By Emily Folk
Young kids often ask for whatever’s on their mind. They might want a new toy or a family pet. Even if you have the financial means to provide these things, they aren’t always in your child’s best interest. Kids need opportunities to learn about the world and develop their skills, which is where houseplants can help.
Check out 10 reasons why you should get houseplants for your kids. They’ll help your children grow into responsible, caring people who can take care of themselves, others and the world around them.
1. They Promote Creativity
Plants need space to grow, which is a chance for your kids to express their creativity. Find a few clay pots they can paint or cover in stickers. They’ll always know which plant is theirs and have fun splashing their personality on their pots.
2. They Encourage Responsibility
Parents of young children can teach them responsibility early on with a few houseplants. It’s a safe way for them to experience a living thing relying on them to survive without any high stakes attached.
They’ll carry that sense of responsibility into their later years and be a better part of their community because of it.
3. They Can Precede Pets
Most kids will beg for a family pet at some point. Even if you’re inclined to agree, get a few houseplants for your kids first. Once they get into the habit of performing daily care items, like watering, they’ll have a better idea of how they’ll help with a living pet.
4. They Teach Scheduling
Time management and scheduling are critical skills everyone needs to succeed in school and at work. Children can start experiencing this by tracking when they water their plants and how long they should wait to do it again. Sticking with a watering schedule makes it easier to manage their time later.
5. They Introduce the Ecosystem
School-age kids learn about different ecosystems in science class, but they won’t struggle to comprehend the information if they’ve already experienced it at home.
Houseplants are an opportunity to explain how the world is interconnected.
They rely on the water cycle and soil nutrients to provide food and oxygen for the rest of the food chain. Your children might even have to protect their houseplants from bugs that want to live in the leaves and stems.
Take care of houseplants to do a fun science experiment and learn about the world at home.
