How does your garden grow?
Updated: Jan 8, 2021
Let's face it, our kids are stressed. On a daily basis, children encounter multiple uncomfortable feelings, thoughts and emotions (aka weeds).
From feeling overwhelmed with school work, being afraid of the dark, feeling left out with their friends, hearing a story on the news that scares them, to worrying about their loved ones dying...the list goes on.
Just like real weeds in a garden, when you don't pay attention to them, things can get out of control and fast.
This emoji chart shows what can happen if a gardener lets his/her weeds go unattended. It starts with one negative feeling, thought or emotion, and as more weeds pop up, a gardener can go from feeling uncomfortable, to stressed, to anxious or even depressed.
Introducing the You Are a Gardener® vocabulary to young kids is a wonderful way to help them understand how important it is to identify negative emotions (weeds) and to verbalize how they make them feel.
When gardeners talk about their 'weeds' with someone they trust, it opens up positive conversations about what occurred that caused them to feel stressed and helps them to move forward in a positive direction (aka pulling your weeds).
When a young gardener encounters a weed, they may not have an opportunity right way to talk to someone about it or maybe they have talked about it, but don't physically feel better yet. This is where the 'seeds' come in. Think of your seeds as an emotional toolbox full of positive distractions to help shift your thoughts and feelings from a negative to a positive. The more tools a gardener has, the more prepared he/she can be the next time they encounter a stressful situation.
Some of our favorite gardening tools are:
✿ Singing along to your favorite song
✿ Having a dance party
✿ Taking a walk
✿ Drinking a glass of cold water
You reap what you sow. The more frequently you use the You Are a Gardener® vocabulary and the more tools you continue to explore, the brighter your garden will be. Gardening on a daily basis can be a lot of work and consistency is key. That's why all the programs we create can be used at home or in school.
Stay tuned to the #PullYourWeeds Blog for new crafts, activities, videos and inspirational stories all rooted in empowering young gardeners with tools to help their gardens
grow healthy and strong!