My family has always had animals. We grew up on a farm/marina if there is such a thing, and when I graduated my parents “retired” to a much larger piece of land in Tennessee. There they raise a mix of cows, chickens, goats, dogs, and the occasional donkey or two. The family farm has always been a place we go to and take a step back in time. Life slows down and you appreciate nature, hard work and the value of family. You learn about life.
Well, it wasn’t until having our daughter that I realized the real values that can be learned on a farm and the impacts they can have on a child. I realized the lessons that I learned growing up and how they influenced and molded me in to what I am today. Those lessons may have taken some time to sink in (like most things do), but today I look back and realize that my daily chores (which were quite different than the normal clean your room type chores) and experiences actually created the basis for my ability to stick to something like our financial plan. It allowed me to have a little bit of discipline, a lot of creativity, and self motivation to see our goals and make them happen.
Whether it’s the value of a dollar, knowing that it takes hard work to achieve a goal, or understanding that life is going to throw you a curve ball, all of these things translate in to life lessons and, yes, even help with budgeting. These life lessons will hopefully be instilled in our daughter and help her create a healthy respect for life and her financial future.
I don’t know about you, but I find that not only kids but people in general seem to be lacking some core values in life these days. Everything is about instant gratification, getting ahead and looking for the easy way to get there. There is a lack of compassion, hard work and understanding of life as a whole.
Now, everyone may not have a family farm, but a farm is an easy and budget friendly vacation. A week on a farm playing with animals, helping with chores and just being a kid can create a lifetime of memories. Every small experience molds a kiddo in to who they are going to be and it’s our job as parents to provide these experiences!
So what can children learn on a farm?
1) Kindness.
Animals can teach you so many things, so many things. One of the strongest things they can teach you is kindness. Children understand they must be kind and loving and in return the animals will be kind and loving to them. Even our 15 month old came to understand she couldn’t hit the doggies, but had to pat them gently. For some reason she was afraid only of the German shepherd AKA Ruger, by the end of day 3 she was using him as a bed to nap on. Watching the transition of her understanding and the dogs responding to her newfound kindness was incredible to see.
In farm life it’s all about family and neighbors. This is truly where the statement “treat others how you would want to be treated” comes in to play. Farming is tough and is never a one-man job. You constantly work together as a family and a community in order to get things done, and nothing is ever done with the expectation of getting something in return. It’s done from the goodness of your heart and the desire to help others.
2) Responsibility.
Animals rely on you to feed them and take care of them. There is no option to do these things. They just get done. This is something kids learn very early on a farm. It helps teach them what responsibility really means by having these animals depend on them.
This translates far beyond animals. It teaches these kids to be responsible with their belongings, their money and their decisions. They understand that their actions cause a response and it’s so neat to see that process develop in their little minds.
I watch my mom and nephew do their daily chores. It’s not something that needs to be asked of him or he needs to be reminded of. He simply knows that these are the things that must get done and he happily tags along to feed the chickens and goats, brush the horse, and move the cows. He knows that by him taking care of them he’s keeping them healthy and helping them grow.
3) Patience.
Oh boy… Patience. This is not something that comes naturally to children, especially these days. Everything is about the “now” mentality. Well, things move a little slower on a farm. While you’re always busy, nothing is instant gratification. It takes hard work and perseverance to get things done.
Even younger children can learn from this by watching an egg and patiently waiting day after day to see it hatch or waiting for that green tomato to turn red before they can pick it. They are learning that waiting won’t hurt them and the excitement of the anticipation is far better than instant gratification. The farm proves that the best things in life are worth waiting for.
4) Respect.
Animals demand respect. It doesn’t take long for a child, or anyone for that matter, to figure that out. It takes a gentle, loving touch to care for a horse, gain it’s trust and build a mutual respect. Once that respect is achieved there is an incredible bond.
It’s funny to see the difference between how my mom’s horse, Big Boy, responds to her compared to my dad. My mom has worked with that horse for years and, despite the fact that she weighs 100lbs soaking wet, he knows she is boss. My dad on the other hand better hold on to that saddle pretty tight if he ever tries to climb on Big Boy.
5) Understanding Life and Death.
The farm provides a very deep understanding of life from conception, through gestation, all the way to birth, and the job of caring for a newborn. It is just normalcy. The flip side of that however, is witnessing death. This may be the hardest part of life on a farm. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a cow to die of old age, the dogs to catch a rabbit, or a coyote to eat a chicken. However, this teaches children to understand the cycle of life.
While it’s so hard for a small child to understand these concepts, farm life provides them with a better understanding, and a gentler understanding of the facts of life.
6) Appreciate What it Takes to Make the Food They Eat.
Farms provide a unique opportunity for kids to see exactly where their food comes from. They watch the work it takes to plant the fields or the gardens, cultivate the land, and care for the plants as they grow. They watch a seed become sprout, a sprout become a plant, and a plant grow something they can eat!
