Raising 'Farm Kids' On A Modern Homestead

By Annette Codding

    I’m not sure that there is a better childhood possible than one growing up outdoors and surrounded by nature. Living on a farm or homestead means getting to be around animals daily, eating fresh and homemade meals, and learning so many skills.
   Farm kids grow up in a way that a lot of kids will never experience. They are exposed to the natural life cycles that some grown folks are apparently still confused about today. Animals coming into season, mating, gestation, birth, life, death, and all of the in between. They know where food comes from and usually know how to get it from the barn to the table.
   Maybe it’s because there is so much work to be done, that the young'ins get employed early on. We aren’t breaking any child labor laws…that only counts if you pay them. These kids work because they live here. Daily chores are just part of life. We all want to eat. Many times that means feeding the chickens, pigs, and pets before we sit down to a meal.
   Allowing them some responsibility helps to mold them into adults with the sense to get up and get things done. Even the jobs that are unpleasant. I’m not sure anyone loves to clean stalls or weed the garden. But doing those things then seeing the good results is good for us all.
   Farm kids are healthier. It’s true. Being around dogs, soil, and animals in general helps to build our immune systems that can ward off sickness and disease. It’s still a good idea to wash hands after going to the barn, or collecting eggs, or before eating, but that’s just good common sense. A thing that isn’t as common as it used to be.
   Farm life teaches lessons that a sterile, city life could not. Like flow of electricity through a hot wire. Or if you were unlucky enough to listen when someone said to pee on the hot wire, how liquid is a really good conductor. Learning to drive the four wheeler carries over to driving a truck for the first time.
   Kids learn to read a momma cow’s head position or knowing to back off when a hog chomps its teeth at you. They know to walk around the front of a horse and not the rear if you don’t need to. A momma hen will teach them fast about protectiveness. The farm dog will show them how to be a loyal friend.
   We had a saying when the boys were young…”work hard, play hard, sleep hard.” Nothing sets us up for a good night’s sleep like a good, hard day’s work. And I know that a lot of them will fuss and complain about the amount of work to be done, or maybe about how early they have to get up. But these kids will learn work ethic and how get things done. They’ll never go hungry, if they don’t choose to.
   So don’t ever feel bad that they aren’t living life like “the other kids.” This kind of life requires more sacrifice and work. But the reward is great. It teaches them the value of dedication, patience, persistence, planning, and hard work. Until next time, keep sowing seeds into our next generation…water them with how we live and watch them grow.