Why Does Your Child Need a Plant
We all benefit from having something to do – maybe more now than ever, if the surge in dog adoptions during a pandemic is any indication. And entrusting them with caring for another living thing is a great way to teach children responsibility and empathy (that is, with your help and guidance to keep it alive). But if there is no plan right now to welcome a new fluffy family member to your home, there is another way to give your children care – with the help of a “home” plant.
Plants have been shown to bring many health benefits to their caregivers: they reduce stress, can improve well-being, improve air quality, and even increase productivity. (Plus, they don’t pee all over the floor.) That’s why Veronica Moore , a blogger and plant advocate in Eastern Pennsylvania, helped lead a program at her local school to bring 300 plants to her preschool students and teachers. eighth grade.
As Molly Bilinski writes for Morning Call :
The plants mean a lot to Moore, she said, who used them as a healing agent alongside traditional therapy after her sister died unexpectedly in 2018. During the outages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, she started buying plants from local vendors and noticed that 4-year-old [her daughter] Hunter was also very interested in them.
“It was hard for her not to see her friends, not to go to school, and she really kind of went to the place where they ask,“ What should I do? “. Moore said. “It was a really difficult transition for her. So we took care of our plants together. “
Caring for plants can also help teach kids how to solve problems because they will inevitably forget to water the plant for a week or love and water it too much. When you see a plant’s health deteriorating (for example, suppose your child named his plant “Freddy” because he can and should name his plant), this is an opportunity for the family to do a little research together. to figure out how to return sweet Freddie to his former happy, healthy self.
If Freddie gets too big for his pot, you can transplant him together and talk about what that means he grows and thrives just like them. And if, on the other hand, Fred has gone too far and needs to be buried, you can still use the situation as a chance to regroup, talk about what worked and what didn’t – and then try again with Freddy # 2. …
If you yourself are not very fond of plants, Know-How in Horticulture offers the following tips as solid starter plants for children (with links to each for more care information):
Serpentine plant : Requires low light and water, with long, interesting leaves of various patterns.
Spider : low light and need for water. These plants produce small dangling seedlings that are fun to look at and easy to replant for an interesting project.
African Violet : Very low maintenance, these plants bloom reliably and have soft, fluffy leaves that are a pleasure to touch.
Aloe Vera : low water requirement. These plants are pleasant to touch and soothe irritated skin. Place them in a light-colored window.
Sensitive Plant : An interactive plant that kids will love to touch.
Venus Fly Trap : Carnivorous plants are cool no matter how old you are. They are a little more difficult to care for and are better suited for older children.
In the meantime, if you want to add some soothing herbal therapy to your Instagram feed – which I suggest you do – Moore has an All Plants account at @brownskinplantmama . I also follow @blackplantchick for a few months and it is lovely and good, as is her Black Plant Chick Pod podcast if you want to know more about plant care.