Our kids are little.  5, 3, and 2.  But they do BIG work around this place.  They get “important jobs” as my big girl likes to say.  Meaning, “not some stupid thing you thought up to distract us while you do the real stuff.”  And it’s great for them!  And for me–did you know that washing door glass and bathroom mirrors qualifies as “important” to a 5 yr old?  Or that 3 yr olds will actually put their toys down to get the chance to refill the bathroom trashcans with with scented blue trashbags as long as they can do it “by myself, Mama, by myself.”  Heck yeah, I love sharing this kind of…joy…with my kids!

The farm is no respecter of age.  A 5 yr old can fill water buckets with a hose as good as a 30 yr old.  Our kids can round up and pen a small ewe/lamb flock as well I can (which maybe just proves how much we need a good border collie!).  And our 2 yr old can spread fresh straw or sawdust bedding as well as anyone else–maybe even better since he doesn’t have to duck to fit in the shelters!

Filling Water Buckets

Over the weekend the 3 of them worked out a system for watering our little orchard without my help (I’m not sure what big man over on the left’s job is in this system–moral support maybe?)…

Watering the orchard

It took them 5 trips from the hose to the plants.  But they got it done.  They’re so good at it, we’ve added it to their regular evening chore routine…

Watering Blueberries

Work–real, meaningful work is so amazingly empowering for kids.  You should see our little wannabe Wranglers out there barking directions to their aunts and cousins and grandparents that come to visit at chore time!

“Sure,” you say, “finding “important” work on a farm is easy.” Well, if a 3 yr old can do this…

Building fence

Or a 4 yr old can do this…

Bottle feeding orphans

Then surely you can teach them to feed the cat, fold the towels, put away the laundry, weed the garden, load the washer or dryer, or dust the furniture.  Besides, a full day’s work makes bedtime a piece of cake!