seeing the seedlings dry out due to not being watered or rot due to overwatering, reassure your kids that it is okay to make a mistake as long as we learn from it. You can ask your kids to create a plan on how to act differently based on the knowledge and insight gained.

5. Hand In Hand Gardening

Gardening can also teach the concept of “teamwork makes the dream work” – when everyone involved has one task assigned, everyone needs to ensure this is completed, or the whole garden project will fail. Every member of the gardening team will be aware that all the others depend on them. Once all tasks are completed – from digging a hole, placing a seedling, watering it, to harvesting the flower/fruit – your kids will have a sense of being a part of the process, which creates awareness for the wider responsibilities in day-to-day life.

6. High Self-Esteem Leads To Increased Responsibility

In a garden, we can, literally, see the fruits of our labor. Kids will feel competent and capable if they manage to grow their own plants. They learn to trust the process and be patient – not just with their plants but also themselves. Once the gardening goals are achieved and the flowers, fruits and veggies are harvested, a sense of accomplishment and pride sets in – this will boost your kids’ self-esteem, due to which they are more likely to take on responsibilities and tasks in life.
On another positive note, each plant we grow with our kids is part of a wider ecosystem, so gardening offers an opportunity to connect with nature and learn to respect it. We all get to enjoy what we create and nurture.

Conclusion

Whilst gardening increases patience and responsibility in children, it also promotes physical activity, encourages healthy eating habits and much more.

References

https://www.createmygarden.net/life-skills-while-gardening-with-kids/#:~:text=Gardening%20is%20a%20great%20way,how%20to%20care%20for%20them.
https://blog.sensoryedge.com/what-gardening-teaches-kids-about-responsibility/
https://www.growthmindsetcollective.com/why-every-child-should-learn-gardening-lessons-in-responsibility-science-and-patience

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