Just was thinking about how our children have not followed us in our homesteading way of life. I'm glad that they were raised this way. They don't have any real complaints about their childhood except having to weed the garden each day and learn how to milk the goats. But I am glad that at least they would have some knowledge of doing for themselves if they had too. Both of our girls have done well for themselves. The oldest is an art teacher and weaves and does pottery and the other......acutally drives a Pink Caddie and makes more in a month than I do in a year !!! Both made us very proud of them....but what did we do wrong....(just kidding..ha ha). Curious to see what how others kids "turned" out !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), October 12, 2001

Answers

Hi Helena,

We have two grown children. When they were growing up, we tried to get them interesting in living simply, gardening, composting, etc. without much success. What we considered fun they considered work! My son wanted to go into show business and my daughter just wanted to be a mom. Funny how things turn around, though. My son never did get into show business but does have a good job and supports his family doing what he enjoys (computers) and my daughter is also married, the mother of a two year old boy and lives with her family on an 80 acre farm in central Virginia. Somehow, they seemed to develop a pretty good work-ethic and have lives they both enjoy. They didn't exactly follow in our foot-steps (although our dauther is closer than our son) but I do believe the lessons they learned at home have served them well.

I guess, as parents, all we can hope for is reasonably well adjusted, contributing children who are happy with the lives they've chosen. I think we've succeeded.

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (aka Dianne in Mass) (Trevilians@mediaone.net), October 12, 2001.

Some day they may surprise you .What you want in your 20's , 30's or 40's change.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), October 12, 2001.

We have 2 children and the closest either have come to our homestseading way of life is our son has his own semi and hauls hogs.LOL Our daughter works in the computer world in L.A. Like Patty said things may change with them in time as they're both only in their 20's. They are happy with what they're doing, both make very good money, live on their own and take good care of themselves, thank heavens!

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001.

Of our three daughters, the oldest is married, has two babies and one on the way -- they live in a little house on a half-acre lot, she gardens, cooks from scratch, and would have a couple of goats and some chickens if she could convince her city-boy husband to let her. They have talked about getting more land at some point in the future.

Our middle daughter lives in town, sharing a house with a couple of friends. She teaches full-time, works at a bank nights, and during the winter leads snow-shoe groups on tours at a local ski area. She also runs our church's summer program (kind of a summer-long day camp) and I think that is where she most utilizes what she learned growing up, as she takes the children on nature hikes, farm tours, and so on. She does cook from scratch, buys a lot of her clothes at Goodwill, etc. (so she did learn to be frugal -- has to be, with her tiny income -- the school she teaches at is at our church and is able to pay almost nothing), but she doesn't garden or anything like that.

Youngest daughter is mentally handicapped, and the most she does is follow me around when I'm doing chores.

But, as has already been said, things may change as they get older! And the world is changing; they may NEED those skills we've taught them someday.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 12, 2001.

Hi Helena, We raised 3 boys homesteading. One of them now has his own acres and raises his family "countrystyle". They all however live by the principles their childhood lifestyle taught them,which is most important. They all know how to work hard and live efficiently and I know if times were such that they had to return to the land they could do it. The knowledge is there and being passed onto the grandsons too, and they can always come to the grandparents house to practise! We can use the help!

-- Judy Schumacher (TootlesTheBrit@aol.com), October 12, 2001.

Our daughter just despised living on our homestead, especially the outhouse part! She just couldn't wait to get out, and when she had money from her summer jobs would buy all the designer stuff she could lay her hands on.

After she graduated this fall, she suddenly started buying discount store clothes, saying "why pay so much for a name?". she has her own apartment now with a friend, and i noticed she has plenty of off- brand food and has been stocking up on extra food. She's even becoming proud of her parent's home now that we're about to get running water! I'd never mention it to her, as I don't want her to backtrack, but we can't help but notice that she's getting more and more like us every day! ha

-- Leslie in Missouri (whomestead@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001.

A definite NO for our son!! Sometimes I feel very disappointed. We are "allowed" to visit with our granddaughter one day a week and she seems to love coming to our "farm" (as she calls it!). I try to cram all the homesteading I can into her in the course of that one day...she's only 4 yrs. old. She's absolutely wonderful ( am I gloating or what...sorry!)!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), October 12, 2001.

I'm doing it from the other way around. My parents came from deep in the hills of West Virginia and were born during the Depression. They were raised into a 'homesteader' lifestyle not out of affectation but in order to survive. Mom and Dad then grew up, went to college, moved to the city and raised my brother and I in the 'burbs.

Whereas Mom and Dad continued to raise gardens, can, cook mostly from scratch, split wood for fuel, etc., which I picked up, I was never exposed to gathering eggs, stringing fence, clearing land, caring for livestock or other chores readers here are familiar with. Now with my wife and three kids I am trying to get back to rural living, or at least the best parts of what my parents had growing up- no congestion, clean air, and no small measure of freedom. Part of what I struggle with now is reinventing the wheel daily with regard to matters homesteaders might know right off the bat.

We now have three wooded acres, a rather large barn, a young family, lots of raw information but little practical experience. That's why I really appreciate this forum, Countryside magazine, the various homesteading Web sites out there, and most of all the times I do talk 'old times' with my parents. My children of course know no other way and and are young enough that I'll hopefully get through most of my false starts and mistakes before they start learning my bad habits.

We'll get chickens next spring, quite likely a goat as soon as I fence the east field, and more grains/garden foods/livestock as I clear, fence, and start pasture and learn more. Right now I wouldn't know where to take a feeder calf for custom processing here in Montgomery County, Ohio let alone do the slaughtering/butchering myself. I believe I know which end the hay goes into, but I haven't tested it yet! One step at a time.

Those children being raised with the benefit of what it actually takes to feed and warm themselves have advantages over the city kids. You can pick up enough about city life from the TV or books or trips into town to know both how to live there and why you wouldn't want to. When the time comes my kids can stay on the farm, or go to the city and retire on the farm, or work in the city until they have children then bring them to the country. Point being, they'll have the insight to make that decision. I just want to give them plenty of options in life, maybe hint what I think is good and decent, and perhaps the hard part stand back and let them choose their own path.

-- Mark Sykes (mark@marksykes.net), October 13, 2001.

Hi Helena, I guess I am coming from the other side. I grew up in a homesteading family. I am the oldest of 5. All 5 of us left the homesteading way of life and I am the only one who has gone back to the lifestyle. My parents are still living the homesteading dream on the same land I was born and raised on. So when I seem abslolutely crazy to everyone else around me, I call my parents and are re- assured that I am not alone. At least I have them for support. None of my 3 kids took to homesteading yet. But I see progress every day especially in my oldest daughter. So, be patient. They may come back to homesteading just later as I did...(in my 30's) Homesteading is deeply ingrained in me...It is normal.....

-- Ria in Ky (MinMin45@aol.com), October 13, 2001.