My two year old lives for the outdoors. He is obsessed with anything that has to do with the farm. Tractors. Dirt. Water. Trucks. Animals. You name it, he loves it. The way my second baby stares at his big brother, I know that they will soon be running around on the farm together.
I am definitely not saying that raising your kids in the country is the best and only way to raise your children. I am saying that I feel the following aspects of life are important. With a little effort the following can be found in all types of lifestyles.
Life is a little bit slower. There are no stoplights in our town. Out here, being caught in traffic means you are caught behind a tractor. I feel this slower way of life gives us more time to focus on each other. Do not get me wrong, we are still busy! But life really does feel slower without the hustle and bustle of traffic or glare of city lights.
Life is dirty. Dirt is good for the soul, especially for our little ones. We have a lot of dirt around here and a lot of room for our children to play. Get outside. Get some fresh air. Our children need to play more and spend less time indoors in front of screens. I believe life really is better sprinkled with a little dirt.
Life is full of opportunities to learn how to work. We see the importance of work everyday. Work results in good crops, which is our source of income to provide for our family. I see my husband, who was raised on the farm, is not afraid to work HARD. He shows through his example that work does not end just because you “got home from work.” There is always something to be done. We work hard and then play even harder.
Life is all around us. And because of this, kids learn respect for plants and animals. This is simply because these things surround our daily lives. We take care of these living things and in return they provide for us, keeping us alive.
Life is centered around family. My husband is a fourth-generation farmer. There is power in family and helping the next generation succeed. Plus, there is a lot of forced family time out here on the farm. There is a lot of work to be done and it will get done faster if we do it together. And let’s face it, when you are all shoved in a tractor together you better all get along.
Life is built upon faith. We put seeds into the ground in the spring and hope that though hard work and Mother Nature’s blessing that we have a bountiful harvest in the fall. Our livelihood depends a lot on the weather conditions and crop prices. We must have faith. Faith that God will provide. We pray, we work hard, and then we have faith.
My hope for all of you is that you are able to reach down to your roots. Find the things that make you human, the things that make you whole. Use these findings to make your life happy and healthy. Use these findings to raise your kids on solid ground. May we all have a little more dirt in our lives and take the time to appreciate the life and beauty around us.
With love from our farm to you,
Zoey
Read more over on ouridahoroots.com
