I just want to say thank you guys for all the answers to Homsteading???? and why is country life better for children?? My husband is slowly reading all you guys have to say and enjoying himself. Somethings that have been said made him think. We are still going to stay in the city for one more year but are planning on leaving for a small rental place not to far from the city. I dont want to freak him out by jumping in to fast.I would still love some of your small stories about counry life and it's benefits to you and your children. Also I would love some advice on small things both he and as well as our children can be doing to make the change eaiser on us all. The house we are moving to does have a small yard so a garden is possible but not any animals. So thanks you all for your help. Jennifer

-- Jennifer (jenniferthf@aol.com), February 04, 2002

Answers

Response to Thank YOu!!! But I still need your help..

Hey Jennifer, you can do alot of fresh vegitable gardening in raised beds( ie;old wash tubs, big flower pots, or make your own out of wood) Fill them with good soil, start a small compost pile, saving your vegitable scraps leaves etc. and dont give up the thought of having a couple of laying hens in a portable pen. fresh eggs from your own chickens are the best. start slow. Keith

-- Keith (peepee125@hotmail.com), February 04, 2002.

Response to Thank YOu!!! But I still need your help..

When my kids and I moved out of Minneapolis 8 years ago we bought a small house on a lake. Compared to city prices everything was so inexpensive. My kids, 4 & 8 at the time, had become afraid to play in their own back yard unless I was with them. We lived in a really nice neighborhood but there had been several attempted abductions of kids from school bus stops. I wanted my kids to be able to run and scream and explore without having to worry about such things. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of strange people in the country. But our property was larger.

When I took the kids back to the City a week later the first thing out of their mouths was, "Peeeeuuuuuu! It smell awful here" This was an added bonus I hadn't even thought of. There have been times when we have though or talked about moving back but they have no interest. I think they like the quiet and the fact that they can get away from people if they choose.

We now live on 40 acres further north, no lake but there is one across the road. They are 12 & 15 and still loving it. My oldest has the chance to learn to drive but he doesn't want to. They play in the tall grass with the dogs, a game the call prairie sharks. They like to spie from tree tops and have too many forts to count.

As far a smaking it easier on them. Start taking day trips into the country, picnic. Teach the kids to blow on grass to make noise, fly kites, roll down hills, pick flowers and make chains with them to wear. We adopted grandparents for our kids who were farmers. Many farms will let you come and look at the animals. Ask around at the farmers market.

Good luck, Susan

-- Susan in Minnesota (nanaboo@punyan.net), February 04, 2002.

Response to Thank YOu!!! But I still need your help..

Jennifer, One of the things we did when we were still living on the edge of town was for the children and I to brainstorm the question "How much could we save if we could do it ourselves?" For example we figured that we could save $8.00/mo or $96/yr if we stopped taking the newspaper. We told the older couple across the street our idea and then asked if we could have their copy of the evening newspaper when they were finished reading it. They were wonderful and not only let us use their paper but would put it in our mailbox so that we recieved the "morning paper" everyday. We discontinued the trash service at $13.00/mo or $156.00/yr and burned the paper, composted the scraps and took the glass/metal once a week to Grandmas and used her trash can as she never filled it up. We saved our grocery receipt at the suggestion of our 12 year old and started calculating what we could save and not have to buy at the grocery store if we grew it outselves or made it from scratch. That worked out to be almost $100/mo or over $1000/yr. This is a lot of money to a child and even good money to me. We were inspired!! Not only that but even Dad could see a benefit. At that point we were on an adventure that has never ended. Marie

-- Marie in Central WA (Mamafila@aol.com), February 04, 2002.

Response to Thank YOu!!! But I still need your help..

How to make the move easier for the kids? Talk it up!! We have lived in our current house for over five years and will hopefully be moving to our acreage around the time school starts in the fall. (Just closed on 40 acres in Jan, awaiting all the permits to get started building the house). Luckily it is only 25 miles away, so we will still be going to the same church (and parochial school) that we attend now. Are my kids apprehensive about moving? Maybe a little (we have two nice neighbors that they will miss, but not the rest!), but so far they haven't shown it. Instead they are excited. My 7yo dd can't wait to get her chickens (she's been begging for over a year- -one of her schoolmates has a few). My 4yo is busy thinking up all the new 'friends' we will be able to have (more room = more animals): a 'friend' for our dog, a 'friend' for our cat, my horse can actually come home and meet our pony (only room for one equine at current house, so keep the other one at a friend of mine), new neighbors to make friends with, being able to keep our yearly pig at home instead of 3 1/2 hrs away at my mil's 5 acres. My 12yo ds wants his own horse, a dirt bike, and will be able to experience his first hunting season on our own land. My 9 yo ds will be only a mile from one of his best buddies (and we will probably be able to see the tops of each other's houses through the fields).

Talk about the garden you will have, the new house, choosing/decorating the new bedrooms (if possible, even a new pair of curtains counts as decorating), the new neighbors and new friends you will meet. Talk about the adventures you will have getting to know your new hometown. It's never too soon to start vocalizing those dreams and painting pictures in your mind of what your new home will be like. If you are nervous, your kids (and dh!) will pick it up and feed on it. If you are positive and excited, they will be too.

-- Kris in MI (ckarmom@ivillage.com), February 04, 2002.

Of course you can have animals! chickens are no problem at all. If we had suffered and stayed in town like my husband wanted, I was going to buy chickens for out tiny tiny lot. Anyway, we only have 5 acres, and it is more than we can manage as it it!!!

But, chickens are a great homeschool project. Our kids got 8 chickens for easter last year and 3 mallards (we saw the old Satelllite dish in Countryside for a duck pond and found one the next day!!!) We've only lost one chicken to our dog when he was trying to wrestle it one day. He didn't know what he did, and was licking it trying to get it to run around again. He's never done it since (I have to admit I traumatized him with it anyway). But, they loved helping me make a brooder out of one of those hexagon timbers to go around trees, chicken wire and a chair. we started with regular lamps because we were broke and poopooed separating the breeds, and kept them together. ducks and chickens still live together, and we have moved up to banties, goats and are getting geese this year! but a few chickens are truly just NO PROBLEM. Ours are tame, and sweet, and follow us around. we have spent so much time holding them, playing with them, etc. it gives the kids a good responsibility (which sometimes mean a bit of a fight, but they need to know to deal with their obligations) and they think they have the BEST chicken eggs in the world. The banties are for them for the farmers market, and they pretty much paid for them themselves; they will sell "faerie eggs"..... it sounds like so much fun! they can't wait to make some "money" (won't make them rick or anything) but so far they don't have to pay for feed. they will eventually work into that down the road as they get older....

so, just chickens...come on...so cute, so sweet, so yummmmy!

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), February 04, 2002.

Jennifer: I have to just comment on marcee's response, to be careful because in many cities keeping chickens is illegal. It was in my city, and let me tell you our chickens got very loud, every egg of course had to be announced to the whole neighborhood and while it was great while it lasted, we got complained on and couldn't keep them. It would be too sad if you got them first. Call your local animal control folks, they can tell you whether or not you can have them. Another thought on the gardening, even if you don't want to get containers, buy the bags of potting soil you'd buy anyway, and cut X shaped slits in them, leave them on the ground and plant your plant right in them! You'll need to fertilize them unless you buy the type of potting soil with fertilizer in it. Good luck.

-- Katie (homesteader@accessnevada.com), February 06, 2002.