Keeping kids safe

Vickivail98 · #1 10/30/14, 06:38 AM

I have an unusual question for anyone who has kids and a homestead to run. This is our last year in the city and I did well with canning and a 400 sq foot garden while managing my "regular" SAHM stuff but next year we are moving to property and will be slowly adding more extensive gardens, livestock, prepping... My question is, how do I keep a 3 year old, a 2 year old and probably a young infant safe and busy while I work? I know this must be doable but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to feed , milk, weed while monitoring the kids. DH is at work 12+ hours a day so he's not able to help, plus he thinks I'm crazy for wanting to ditch the grocery store

Use Less · #2 10/30/14, 07:03 AM

You may not want to hear this, but I think you need to slow down. Keep the garden at your new place manageable, and get few (or no) animals the first year. You likely can get plenty of produce directly from other gardeners/farmers in your area, so find out what they will be growing and selling roadside or at farm market. Then only grow what you want for just-picked freshness, or what others aren't growing. Maybe a few hens, as long as there is a hen house & enclosed yard built like Fort Knox (against predators). You may find, as I did, that the house in the country takes a lot more time & effort for basics, like keeping up with vacuuming & dusting. I'm not in a dusty area, but more just gets inside. Ditto shoveling snow and keeping the narrow walk to the road ice-free.

CraterCove · #3 10/30/14, 07:17 AM

Keeping little one's safe while working on a farmstead isn't really that hard, I think. A sand box, one of those plastic turtles or crabs, near the garden and plenty of big chunky trucks and tractor toys, regardless of whether they are boys or girls. Also, letting them make a mud puddle and not worrying about how dirty they get keeps them busy for a /long/ time.

Getting a dog to hang out with them and watch over them is something I feel is key.

And ditto on taking it slow. Maybe the first year just do a lovely raised garden the same size you had in the city, maybe a little bigger. Save the animals for when you have good fences and know your land a little better. And start slowly there too.

Good luck! Moving to acreage and moving away from the grocery store was the best decision we've made as a family.

mrs whodunit · #4 10/30/14, 07:25 AM

My kids have always just played wherever I was outside, they just followed along. Safety was never an issue. We had a dog that watched over us.

They where very dirty children but had an absolute blast

Whisperwindkat · #5 10/30/14, 07:41 AM

First, slowdown. Don't try to do too much, too quickly. This is for your sanity as well. As you garden, let the little ones play in the garden like someone else suggested. You can give them a job to do like watering a different area than where you are weeding. Let them help you pull weeds. When mine were babies I put a blanket down on the grown with toys and they had a blast. When you start with animals start small chickens or rabbits. Teach the kids about how to behave around them and take care of them. They will grow up respecting the animals and understanding their behavior. Kids just like to be with you so let them. They will get dirty, but they will be happy kids. Blessings, Kat

bluefish · #6 10/30/14, 07:42 AM

My kids just always follow me around and I keep an eye on them. When I'm in the garden, they get to 'help'. When I milk they harass the cats and then get to feed the cats a bit of milk, it's their 'job'.

Like Mrs. Whodunit said, they're dirty, but that washes easily. Thinking about it is much harder than it actually is.

Ceilismom · #7 10/30/14, 07:59 AM

The toddlers, keep some sandbox type toys in the garden, to only be played with while mom is weeding. The baby, I would just wear in a sling. Gradually, teach them to "help" you with what you're doing. Eventually they really will be helping.

If you can use heavy mulch, or weed barrier between rows in your garden, you will minimize the amount of weeding and watering you need to do. But that takes money and some work in the beginning to set it up and do it right.

If you could manage once-a-day milking (assuming you are talking about a cow) while your husband is home and could keep the kids busy, then let the calf have the rest, that could be doable, but: A lot depends on how your place is set up, and how willing your DH is to help you find ways to make it all work. You might be better off to find somebody who is willing to trade eggs (or something else you produce) for milk in the beginning. I would wait to get a dairy animal until I had the house, garden, kid wrangling and if applicable, poultry, well in hand.