They know that their food isn’t limitless. It doesn’t just magically appear on the grocery store shelves. It took someone’s hard work to put it there and they respect and value that.
7) Staying Active.
You are always moving on a farm. Work starts when the sun comes up and really doesn’t end until the sun goes down. Kids may not always be working, but they’re always moving. There is very little TV time and so much outdoor play time.
There is room to run, explore and let their imagination go wild, and of course there’s always tagging along to help with chores.
8) Discipline and Safety.
From a “city slicker” perspective farms can look like some of the most dangerous places for a kids to grow up. There is heavy equipment, sharp objects, and all kinds of hidden dangers strewn all over the place! Heck, a kid could get trampled by these animals or lose a finger in the blink of an eye on that tool couldn’t they?! To be perfectly honest, baby girl got her finger bit by a goat this week. sure, she was scared for a bit, and then got right back in their with the feed.
BUT they grow up around these things. They are taught the dangers, understand their limits, and have the discipline to respect their surroundings.
9) The Value of a Dollar.
Things on a farm aren’t cheap. Equipment breaks, animals need to be fed, and it takes hard work to pay for that. Kids see that the harder you work and the more heart and care you put in to your animals, the more value they bring when you sell them. “Nothing comes for free” is an easy lesson to learn on a farm.
10) Develop a Strong Work Ethic.
This goes hand and hand with the value of a dollar, but it is definitely another valuable life lesson that many kids people lack these days. Between caring for animals, mending fences, and daily chores, kids can see that hard work and perseverance pays off! Also, there are no weekends, holidays, or even sick days for that matter. Animals and gardens require your daily care. There’s no stronger work ethic than having a 365 day a year job.
11) Freedom.
Though there may be more discipline, there seems to be far less rules for kids on a farm. They have the freedom to eat from garden, run barefoot, splash in mud puddles, drink from the hose, and just be a kid.
12) Problem Solving Skills.
There always seems to be something breaking around the farm, animals getting loose or weather not cooperating. On a farm the natural response isn’t to get upset, it’s to figure out a solution. Kids learn that getting upset doesn’t fix the problem but creates more of a problem. Instead, they’re encouraged to think creatively and come up with a plan.
This isn’t only for problems, I watch the gears grind in both my nephew and our daughter’s brains as they are trying to figure out different ways to solve their own little dilemmas. Our nephew is trying to figure out how to get himself out of a tree he climbed far too high on and instead of panicking (like I may), he rationally thinks it through going back step by step until he’s safely on the ground. While our daughter is on the ground below trying to figure out how to get up the tree her older cousin has managed to climb. Though she wasn’t able to climb it, she gave it her best effort moving objects below the tree and inching her way closer and closer to achieving her goal.
The coolest part about parenting to me is the realization that life lessons and values aren’t something you need to read books about, study child psychology, or pay big money to achieve. Life lessons are learned through experiences and your children absorbing the things you do. Basically, be the person you want your kids to be and show them the world in a way you want them to see it. There is so much negativity out there but there is also so much good! Show them the good, show them the love, teach them life isn’t always easy, and they will learn the values on their own.
“Being a good parent isn’t about always keeping your kids happy. It’s about teaching them to be good people.”
While I still call visiting my parent’s farm a vacation, I know it is much much more than that. It is a chance for our daughter to learn about life effortlessly. It is creating lasting memories that will mold her in to a strong woman one day. It is teaching her independence, problem solving skills, kindness, and the importance of community. It is life lessons learned.
Here are some other helpful posts. Feel free to share!! And Thanks for Reading!!!
- Creating Family Travel Photobooks
- What is FI (Financial Independence) and the Why
- 5 Tips for Basic Budgeting
- Destroying the Stigma of Budgeting “I could never live like THAT”
- We Survived a Cranky Baby on a Plane. You Can Too!
I agreed with so much of this…ok, all of it. LOL! I am saving to buy a house out in the country and my kids and I are determined to have a small farm. I loved this post. It was incredibly well written. Thank you for sharing!
Oh your kids are going to love it!!! Even if you just have some chickens or a goat or 2 they would have so much fun.
It’s not about the size at all. It’s just the fact that they have activities outdoors, responsibility of animals or a little garden, and freedom to be kids and play.
I’m so excited for you. I wish so badly we could make the move a little north, but it’s just not in the cards for at least 7 years. I’ll live vicariously through you until then!
It’s hard to replicate the unique experience of growing up farming.
So much is caught and taught there. Glad you’re getting to share a glimpse with that next generation!
Mr. Thrifty
You are 100% correct. It is such a unique, humbling and strength building experience that is just an organic process on a farm. I try to replicate some things for our daughter at home, but there is nothing like the experiences she has on her Grammy’s farm.