The One Skill You Need You Must Teach Your Child

Children are complex yet simple beings.

When I look at a child, I envision a dry sponge waiting to be soaked in water. It absorbs everything you put on it, whether it's clean water, detergent, or grease.

That is exactly how the child’s mind works, especially before the age of 7.

Seven & Below: The Key To The Subconscious Mind

“Give me a child until it is seven and I will show you the man…” — Pope Francis

According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, we undergo programming in the first seven years.

95% of the results in our life come from that programming of the subconscious (during the first seven years of life)

-Dr. Bruce Lipton: American developmental biologist

It is really important to give the child as many life skills to enrich their lives and allow them to choose which of these skills they want to practice and improve on later on.

This is the exact reason why gardening is one of the best tools that can empower and teach children essential life skills.

Not only is it therapeutic and can be used as an amazing relaxation and bonding activity between the child and nature, but this single activity also reaps many other benefits.

Empathy

Through the art of gardening, children learn how to be empathetic towards nature, plants, and other wildlife in and around the gardening area.

They are taught that each element in nature from birds and worms to weeds and soil have can be affected by the child.

Gradually, they learn to channel their emotions and empathy in a positive way.

Educational

What better way to learn about Nature and the outdoors than a hands-on empowering activity such as gardening.

Small gardening tasks can be utilized by parents and caretakers to educate children about the life cycle of plants.

If they are involved in planting and caring for edibles, then that's a fantastic opportunity to teach them about the health benefits of the food that they grow.

Depending on the child’s age, you can take the activity further into the kitchen. A simple step-by-step recipe from the harvest empowers them to take control of their health, hunger and creates long-lasting memories.

The choices are endless when it comes to the educational opportunities of gardening.

Responsibility

Gardening teaches children responsibility for their actions and decisions. Once they decide to be involved in the planting process, they learn to be responsible for taking care of their plant, watering it at certain intervals, and offering it the right environment to flourish (with the assistance of an adult).

Patience

Children learnt the art of patience at such an early age through the planting process.

Plants require a lot of patience and can take in between 3–5 weeks to sprout and a minimum of 3–5months to harvest in most cases.

Ideally, children can be directed by the adult to learn to be patient and still perform the responsibility of caring for the plant without expending immediate results for their efforts.

Consistency

The practice of consistency is downgraded in our modern era. We seem to be jumping from one new thing to another in the world of trends.

Learning to garden emphasizes being consistent as a vital habit for the survival of plants.

The child learns that in order for plants to bloom and reach the harvest stage, we need to be consistent in watering, trimming, and fertilizing until the results are obtained.

Patience and consistency work one-on-one.

Attention to detail

Through observing the surroundings of their plants, children learn the skill of precision.

They develop a strong attention to detail and become involved in removing the surrounding weeds that may affect overall plant growth.

In addition, they will learn to monitor the soil if it is in need of watering and water accordingly.

Gradually, children learn that in order for things to thrive, we need to pay attention to the small details that make the bigger picture.

Bonding

Through the act of caring for their plants, children learn to bond with nature as well as with the adult caretaker and create wonderful memories to cherish in the future.

One of the best times in Australia that I had with my daughter is when we walked in the backyard every summer morning and watered the plants.

I could see the spark in her eyes and how much she looked forward to these mornings.

The 15 minutes of uninterrupted bonding time as we watered soil and waited for the seeds to sprout all add up and create joyful memories to look back to.

Relaxation

Gardening creates a therapeutic way to relax and unwind in nature.

This is essential for children in our modern world of endless gaming and screen time.

Gardening provides a grounding, helps them connect and appreciate nature more, and induces a relaxed grateful state.

The birds chirping, the cold breeze, and the greenery, combined with the soil’s grounding warmth all create the perfect atmosphere to relax.

Sustainability

There is no better time to teach children the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle than now. Through the practice of gardening, children learn how to adopt a sustainable life and reduce food waste while focusing on natural and organic homegrown edibles.

Gardening has endless health, physical and mental benefits for children. It combines multiple essential skills in one fun hands-on activity.

Do you agree?

What activity would you teach your child and why?

About The Author

Noor is a second-year business student at Tredu. She is also studying for a Diploma in International Smart Industry at Tampere University. She is passionate about marketing and content creation.