This past month we have begun landscaping again in earnest and i suddenly realised that instead of moaning about not being able to get anything done outside with twin toddlers in tow i have begun to employ some strategies, change my thinking and work with the girls to get done outside what we need to…rather than against them and the attention they demand.
If you have read my blog before you will know that i love to spend time outdoors with the toddler twosome and it is their favourite part of the day too…but this doesn't always mean we can get the landscaping jobs done that we started when we first moved here…only a short while before i got pregnant (and then nothing happened fast with 24 hr a day morning sickness!).
We used to spend whole weekends outside landscaping and gardening at our previous house. Miss Teen was already a teen by then and we enjoyed being able to get dirty and create outside. It was hard work but we saw our plans coming to fruition and it was a wonderful feeling. We were creating outdoor areas to suit adults and a teenager….having moved past the playspaces required when children are younger. Then we moved…..and had our beautiful twins.
Our plans for this wonderful space we now have are ever evolving….but the priority is to work with our natural surrounds to provide spaces the whole family can enjoy. I think when it comes to landscaping (and we are just DIY enthusiasts!) it's important to write down your vision and then be prepared to change or modify as you hit obstacles…and you will hit obstacles!
It's probably a good thing that the toddler twosome have made us slow down and not rush into ideas as we once did….productive work outside has been a lot slower with our ‘helper's' but i have finally learnt to embrace this and let go of my expectations a little rather than become frustrated and annoyed that things seem to be taking so long to come together!
I have learnt that when you are trying to landscape and garden with kids it often pays to just watch and see what areas they are drawn too, what they like to incorporate into their play and how they like to help when outdoors. By slowing this whole process down i have actually had my eyes opened to many more possibilities…..perhaps sharing them with you might help if you are also trying to garden or create some outdoor areas with the kid's wanting to ‘help' and needing attention!
We have a lot of red dirt everywhere at the moment as we focus on the backyard and begin to dig and level and terrace to create some areas for all members of the family…originally we had wanted to provide a space with softfall and lots of kiddy play equipment but i just felt we weren't embracing our natural environment enough with that plan….watching the girls play out there gave me so many more ideas.
They love the rocks, they love to dig, they love mud and they love water…..so those rocks on the right are the start of our boulder sandpit which will have lots of little areas for climbing and cooking and mixing with water. We hope to have a tap over there that they can utilise for waterplay…..
The drop off you can see in the pic below has been a huge worry for me ever since we moved in…it is steep and rocky and the reason why i didn't come into the backyard with the girls for quite awhile! His patient self started by building a boulder retaining wall using boulders from around the property and those that were already there.
I think the most important consideration if you want to landscape with kids in tow is to make the space as safe as possible first….then they can be outside helping you….depending on the age of your children that safety aspect will vary of course. Our work in progress still has dirt dug up and boulders everywhere but they are stable with no sharp objects lurking and the pallet fence protects from the drop off so i am now confident in letting the girls play while we ‘play'!
I really do think spending a little time to ensure a safe environment and then providing activities to make the girls feel as though they are contributing and ‘working hard' too has allowed us to really begin making some progress on both the vegetable garden and the backyard.
I won't lie…jobs take a lot longer than they should, there are no more whole weekends spent just focusing on the one job and i still get frustrated at times when i hear ‘Mummy look at me' for what seems like the 100th time as i try to dig even one hole…..but then i turn around and see a backyard environment that is slowly building into something special and two girls smiling at me smeared with dirt , clutching flowers and climbing over rocks.
We have time..and even if we never finish it….the process is proving just as rewarding…and i think just as much fun for the girls….and i guess that's all that matters really.
Warm Wishes..
It really is all about the process, isn’t it? I find also that picking a very small project to tackle over the course of a couple days helps me to not get frustrated while having my little one in tow. I did this with the garlic planting this year – spread it out over several days and found ways to allow baby to help me. She had fun, I wasn’t stressed due to our relaxed schedule, and the job still got done! Hooray 🙂
Oh, and your pallet planted fence is pure genius. Love it!
-Jaime
I think i have finally learnt that now Jaime! You are so right about the small project to tackle over a few days…once upon a time it would have been many more but we do what we can so they can join in now!Love that bubba helped with the garlic planting…she is getting so grown up now!
Good for you for making it work with the little ones. I think once ours were born I just gave up to doing any of it myself. But my kids love being little gardeners. We finally built a garden box. We need a 2nd attempt – it started off strong but nothing made it ultimately. But my kids are always digging and planting. So much fun!
