A garden is a simple, wonderful way to help your children learn to appreciate the benefits of delayed gratification. I was thinking about this as I experienced it myself while watching two beautiful flowers in my yard bloom over the period of a week for each.
I noticed the buds first, just as they sprouted. Then each day I went out to take a peek as the buds bloomed into these gorgeous flowers.
Children are naturally drawn to these types of experiences, if they are exposed to them. They love to notice the way things progress and get excited to make predictions for the next day’s viewing. When they practice “noticing” the daily changes, it will strengthen their visual development. Oh, there is so much they can learn in the garden... about color, shape, the sun, the rain, animals and their home, etc.
A garden can be a magical place. It brings peace, teaches skills, and gives mini lessons in how the world works. But one of the best things is that it can provide a gorgeous lesson in the fact that “good things come to those who wait!”