You will be much more successful over all, if you do not take on anything that you can't do all by yourself, without help. Set up each project so that it can be taken care of as quickly and easily as possible. Doing this will help to prevent burnout, and make it easier for someone to look after your place if you became ill or needed to be gone for a few days.

With chickens, for example: If you set up a feeding system where you only have to fill the feeder once a week (while your DH is keeping the kids busy, or they are napping) you can check it daily while you collect eggs, and the kids can come along for that. If you set up the water to where it stays clean and can be filled with a garden hose (I'm loving a 5 gallon bucket with poultry nipples), again, quick and easy to do. That beats having to carry a bucket and clean the waterer every day. Set up the coop so that it is easy to clean, and get it built 100% completely before you buy chicks and only keep the number of chickens (with kids that small, I would not recommend keeping a rooster around) you need.

karenp · #8 10/30/14, 08:01 AM

It depends a lot on your individual children. All those suggestions worked well with my older son, the younger one was a wanderer. No use punishing him at 2 or 3, he was just very curious and liked to explore (anyone remember the old family circus cartoons) I agree, plant the same sized garden your accustom to planting.

Le Petit Norman · #9 10/30/14, 08:16 AM

Take it easy and expand at a manageable place. I was a dirty kid growing up, well dirty at the end of the day, always cleaned by bed time. Cloth will get stained, but the kids should be healthier too, nothing like breathing fresh air playing outside eating dirt … enjoy the new life and don't beat yourself ...

belties · #10 10/30/14, 08:28 PM

You are working too hard at it. Slow down, take it in babysteps. Master a few skills at a time. allow the kids to be involved as much as possible, and as they become old enough to handle more responsibilities you will suddenly discover that you are able to take on so much more. Work at their pace, don't force them to keep up with your own. If that means reducing your milking critters from cows to goats, do so for now. Keep your dreams of bigger and more, work them in as the time goes by. Don't be so busy and keep your pace so crazy that you miss out on the moments, trust me, they go by too quickly as is.

And hang in there! Worry more about keeping peace with your spouse and taking time to train your kids than trying to be 100 % self sufficient. Rome wasn't built in a day.

I speak from experience. Seven kids in 13 years, a husband who is gone 14 hours a day. I spent too many years carrying too much, spending too much time on things that were not as important as the ones that were staring me right in the face. take life a day at a time and enjoy every one.

HOTW · #11 10/30/14, 08:29 PM

Playpen, its how my mummanaged with 5kids in six years....also teach the three year old to do simple chore under verbal command

opportunity · #12 10/30/14, 08:37 PM

I have a five year old and I'm expecting my second sometime before Thanksgiving. It can be hard with the really little ones. I have added animals every year for the last 5 until this year. I sold all the turkey, chickens and pigs. I will not have time with the infant to care for them. I sold half my cows this year as well I will only have 7-8 calves this year not 20. I will be doing more of a garden in the spring but the 5 year old it really been good with plants and he will be able to help. I also made sure that I could have a safe place in the tractor for the kids if they have to be with me with three that might not be possible.
Take it slow and have buildings/fence ready before each animal is bough.

Awnry Abe · #13 10/30/14, 08:38 PM

As long as they aren't under foot of a 1200 lb cow, I'd just let them get a little scratched up not worry about it.

kasilofhome · #14 10/30/14, 09:33 PM

My mom believed the a set of encyclopedias were useful for children of all ages.

The age you are describing would make use of an inverted playpen with the children contained in it with as many of the books as the children require.

Really do not sweat it

Plan, set a section in the garden that is fence in with its own fencing provide shade and let the play, plant and mimic you. Learn to sing and tell stories.. play recorded educational stories.

Children will get dirty, bumps,bruises, cuts. It is life. Have a first aid class if needed and a first aid kit.

Pony · #15 10/30/14, 11:35 PM

I so enjoyed my little ones when I did it. You will see everything with new eyes! Take the time to appreciate dust motes in the sunshine, grasshoppers, and dandelions!

