Transplanting and small children

Adenn1 · April 4, 2007

I found out the hard way that having a three year old around when transplanting tomatoes can be trouble. My little fellow wanted to help...I stepped into the back of the garage to get something and he decided to help Daddy by pulling the tomatoes out of the trays. I turned around to see a small pile of new seedlings laying on the ground.

I was able to repot some of them...others not as they were broken in half.

I lost a few varieties that I had gotten in a trade...and had only gotten a few seeds. That's a bummer.

But this is my fault...he had seemed engrossed in playing with his chalk next to me in the driveway. I got up to get some more plant markers and in a matter of a few seconds...several tomatoes met their doom.

I carefully explained to him about what happed and he was sad that some of the tomatoes could not be "made better."
We finished up and and I gave him a big hug for being my little helper and treated him to some ice cream.

Sure I was mad and frustrated...but I reminded myself that if this was the worst I had to deal with that day...then I was pretty lucky given all of the issues we face in today's world.

I plan pulling my seeds out and planting some new ones...a bit late...but maybe a staggered planting would be a good thing this year.

Granny · April 4, 2007

No time like the present for your little one to learn the joys of gardening. Radishes are quick enough to hold their interest at that age. Help him make his own little garden and he'll leave yours alone.

feldon30 · April 4, 2007

Wouldn't have gotten ice cream from me, but then again it's probably good I am not a parent.

spyfferoni · April 4, 2007

I have a 3 yr old too. Luckily, I have an 8 yr old who will turn 9 next month and a 6 yr old and they help out with her when I'm busy. I made a cake a couple of weeks ago to take somewhere. I had carefully laid sliced strawberries in a circular pattern over the top of the cake, and then some along the base. I went up stairs to change my shirt and came down and she was eating the strawberries off of it. I didn't buy her ice cream, and later regretted that I had over reacted. I re-arranged the strawberries and smoothed out the finger marks and it turned out just fine. My poor kids! Two weeks in a row I made the same type of cake for a baby shower and something else and they never got any. I'm going to make one for them for our Easter treat. I don't know what I would do is they messed with my seedlings. I hope I could react like you did.

Tyff

natural · April 4, 2007

We have a 13 yr old girl and 7 yr old boy. My wife and I were hesitant to let our son carry our tomato trays around for fear he would drop them. Well, guess who dropped them. Me and the wife both dropped seedling trays on the same day (700 plants in all). I think we've learned several lessons.

Of course, we have been through a few episodes of our children proudly showing us rows where they hoed "THE WEEDS"s (read here beets, chard, carrots, etc... LOL.

tylenol · April 4, 2007

There is a bright side....he'll be REAL helpfull in the Fall when the tom's are done and it's time to clear the garden !

Rob

Adenn1 · April 5, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by tylenol

There is a bright side....he'll be REAL helpfull in the Fall when the tom's are done and it's time to clear the garden !

Rob

Yes, I was already thinking ahead about this. I should also start working with him about not picking any fruit without Daddy...last year he would run up to the cherry toms and just start grabbing whatever he could...he loved to help pick tomatoes. Red is good...green is bad. Oh no...how am I going to explain Green Giant or Cherokee Green????

montanamato · April 5, 2007

Mark....I laughed at your story, because it brought back memories....when my oldest daughter was about 15 mos., she was on our sun porch and snapped off a couple of tomato seedlings...I think she tripped and fell on them. I instantly snapped and grabbed her and put her in the house...My husband watched , and was a little shocked (and disgusted) at my reaction...I had been starting seedlings much longer than I had had children and well the adjustment was tough...
Luckily, my oldest are now 9 and 5 and very good little gardeners...They know to NEVER play rough or throw balls near the seedlings...I give them each their own container plant and they always know the names of all the varieties on the patio (often 20 plus). I do have a son who is 3 ,and as a one year old, he removed many plant markers for me...He is better now, and I tape the variety name on the containers too. Never let a small child witness you pulling weeds, they will later mimic it ...I get them started on dirt building on the other side of the garden , and then do my work....

Jeanne

Adenn1 · April 5, 2007

Jeanne:

Thanks for the tip on weeding...yep, I could see where that could go very, very wrong

I do hope my two kids take an interest in gardening. I watched my nieces grow up and be so involved sports and other school activities that they seemed to get frazzled. Felt they had to do "everything" so that they could get into good schools.

I hope gardening is something my kids can enjoy and have fun with.

where_with_all · April 5, 2007

I have to tell you I LOL at your story. My boy is 3 1/2 and helped me start the seeds. It was a lot of work!! I don't know how I survived.

All I can say is that you did great. Encourage them to help as best they can.. and as best you can.

My seedlings are still in trays but my boy is going to help in two weeks with transplants. I'll make sure not to leave him alone!!!

Miss_Mudcat · April 9, 2007

Good job, Adenn. As a parent we especially want to keep the gardening experience as positive as possible for the children and US, too!

I have 5 children, ages 3 mos. to 11 years. They are all my helpers (well, not the 3-month-old...yet). Some come by the love of gardening naturally; for others it must be cultivated.

