Warm weather and sunny afternoons often inspire people to start gardens. They’re fun forms of self-expression and excellent opportunities to spend extra time with your teenager. You could learn important life lessons together and become more connected with the Toledo community. Learning about the benefits of starting a garden with your teen could motivate you both to embark on a gardening adventure.
1. Your teen might develop more self-esteem
The teenage years are infamous for fostering self-doubt. Young people are growing into their identities, so questioning their worth and comparing themselves to others is nearly unavoidable. Gardening together could prepare them for adulthood by boosting their self-esteem when they need it most.
Caring for plants teaches young people that they can learn something new and thrive with that skill. Teenagers with higher self-esteem also perform better in academic courses, so your child may improve their grades if they learn to garden. Seeing their plants grow and their grades flourish may be the boost they need.
2. Gardening encourages autonomy
Teens may resent that they still have to ask permission to do what they want. Those years are an awkward phase between being a child and an adult, but you can make it more comfortable by giving your teenager autonomy wherever possible.
Let them decide what plants you’ll grow, how you’ll care for them and how much time to invest in gardening. Follow their lead. Your child may even feel confident enough to start a public garden by applying on the Toledo city website if they learn to trust their decision-making abilities within the safe realm of gardening.
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3. You could both feel less stressed
Spending time in nature reduces stress through exposure to soothing sounds and sights. You may need that support more than ever as your teenager works their first job or worries about applying for college. Extra mental health support is one of the many benefits of starting a garden with your teen. You can visit your plants whenever you need extra peace of mind.
4. Gardening resources create bonding opportunities
Putting plants in soil isn’t the only time you can bond with your child over gardening. Use every opportunity to forge a better connection by supporting their interests. If your teen loves Minecraft, they might map your garden in the game and play around with details like size, planting locations and types of seeds. After bringing their vision to life in your backyard, you can use a spreadsheet to maintain your plants’ long-term care.
You and your teen can even attend local gardening classes hosted by Toledo’s non-profits to learn more about spring foraging, beekeeping and other hobbies that would support your outdoor adventures. Your garden will feed your relationship as much as your passion for plants.
5. You’ll reduce your teen’s screen time
Many aspects of the modern world rely on computers and smartphones. While that’s not entirely preventable, you may feel concerned about how much time your child spends with their devices. Experts with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that half of teens spend four hours or more on screens daily. Gardening gets young people away from screens while challenging them to refine their decision-making abilities and understanding of the natural world.
6. Your teen’s friends might join in
Gardening can become a group hobby. Invite your child’s friends over to work on your plants together. Your teen could also make new friends by joining Toledo’s youth programs that teach about soil content and culinary traditions supported by vegetable gardens. You never know where your young person will foster connections that result in lifelong friendships.
7. Your teen will get more active
Whether your teen is gardening at home or volunteering at a community garden — which could involve hauling harvest crates or carrying watering cans — caring for plants can be physically demanding.
Research shows that 80% of teenagers are insufficiently active, which may include your child. An improved exercise routine is one of the benefits of starting a garden with your teen if it gets their heart rate up regularly.
8. You’ll get to know yourselves better
Trying something new will inspire self-reflection. Discovering things about yourself — like a surprising interest in vegetable gardening — can direct you and your teen down different life paths. They might feel fascinated by water runoff affecting their backyard plants and become an environmental scientist, a career they might not have considered if they hadn’t explored gardening with you.
