One of the most frustrating times in being a parent comes when your kids get picky with what they eat. There may be several factors contributing to this, such as being exposed early on with processed foods, or traumatized from weird tasting vegetable combinations. Fear not as gardening can be an activity that you and your kids can enjoy and also turn out to adjust their eating habits in the process.
What you’ll need:
- Gardening tools
- Pots
- Paint
- Seeds
- Soil
- Fertilizers
How to start the project:
#1. Expose Your Child To Healthy Food-Related Books
Kids love to hear bedtime stories, so books can be a way to reach out to them especially with their eating habits. Reading books about food can help them, pick ones that explain how food is grown, where it comes from, and what it can do to their bodies.
#2. Take Your Kids To The Gardening Store
After you’ve exposed them to the process of food production, ask them whether they want to grow their own food, chances are they would want to. Have them pick out which plant they’d want to take care of, simple ones like tomatoes and even lettuce. When you go shopping you may also want to explain organic vs inorganic fertilizer, how consuming self-planted produce is healthier than store-bought products. This way they distinguish the difference between healthy and foods that are not that healthy.
#3. Paint Your Garden Pots
When raising kids you can never go wrong with colours, so make the planting activity extra enjoyable. Buy some poster paint or water-based paint and let them decorate the pots you’ll be planting in. Make a drawing of a tomato fruit, or colour code the pots, you can also make a game out of it by arranging it in fun patterns.
#4. Plant The Seeds
This part tends to be messy when done with kids, but it is what will create a lasting impact on them. Teach them about the soil, and how to look after it. When planting seeds, reinforce their knowledge on the plant cycle, how it can grow to become food and how it can help their bodies. Through this kids become excited and can really understand how important it is not to waste good produce.
#5. Allow Them To Regularly Check The Plants
After planting, do not allow the activity to just dry out. There should be a constant reminder of how to take care of the plants. Ask your kids to water the garden with you, and let them know that the plant is dependent on their care. Moving pots that do not receive a good amount of sunlight can also be a routine for them, so make sure to engage them all the way.
#6. Let Them Pick Food When Ready
Now comes the fun part, a time when they see the results of their effort. Allow your kids to pick and cut the ingredients for a fresh salad or a recipe you’re cooking. Explain the importance of a healthy ingredient, and how you’re thankful for their effort of growing produce in your garden. If you have grown, for example, cherry tomatoes, allow them to eat some, this way they get the grasp of food growth itself.
#7. Let Them Show Off The Garden
You may want to pack some lunch boxes that have the produce from your garden, this way they can show it off to your relatives and friends. By establishing the fact that growing food is worthwhile, you are making them understand that no food should be wasted. Appreciating the hardship of how food reaches the table can boost their eating habits and make them excited.
Kids can be a pain to deal with, especially when you’ve prepared a meal so hard and end up having so many leftovers. The key is to make them understand the importance of food, don’t let them be exposed to too much junk food, and limit their choices. Start early, garden with your kids early on and they’ll surely appreciate fresh produce more through the years. We hope you have a fun time gardening with your kids, leave a comment down below if you have any questions. And of course, please don’t forget to share if you found this article useful!