Lisa

rxkeith · April 9, 2007

my son will be 3 the end of may. one thing he has taught me is you really need to be patient to be a parent. things just aren't going to go the way you want. everything takes longer, and mishaps will happen. i'm letting my son "help" water the plants with a spray bottle. he likes squeezing the trigger. the plants get some water, the floor gets some water. the wall gets some water. sometimes dad gets some water. its all part of the learning process. he isn't going to be helping with the transplanting just yet. playing in dirt is right up his alley, but there is a limit to daddys patience.
maybe next year.

keith in calumet

April 4, 2007	#1
Adenn1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Philly Posts: 559	Transplanting and small children I found out the hard way that having a three year old around when transplanting tomatoes can be trouble. My little fellow wanted to help...I stepped into the back of the garage to get something and he decided to help Daddy by pulling the tomatoes out of the trays. I turned around to see a small pile of new seedlings laying on the ground. I was able to repot some of them...others not as they were broken in half. I lost a few varieties that I had gotten in a trade...and had only gotten a few seeds. That's a bummer. But this is my fault...he had seemed engrossed in playing with his chalk next to me in the driveway. I got up to get some more plant markers and in a matter of a few seconds...several tomatoes met their doom. I carefully explained to him about what happed and he was sad that some of the tomatoes could not be "made better." We finished up and and I gave him a big hug for being my little helper and treated him to some ice cream. Sure I was mad and frustrated...but I reminded myself that if this was the worst I had to deal with that day...then I was pretty lucky given all of the issues we face in today's world. I plan pulling my seeds out and planting some new ones...a bit late...but maybe a staggered planting would be a good thing this year. __________________ Mark

April 5, 2007	#9
Adenn1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Philly Posts: 559	Jeanne: Thanks for the tip on weeding...yep, I could see where that could go very, very wrong I do hope my two kids take an interest in gardening. I watched my nieces grow up and be so involved sports and other school activities that they seemed to get frazzled. Felt they had to do "everything" so that they could get into good schools. I hope gardening is something my kids can enjoy and have fun with. __________________ Mark

April 5, 2007	#10
where_with_all Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 152	I have to tell you I LOL at your story. My boy is 3 1/2 and helped me start the seeds. It was a lot of work!! I don't know how I survived. All I can say is that you did great. Encourage them to help as best they can.. and as best you can. My seedlings are still in trays but my boy is going to help in two weeks with transplants. I'll make sure not to leave him alone!!! __________________ Where With All on Long Island

April 9, 2007	#11
Miss_Mudcat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Central Georgia Posts: 366	Good job, Adenn. As a parent we especially want to keep the gardening experience as positive as possible for the children and US, too! I have 5 children, ages 3 mos. to 11 years. They are all my helpers (well, not the 3-month-old...yet). Some come by the love of gardening naturally; for others it must be cultivated. Lisa __________________ Farmers don't wear watches; they work until the job is done!

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April 4, 2007	#2
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	No time like the present for your little one to learn the joys of gardening. Radishes are quick enough to hold their interest at that age. Help him make his own little garden and he'll leave yours alone.

April 4, 2007	#3
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Wouldn't have gotten ice cream from me, but then again it's probably good I am not a parent.

April 4, 2007	#4
spyfferoni Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Utah Posts: 675	I have a 3 yr old too. Luckily, I have an 8 yr old who will turn 9 next month and a 6 yr old and they help out with her when I'm busy. I made a cake a couple of weeks ago to take somewhere. I had carefully laid sliced strawberries in a circular pattern over the top of the cake, and then some along the base. I went up stairs to change my shirt and came down and she was eating the strawberries off of it. I didn't buy her ice cream, and later regretted that I had over reacted. I re-arranged the strawberries and smoothed out the finger marks and it turned out just fine. My poor kids! Two weeks in a row I made the same type of cake for a baby shower and something else and they never got any. I'm going to make one for them for our Easter treat. I don't know what I would do is they messed with my seedlings. I hope I could react like you did. Tyff

April 4, 2007	#5
natural Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North GA Posts: 530	We have a 13 yr old girl and 7 yr old boy. My wife and I were hesitant to let our son carry our tomato trays around for fear he would drop them. Well, guess who dropped them. Me and the wife both dropped seedling trays on the same day (700 plants in all). I think we've learned several lessons. Of course, we have been through a few episodes of our children proudly showing us rows where they hoed "THE WEEDS"s (read here beets, chard, carrots, etc... LOL.

April 4, 2007	#6
tylenol Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chatsworth,Calif. Posts: 117	There is a bright side....he'll be REAL helpfull in the Fall when the tom's are done and it's time to clear the garden ! Rob

April 5, 2007	#8
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	Mark....I laughed at your story, because it brought back memories....when my oldest daughter was about 15 mos., she was on our sun porch and snapped off a couple of tomato seedlings...I think she tripped and fell on them. I instantly snapped and grabbed her and put her in the house...My husband watched , and was a little shocked (and disgusted) at my reaction...I had been starting seedlings much longer than I had had children and well the adjustment was tough... Luckily, my oldest are now 9 and 5 and very good little gardeners...They know to NEVER play rough or throw balls near the seedlings...I give them each their own container plant and they always know the names of all the varieties on the patio (often 20 plus). I do have a son who is 3 ,and as a one year old, he removed many plant markers for me...He is better now, and I tape the variety name on the containers too. Never let a small child witness you pulling weeds, they will later mimic it ...I get them started on dirt building on the other side of the garden , and then do my work.... Jeanne

April 9, 2007	#12
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,839	my son will be 3 the end of may. one thing he has taught me is you really need to be patient to be a parent. things just aren't going to go the way you want. everything takes longer, and mishaps will happen. i'm letting my son "help" water the plants with a spray bottle. he likes squeezing the trigger. the plants get some water, the floor gets some water. the wall gets some water. sometimes dad gets some water. its all part of the learning process. he isn't going to be helping with the transplanting just yet. playing in dirt is right up his alley, but there is a limit to daddys patience. maybe next year. keith in calumet