Gardening (Encourage the Young Gardeners)

NOTE: I wrote this post for “FAMILY-MILL” (http://familymill.com/) but I am unable to post it there due to some technical issues, so I will re-blog it there. Cece, you need to check out the settings as I am not able to post. Thank you. The post dedicated to Gina from http://professionsforpeace.com/. Happy Reading!

Family Time – Gardening Time.

Gardening can be an exquisite treat on a summery day when your children complain how they can not favor outdoor games; hence that is the very right moment to disclose a “SURPRISING NEWS” to them – “Baby, lets go gardening.” I have a fair idea how there will be upset faces to the very prompt surprise revealed by you but that is where your job starts – “Be a baby around your baby” (as I mentioned before) and think of numerous ways of making something unexciting looks like the most exhilarating thing to experience on this planet. Children would never like to hear those dumb-founded lectures on various types of flowers and the seasons and much more; they would want to EXPERIMENT! Yeah, that is the precise word for how your babies see the world – EXPERIMENTATION! Once you hand over the watering pot to them while you can keep up with the dangerous equipments like shovel and gardening scissors for trimming the out-grown weeds.  In tidbits, teach them to praise Mother Nature. It is not important for your baby to know the name of every flower in your lawn but the appreciation and love for Mother Nature in his heart ought to be nurtured willingly.

 

George ate it all up!

Hence, when I woke up today in the morning – my friend, George came over at my place with his little son, Kevin. They were all alone in the home rotting in the empty house as George’s wife (Carla) was busy helping her friend with her marriage ceremony; thus he targeted my house and surprised me with his visit. His son is around 4 and a half and is deliciously sweet – I mean he is a darling (Don’t mind me when I get crazy about kids but don’t they add flavor to this dumb world eh?). Well, I prepared breakfast for George (the one he likes that I know by heart – black coffee and toast with Nutella) and when I asked the little baby what would he like for the breakfast, he responded, “Same as daddy, Naima. Thank you” and I laughed hysterically and then he realized black coffee was not his taste. Anyway, I poured him some milk in the Kellogg CHOCOS and he had fun-time with chocolaty milk and the coco-pops. As soon as they were done with breakfast, George dashed straight to my room and tossed and turned in my bed (I hate this about him) and played with Kevin – I was fascinated to see such a remarkable relationship between a son and dad which is not everywhere to be seen. I encouraged them playing cheerfully.   After I was done cleaning my kitchen, I sneaked in the room to check on them and I saw both of them sleeping.  Kevin was wrapped around George graciously as if he was a part of him and this made my Sunday brighter.

They woke up after few hours and came in the hall yawning and stretching – Kevin seemed like “little George”. George is far too older than me and I haven’t seen him as a toddler but I can guarantee how he must have been too much as same as Kevin. Anyway, to awaken them I broke the news of “GARDENING” to both of them and I swear their faces were worth a look. I showed some pictures of beautiful gardens to Kevin on my iphone and he was fascinated. I showed him how a gardening kit looks like and he desired to see it in reality. I had one in the store (though not in good condition yet perfectly sound for the display) and I showed him the gardening tool box and explained to him the tools and their purposes. At that very moment, he wanted to go out in my lawn and do it all with me. George yawned and I pinched him on his thigh showing my bulging eyes to demonstrate some interest for gardening before Kevin but I don’t blame him – he is a kid himself. Thus he followed us but just like dragging himself around for my sake.

I regret not taking “PERSONAL” pictures.

Anyway, Kevin was not concerned about his dad (one wonderful favor from him) and he continued trimming the weeds with me. I handed him the water pot (a smaller one so we had to fill it all over again and again but importantly I had to keep his comfort zone in mind). I trimmed the weeds properly and taught him how to water the plants with the help of the water pot. Hence then we together mowed the lawn, I adjusted him right in between my legs keeping his toes safe in between mine and we mowed the lawn all together cheerfully. He was smiling and laughing and asking frequent questions about flowers he was taught at nursery and I made the information exciting with the help of my iphone by answering his questions through illustrations and presentations available on internet. He enjoyed and wanted to stay with me when George went to pick Carla from her friend’s place.  

Kevin stayed back with me and I changed him into the tidy clothes he had brought with him in the morning earlier while I soaked his mud-covered and grubby clothes in the detergent later. I couldn’t leave him alone so I was all untidy and messed up in my morning pajamas and Angry Bird T-shirt. We made cheesy pop-corns together and enjoyed them with Pink Panther rocking the LCD screen of my bedroom. I cleaned it along while he watched the cartoons excitedly jumping and hopping in bed. Soon Carla and George were on the door to pick Kevin but he had slept by that time after the exhausted day. I felt embarrassed as I greeted Carla in those filthy clothes and George made fun of me as he exchanged those teasing looks. The three of us ate together with all what was available in my kitchen. After a short conversation, George carried Kevin from my room in his arms and laid him in the back seat of the car while Carla thanked me for taking care of his silly husband and son – doubtlessly she was right in calling her husband silly but Kevin was adorably sweet. She was happy to see him bathed and dressed in clean clothes while the smile on his contented face even while he was sleeping and dreaming made Carla much more contented – I think that is the only thing that makes mommies happy.

 As I cherish a great day spent with George and Kevin though I regret not having the random photo-session with them; I am happy to share my wonderful experience with gardening and a splendid company, hence try out and get your kids out in the gardens in summers to encourage them to learn about Mother Nature through various creative ways may that be illustrations to attract them or EXPERIMENTATION to fascinate them.