A Day in the Life on the Farm—with Kids in Tow

Flower farming on social media, obviously, looks beautiful! While absolutely every single day gives me something gorgeous to reflect on (flowers or not), the perfectly sunlit photos are only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface you’ll find farming takes sweat, grit, and dirt. Then, add children! Multiply that mess by however many you have. I’m learning to take the bad along with the beautiful, and savor my time with my children, even when it’s chaotic.

First and foremost, I had to learn to Let. It. Go. With five children, I have to be realistic about what I can accomplish and when. Some tasks are not possible with the children around. Some tasks are, but it means it will take twice as long.

If the sun sets and I’ve only harvested half the flowers I planned because someone needed a bathroom break, or a sibling showdown needed refereeing, I remind myself: I did what I could. This season of life isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence. I remind myself of how lucky am I to live a life where my work and my family can bloom together.

Another major mindset obstacle is accepting that children are destructive! When I invite my children inside of our flower field, I’m also inviting in squashed stems, toppled plants, and an endless cycle of, “Can I pick another one?”

I have to stop from wincing every time they grab a flower to smell it and squish the stem. I have to accept that even when I give them a flower of their choice, they are going to destroy it within minutes and then ask for another. I accept all of these things because having them around me turns our flower field in to a living classroom where I can teach my children how to be gentle, curious, and kind. To me, this is more important than having a picture perfect flower field.

My background as a Montessori teacher taught me one powerful truth: children thrive when they’re involved. Giving my children a job makes them feel valuable, and helps them to take ownership and therefore, care, for our flower field! One easy job is flower bucket duty. Once a stem is cut, they get to gently place it in the water. It sounds small, but it’s a masterclass in patience (for them and for me).

Another popular job in which every one works together is beetle finding! Most evenings we’ll get a bucket of water and search out the hordes of Japanese beetles that have attempted to take residence on our marigolds. Although, so far, I’m the only one brave enough to grab the beetles and chuck them in to the water, we have a blast as a family seeing who can find them all! And because they’re shorter than me, they actually find lots that were out of my view! They have a fun time teasing me that they’re better at the task, and I enjoy building their confidence.

There’s another bug that they WILL touch, and it’s hands down our favorite family task on the flower field. This task is releasing lady bugs! As part of our pest management routine, every few weeks we release “good bugs” such as ladybugs, green lacewings, minute pirate bugs, and so many others! This helps to keep a more balanced ecosystem in the garden, as these bugs are predators to so many bugs that like to eat and destroy our plants. Each child takes a “handful” of ladybugs and then rushes to find them a new flower home before they crawl up their arm! The squeals and giggles make it almost worth having aphids (the bad bugs).

So, while there’s no magic fix for making flower farming, or any task for that matter, any easier with five children in tow, there’s certainly a recipe to make it more FUN! That recipe is engagement, inclusion, responsibility, and a realistic mind set. Also, dirt.

Because under the dirt, amid the mess, and through the laughter you’ll find something far better than perfect flowers: a life in full bloom.