I know the feeling! sometimes it takes a few goes! Plenty of jobs i have pushed aside for now and will come back to…hopefully!At least all that digging and planting is fun no matter what the outcome!
Loved it! Great post with so much helpful information and advice! Super photos as usual!
P.S. Did you get my last email? I sent it two weeks ago, I think.
My hubby does most of the landscape work and upkeep, and it’s so nice when I see my son out there helping!
Thanks Lisa…my other half still does the majority of the landscaping too …my job now is to incorporate the girls into what we can do together!I did get your email and replied but i will FB message you!
Looks like you have found a perfect way to meet all the family needs and your garden is looking really rather special. Working with the little ones, letting them play along side and all feeling part of the same project are all great ways to ensure family time works for everyone. A lovely post which I’m sure will inspire many. Thank you for joining me on Country Kids.
This is just absolutely fantastic stuff. I love how you have got them involved and have developed your ideas with them in mind. We don’t have any garden space and have to rely on going to the local parks which thankfully are close by! I LOVE the pallet planter fence!
So glad your parks are close by for you…must make the difference! I find it difficult at the park with twins as they are always going in different directions lol! That’s the main reason for landscaping our own little child friendly park i guess!The pallet planter fence is a favourite here too…thanks so much for stopping by.
You guys really have such an awesome backyard for playing and exploring! Lucky kids. Love how you involve them so much in the outside “work”. 🙂
Oh my! I have garden envy.
How clever you were to change your thinking and get the girls to help. What you’ve created is nothing short of extraordinary. Well done.
Jode, I love how you included the Twinkles in the landscaping. I bet they will remember it too. The best part is that you have images of what it was before and what it is now. They will enjoy looking at the differences as the years go on.
I want a bit more space in my gardren. I agree with Jackie. Garden envy here too!
The garden is looking gorgeous, thanks to your little helpers! They will love the outdoors all the more thanks to having a hand in creating it all.
It looks so good and there girls are having a blast! Enjoy!!
What an amazing back yard you have Jode?! Creating wonderful family memories that will last for ever!
What a beautiful yard you have and so many great spaces and textures to explore for the kiddies. I love this kind of hands-on practical life activity. Letting the kids get right in there and help too, it’s fabulous and the kid love it too. Like you said, they are still talking about it, they were a part of it. It’s fabulous.
Kate
Great way to involve kids throughout the whole process looks lovely
You’ve done such a wonderful job creating a great yard for your family 🙂 So rewarding and fun to get out there together!
How fun! I wish I knew how to do these things myself. Thanks for linking up to tip-toe thru Tuesday.
The kids were phenomenal! 🙂 What I loved about your post is that you intended to create a garden that suits everybody’s preferences. And what better way to do that than with the kids! By merging everybody’s ideas into a sound plan, I think you were able to create a garden that satisfies everyone in the house.
This post just reminded me of childhood days spent in my Grandma’s garden. Using the rocks on the rockery as stepping stones, hiding under the bushes, using the green house as my personnal wendy house, rolling down the little hill (which seemed massive at the time), digging in the veg patch just for fun and popping peas sat on the doorstep. Just goes to show how few material things Children really need!!!
I found this article whilst looking for other information on landscaping however I have to say that this is the first which discusses landscpaing with kids. Me and my kids love landscaping our garden (probably been landscaped 3 times in the last 3 weeks haha) and think its a great eduction for kids to understand nature and how it works.
Just my thoughts
Cheers
Carl
http://www.landscapingcafe.co.uk
Jode,
Great post! I am right there with you! We’ve been planting our spring veggies this week–a job that I could probably do by myself in half a day. With “help” from my little ones, not to mention frequent breaks to care for them, we’re going on day 3. That’s okay though. I think I too am finally learning how to just enjoy it as it comes and not get all worked up about meeting some kind of deadline.
Also, I love what you said about observing the areas they’re already drawn to and incorporating those into the space. I’ve thought about putting in a sandbox for them, but they have so much fun digging in our dirt pile on the slope, my newest idea is to just frame that out somehow and let them keep at it!
Take care!
Thanks for your lovely comment Linnae! It really is just to hard to have a deadline with young kids isn’t it? I really love the sound of you framing your dirt pile….i know child care centres are paying a lot of money to do that nowadays lol!!
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