Stick to smaller and easier livestock. I had chickens and rabbits. A smaller garden until they're helpful. Teeny fingers are wonderful for weeding! Just watch the carrots... :-/

The life you are building is FOR these little folks... Allow them to enjoy it. Downsize...

Baby Monitors are good. While Pumpkin is napping, you can nap or hoe... And still hear them. Don't skip that nap! Trust me.

Smaller livestock and a girlfriend are the keys. Find a buddy whose kids are about the same ages - house cleaning, cooking, gardening, butchering, everything is easier with a girlfriend with which you can talk, swap kids, tag-team, and share!

If Hub is working, he may not be "available."

Vickivail98 · #16 10/31/14, 07:02 AM

Thank you everyone for the wonderful support and encouragement ! We will be adding to the new chore list slowly (budget and lack of experience dictate that) and your suggestions are wonderful. I talked to my mom and she reminded me that growing up we had a "kid corral" with a high fence to keep critters out, she said that way she didn't care what we ate while in there! My kids taste a lot of dirt and love to chase bugs so I think we'll get along fine. Maybe I will set aside one of the barn stalls as an indoor (but close to mom) play area, it's so cold here half the year! Thanks everyone, in going to take a deep calming breath and go finish up my kitchen chores!

Bubbas Boys · #17 10/31/14, 07:33 AM

My wife and I built (still building) our 2100 sq ft home from the ground up. We started last March with a bare corn field. We have a unusual situation and I work a self employed job that requires very little of my time and we take care of a local Park and Cemetery together. My point is that we built this homestead with our 5 boys ( ages 9 down to 2) right by our side. They make up games, help in the garden. We are growing homestead children, that was are main purpose fro moving here. They will figure with out with you. We are also very lucky to have great children that have been taught right from wrong and want to help with whatever we are doing, I know this is very rare anymore. I think you will be surprised at how much they can and will help and enjoy doing it. Good luck to you ad your family!!

crazyfarm · #18 10/31/14, 10:10 AM

Agreed with slowing down when you first get there. Otherwise my kids who are now almost 4 and 2, help. DD can feed the poultry like a champ. She loves feeding them. DS loves finding the eggs and carrying them back to the house though he cries when I say we are going to eat them since he now knows that's where baby chickens come from. lol It's not easy, let me tell ya. When I was doing a big bush line trim I brought out the plastic pool to where the bushes were and filled it up. Kept them busy about 30 mins a day until I was done. Yesterday DS (who is the almost 4 year old) occupied himself on his tricycle in the driveway while I planted some asparagus roots and mulched the orchard. DD had a shovel and pulled out some plants to keep occupied. They only had an hour of this in them. I have blankets and toys that I only bring out outside so they aren't bored with them when I'm trying to do something. Also, sometimes I'm freaking out wondering where the hell one of the kids went and discovering they got bored and walked back to the house where they are now happily playing inside, alone. Good grief!

Mostly you must realize that you are going to be doing a lot of stuff in little bursts of time. I also do a heck of a lot when the kids are in bed at night. During the summer that's fine but right now I wear a head lamp. Also, I'm married so that man can certainly watch his own kids while I do something!

crazyfarm · #19 10/31/14, 10:17 AM

Ohhh majorly discuss animal care with your kids too and if an animal is mean you'd best kill that sucker. We taught DS not to chase the poultry and such but we had a rooster attack him. It lived about 5 minutes after that but the fear it planted in our child was pretty long lasting. It took about a year before he'd be ok to walk on his own around the chickens. Even now he knows what they can do and he gets nervous around too many of them. That rooster had shown some signs but I was too stupid to see them at that time. Now, the first sign of human aggression and we kill it. We have 2 roosters right now. Very big ones. No problems. We had 5 but 3 of them were a problem so they aren't around anymore.

handymama · #20 10/31/14, 10:17 AM

Kids three or older will stay with you and help, as long as there are sippy cups and occasional toys provided.
The baby is another story. For me, naptime was garden time. For mowing, livestock, etc, you need one of those front carriers. And allow expectations to go out the window. Each day will not be accomplishing set tasks. It will be you did what you could.